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Five reasons to start texting your customers
Hint: they want you to!

If you’re a services contractor or installer, it’s time to add automated text to your toolkit. In fact, 70% of people say that text messaging is a good way for businesses to get their attention. Here are five ways to use text to interact with your customers.

1. Schedule service appointments

Sixty-one percent of millennials prefer to avoid phone calls. Texting is no problem, though.

Scheduling appointments by text can reduce office workers’ phone time by 80%.
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2. Send service appointment reminders

You don’t like missed appointments and neither do your customers. Do them a favor and remind them by text.

of consumers would like to get appointment reminders by text.

3. Send project status updates

Keep customers updated on the status of their
project: the technician is on the way, their product has arrived, or materials are delayed. They’ll appreciate the heads-up.

of consumers believe that businesses should interact with customers by text more often than they do now.
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4. Offer discounts and deals

Want to stimulate more business? Send customers a text with a discounted offer, a seasonal promotion, or a coupon.

of consumers said they opt-in to a brand’s text messages to receive coupons or deals.

5. Ask for feedback

Texting customers a link to provide fast feedback is a great way to measure your service and increase positive reviews.

Solicited reviews tend to be higher than unsolicited reviews: 4.34 stars out of 5 (vs 3.89).6
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Best practices for customer texting

  • Get permission: Be sure to give customers the option to opt out of personal texts.

  • Limit texts: Too many texts can turn customers off. Try to limit them to service-related texts vs. sales texts.

  • Respect time: Send texts during working hours only. Try to avoid early morning and evening texts, unless your service call is happening during those hours.

  • Keep it short: Text apps give you a small amount of space to deliver your message, so it’s important to get to the point quickly.

Ready to start texting your customers with Cilio EasyText?

• Reduce outbound calls
• Communicate faster with crews
• Increase customer reviews

About Cilio CiO

Cilio CiO helps installation contractors of all sizes manage every job from initiation through completion, save time and money, improve communications, and integrate seamlessly with Lowe’s, Home Depot, and other home improvement retailer systems.