Text messaging isn’t only for millennials anymore; It has become a dominant method of communication across all demographics. According to Pew Research, texting is the most widely used feature on smartphones next to voice and video calling and emailing respectively. It is one of the most convenient ways to contact your customers who are always on the go.
With the chaotic and unpredictable nature of email, not everyone chooses to have all their emails show up on their home screen. Text messages, on the other hand, are less intrusive if sent sparingly. Customers are more likely to open and reply to text messages as opposed to their email counterpart. One Reach reports that text messages have a 98% open rate and 45% response rate, while emails only have a 20% open rate and a 6% response rate.
However, text messages are not always appropriate for every situation. If you have a lengthy message with many details which may potentially require a long response, an email would be the best way to contact your customer. A text message is ideal if you want to send a quick confirmation or reminder message to your customers about their appointment or reservation. It is short and to the point. If a reply is required, it should also be short, usually a one-word answer such as Yes or No. For pet owners with busy lifestyles, text messaging can be a very integral part of your communication methods.
With ProPet, you can now send out text messages to your customer right from your account. Our new SMS feature allows you to send automated confirmation, reminder, and thank you messages for the various services that you offer. Similar to the email system in ProPet, you can also create text message templates to help you save time and easily manage your messages. Along with the message, your customer will receive a link through which they can access their customer portal. From there they can make any necessary changes to their profile, pets, or bookings right from their smart phones. Although the message is short, the customer still has quick access to their booking information should they need to review it as ProPet is mobile friendly!
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Part 4 of our series will discuss ideal times to call your customers and the most effective ways to get the maximize these calls. Sign up on the right hand side of this page to get instant blog notifications when new blogs from this series are published so you don’t miss out on any tips and tricks for effective communication with your customers.
If you would like to try out ProPet’s new text messaging system (amongst other great features) to help you communication more effectively with your clients, click below to get started!
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