Small Companies Using SMS To Contact Existing Customers.

[Dan Robinson]

I get a few (but increasing in number) customers texting me with questions and requests for appointments etc. I always call them back unless it is for something like responding to a request for an email address.

Personally I hate SMS as a principle form of communication, but it has its uses with friends.

However; as a company I get incredibly busy and am thinking that SMS might be a way of responding more quickly than I could using a proper telephone call....

For example.... A lady SMS'd me this morning to say that she was paying her invoice after getting a reminder letter. A phone call back would be unnecessarily time consuming. But a text telling her to "check her junk mail box for the missing original copy of the invoice and thanks for paying regardless".

What say you civilians and professionals?

 

[Doggit]

It very much depends on who you're conversing with, and how you handle your messages. I'm all for brevity, so I'd just have said "thanks for sorting it out", and the next time I sent her an invoice, I'd send a text to tell her about checking her junk mail box.

But do you type, or use voice recognition; that speeds SMS up dramatically. If you have an bluetooth headset, and can configure you're phone to recognise voice dialling, then it can also be very quick handling conversations that way as well.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Some of my customers have been so for 30 years so many phone calls spend more time catching up.... Which is great, but not when you are on another customer's clock charging by the hour.

I agree it depends on the person though.

 

[Doggit]

As long as the customer isn't standing over you, and you can talk and work at the same time, then a bluetooth headset lets you chat away hands free. It's a myth that only women can multi task. Unfortunately, modern society is becoming more dissconnected with each other (especaiily the young) due to technology and stress, and SMS will become more mainstream; just look at how many people communicate through facebook and twitter rather than actually talking nowadays.

 

[Happyplumber]

I have customers who send me their address and post codes via SMS and also other who will ask questions with a text message
Alot of times it's not feesable to make a call so a quick text is alot easier
Also I like to send a text to let customers know when i will be arriving at their place which normally gives them at least an hours notice so they can get back home if they are out
We have to move with the times mate and get social medias well as tech savvy

 

[Doggit]

We have to move with the times mate and get social medias well as tech savvy

No we don't, I can't stand facebook or Twitter, and I hope I can avoid them till the day I die.

 

[AGAS]

No we don't, I can't stand facebook or Twitter, and I hope I can avoid them till the day I die.

+1 +2 and +3

 

[FiremanT]

If a client was to text me a question, I would trailed that as an implicit consent to text back.
It drives me mad when my kids send time critical texts. We are not all listening a d watching for messages. A call demands an immediate response. And the caller knows they have made contact or otherwise

 

[HERTS P&D]

I hate it when I get a text asking 'how much to fit my bath mate?'

If you can't pay for a phone call, how will you be able to pay me.......jog on!

Andy

 

[dilalio]

I find that SMS is ideal for comms with 'most' of my customers for a few reasons: they're brief and to the point; you have a record of what was said and when but mostly it's because our work hours are out of sync... I don't want phone calls past 6pm and they don't want them at 6am

Obviously, if it's emergency urgent then the phone will be used as expected.

I've had a couple customers try and FaceTime call me... one of them whilst they were away on a Baltic cruise and I at their house, working .
I won't answer those

You could always survey your customers via group SMS and ask their opinion.

 

[bernardgreen]

The SMS system is not "instant" messaging and while somewhere close to 95% of messages are received within a few seconds of being sent delays of over an hour are not uncommon.

 

[Dan Robinson]

hate it when I get a text asking 'how much to fit my bath mate?'

I don't get those, but they would be ignored if I did.

I've had a couple customers try and FaceTime call me...

Done seem to think I'm on WhatsApp and that is a 24 hour service. I'm not. And I'm not

I don't want phone calls past 6pm

My voicemail message explicitly states or opening times, but it is amazing how Kent think it doesn't apply to them . The other day I sent an email that signed off with "I'm in the office until 5pm if you need to talk ". The chap tried to call me at 5:50

The SMS system is not "instant" messaging and while somewhere close to 95% of messages are received within a few seconds of being sent delays of over an hour are not uncommon.

Indeed, recently some messages to one of my guys have taken a couple of hours to arrive. Thankfully though, I have delivery notification turned on so I know if a message has arrived. No point getting grumpy without reason.

 

[Doggit]

Thankfully though, I have delivery notification turned on

I didn't know about that, thanks for that tip TRP5

 

[Terrywookfit]

It's handy to contact custs who are unable to answer a call .
It pi$$es me off when working when it gets to 17.00 and my phone is constantly ringing.....I can reply to a text when convenient.

 

[Dan Robinson]

It's handy to contact custs who are unable to answer a call .
It pi$$es me off when working when it gets to 17.00 and my phone is constantly ringing.....I can reply to a text when convenient.

I'm religious on the 5pm shut off. Unless prearranged with a customer.