Embracing Text-Based Client Communication

While we want to make lure our client communication methods are top-notch, we all have our limits. Many business owners I know despise text or SMS messages from clients. I was one of them. I recently changed my tune (or was that a message tone?) and it immediately increased business.

Why We’re Against Texting/SMS

Maybe this doesn’t apply to you. I know until recently I was against client communication through text.  Many computer business owners feel the same way as I did.

We Didn’t Start With It

When I started, my business phone was my mobile phone. Smartphones weren’t popular, and we only texted people urgent stuff. Text messages demanded immediate attention.Otherwise, you just left a phone message or an email. When I think text, I think a doctor with a pager. Times have changed, though.

Now many people find phone calls and messages more intrusive. The phone starts vibrating and you have to turn off the ringer. Then you have to listen to a voicemail message that says “call me.” If you grew up without caller ID, especially mobile caller ID, you had to leave a message for a callback. Now, showing up on a caller ID means “call me back.”

We Think We Need to Respond Immediately

We might not listen to our voicemail right away or respond to an email, but text is right there. It shows up on your phone demanding you read it. Therefore we assume a text message needs to be responded to right away. Client communication through text is immediate.

When a client can’t reach you by phone or email, the next thing they’ll do is often text. You might be in the middle of romantic dinner and think it is the babysitter. You want to throw the phone across the room because a client isn’t sure if they should click on a link. This problem couldn’t wait until business hours?

It’s Attached to Your Phone

This fact was probably my biggest stumbling block to texting. When I went on vacation to Europe from the United States a few years ago, I reminded every client not to text me. My phones were being monitored and calls forwarded to a dispatcher. Text messages, however, were tied to my phone, which was 8 hours ahead. I was a bit snarky and texted clients when I got the messages, which could be 2 AM local time.

You can’t track it

Even if you embrace texting, it doesn’t play well with most CRM systems. You can log client communication from emails and phone calls, including attaching the voicemail messages. Text messages tie themselves to your phone (even if you use iMessage). Sure, you could attach a screenshot of your phone and send it to your CRM, but what a pain.

Why Clients Want to Text

The more you resist texting, the more likely they seem to text you. It’s just the nature of business sometimes. If they’re texting you, they’re communicating the terms of how they want to do business with you. You can fight it, but they might just take the business elsewhere.

They Grew Up With It (Or Didn’t)

Kids today! They always had phones with full keyboards. To them, texting was easier than phone calling or emailing. Text is an immediate way to have a conversation. Autocorrect, while hilarious sometimes, does make it even easier. Client communication by email conversations has the time delay of sending, receiving, reading, and responding. Text messages don’t end up in a spam filter nor do you have to know the email address.

On the other end of the spectrum, I see older clients using text messaging more as well. I was shocked when my mother-in-law started messaging me. With Siri, she can send me a message by pressing a button. Just like email, she doesn’t have to worry about the delays along the route to a reply. She’s retired and not in front of a computer most of the time, but she always has a phone.

It’s Quiet and Private

Many clients can’t always access their personal email. Sure they could send an email from their smartphone, but then they have to remember to check for the responses. Your email response gets lost in the barrage of emails they get pushed to them. If a more urgent email appears before your response, they’ll respond to that instead of you.

If they call, they don’t always want to use a work phone. That phone always seems to be ringing or engaged in a conference call. Clients can text you while they’re on their work phone. Mobile signals are often lousy in buildings. The biggest reason I hear though is they don’t want coworkers or customers hearing their private conversations. Our work can sometimes lead to embarrassing discussions; that’s why it’s best to keep the communication text only and outside of any email servers.

How to Adapt Texting To Your Business

Your customers want it and some of your competitors are probably doing it. Letting your clients message you is a cheap way to differentiate yourself. After I went to the IT Jetpack Unconvention and networked with other computer repair business owners, I made it a goal to start accepting text messages for my business.

Treat it Just Like Any Other Contact Point

I had to learn that the minute the phone rings, I don’t have to pick it up. Some computer repair business owners have a policy not to pick up the phone while they are with a client. Other owners might use a call answering service. I use Google Voice and YouMail to answer phones when I’m unavailable. I also don’t respond to email messages immediately.

