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Text messaging gives the field service businesses of today a chance to connect and interact with customers. However, before we dive into how exactly you can take advantage of text messaging, let’s cover the basics so that we can stay on the same page.
According to Wikipedia: “Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or other type of compatible computer. Text messages may be sent over a cellular network, or may also be sent via an Internet connection.” At its core, text messaging is just another form of communication, like mail, email, phone calls, or even just talking.
If you have a smartphone, then you definitely have a text messaging app installed, even if you do not use it. Those of us who have been around for longer might remember text messaging on old flip phones or even slide phones and the difficulties involved (especially when we got charged by phone companies for every text message sent or received). As time has gone on, text messaging and the devices that support it have evolved, and texting has become extraordinarily beneficial to the companies that have incorporated it into their processes.
So, how can you make text messaging useful and integrate it into your business? Text messaging does not require the time/energy commitment of a phone call, and users can opt to save and view text messages at their convenience. Usually the information contained in text messages is not time sensitive and is rather brief. In fact, the character limit for a single text message is just 160 characters. Additionally, text messaging does not require an internet connection like an email, merely a cellular connection.
In the business world, good communication often dictates success. In the field service business, text messages can work as reminders with a high probability of observation/acknowledgement. Do you want to remind a client of yours that they have an upcoming service call? Text them. Do you want to confirm whether or not a quote or proposal got accepted by a customer? Text them. Do you want to notify your customers of a change in policy or operating hours? Text them. Do you want your customers to know what their technician looks like before he or she gets to the job site? Text them. Since people typically look forward to and voraciously consume text messages, your reminder will likely hit its mark.
Practically speaking, how does one implement text messaging? Simple. You use field service scheduling software. Modern field service software has the power and ability to make these kinds of communication tasks much easier for you and your entire company, very often in the form of some built-in module or hook-up to your existing phone system. Why work harder for money when you can make your software work harder for you?
Plenty of software companies out there offer text messaging as part of their package, but if you want software that will take care of you across the board—from emailing to job costing to asset management to helping you go paperless to invoicing—Smart Service is the software for you. Text messaging and reminders and communication are important, but so is a robust and integrated system where you can do everything associated with your business in one place. Smart Service even integrates with QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online! Schedule a demo today and bring your company into the modern age.