All of your messaging methods should be organized and with established goals for a response. Your response times are in your control. For example, in my break-fix business, we try for a 2-hour response to a phone call, email or text message. You might have a different goal. Text messages have the same response times as all other communication methods. We triage all scheduling. If you choose to treat text messages as more urgent, that’s your call so-to-speak. Clients will learn your response times and adapt accordingly. Always respond with compassion and empathy.

Remember that you don’t have to respond in the same method the client reaches out to you. If the situation is too complicated for a text message, let them know you’ll call or email later. They might be annoyed you can’t give a quick 140 or so character answer, but that’s true of any communication method.

Start With Google Voice

Many starting computer repair business owners use a mobile phone as the primary point of contact. Clients already have that number and expect to be able to text to it. For all the reasons mentioned earlier, you might not like it going to your mobile phone. In my case, my main number was a landline, so I had that restriction to deal with.

When I mentioned all my concerns during the Unconvention, Kevin Boynton of Computer Doctor of Richmond suggested using Google Voice for texting clients.I was already using Google Voice for my voicemail on my mobile. He reminded me that you could send text messages from Google Voice and even respond via email. I tried it as soon as I got back to my hometown.

The first potential client I tried this with scheduled a service call. When I met with her, we talked about why she didn’t leave a voice message or email. She said she was at her kid’s swim meet and couldn’t talk because it was loud. After her missed call I sent her a text identifying myself and how I could help. After a few exchanges, we found a time to meet. It was that easy.

I was concerned that clients would wonder why text messages were coming from a different number than the one they were called. Clients had no problem with the secondary phone number. They’re used to businesses having multiple numbers. The only hesitation they had was getting added to a text spam list. I explained that we always respect client contact wishes.

If your business is larger than one person, Google Voice lets you respond without giving out the mobile numbers of your tech team. The techs can log into the Google Voice app on their mobile device and respond to a client.

Since Google Voice tracks everything, I was able to set a filter in Gmail to forward all the text messages to our CRM and ticketing system. Now I could text clients without my mobile phone and track all the text messages.

Porting a Landline

After my free experiment with Google Voice, I took my texting implementation to the next level. I was paying too much money for a landline each month and wanted to port it to Google Voice. The problem is that Google Voice doesn’t let you port directly from a landline. You first need to port it to a mobile phone.

I had a spare Android phone lying around. After a quick stop to my mobile carrier, I walked out with a SIM and my landline was in my hand. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done this years ago! Now I had the flexibility to move to Google Voice if I wanted, but I’m not doing that just yet.

Other Solutions?

Depending on your provider, they might support texting to a landline. I know AT&T offered me that option, but at a ridiculously high price. Some companies like Grasshopper and Ring Central also support this function.

Why I’m Keeping Two Phones: AirDroid and IFTTT

I didn’t want to change too much at once, so I started experimenting with the new phone. It felt weird to hold the landline I had for 15 years in my hand. I then thought it might be cool to see if I could live without Google Voice. I realize technicians might want some options other than Google Voice.

The first thing I started with is AirDroid. That lets me use my Android phone remotely. I can respond to text messages from the AirDroid site or an app. I keep the mainline phone at my office charging. As long as the phone is online, I can use AirDroid. I like not having to use that tiny keyboard on my smartphone to answer clients texts.

If you haven’t tried out IFTTT (If This Then That), you need to do that right away. It allows multiple devices and platforms to talk to each other. I installed the Phone Call and SMS channel for Android. After I had installed it, I used recipes to forward the SMS messages to another email address (our CMS) system and track all the calls.

I could port the number over to Google, but I like having two physical phones for the business. If my mobile phone ever had a problem, I now have a spare phone and phone number.

Results Overnight and Long-Term from Texting

As I said, the results of texting my clients were immediate. I got a new client the first time I tried it. The trend continues. When someone calls any of my lines, I call them back even if they didn’t leave a message. If I don’t speak with them on that return call, I leave a voicemail.

Since not everyone listens to voicemail, I follow up with a text message. Sometimes they’re on the phone with another provider right then. I capture that business and turn it into billable hours. On average, I win a new client a day from texting. Even if we can’t provide them service, I prevent the waste of time of voicemail phone tag. We can then move on to clients who want to schedule service with us.

Written by Dave Greenbaum