As the world moves towards an ever-increasing reliance on digital communication methods, SMS has become a must-have tool in your arsenal for keeping in touch with your customers. Your customers likely receive hundreds of emails a day – it’s very easy for rental reminders and other important communication from your business to get lost in the list of incoming emails.
To make matters worse, many customers now elect for electronic-only communication, so subsequent reminders regarding an overdue payment may also get lost and there is no longer a fall-back solution such as a printed letter (although Storman can easily be setup to do this if you like – but it would go against the “electronic-only” preference of our customers).
Keep your business front-of-mind
By backing-up an important business communication by SMS, it ensures your business remains front-of-mind for your customers and ensures the customer reads what you send them, so it’s a fantastic tool for getting important information out to your customers.
Additionally, there is no limit in the number of characters you can send in an SMS – opening the door to a more detailed communication if required (we do not recommend long text messages, short and sweet, with a pay now link is the best!).
Make an impact from multiple angles
SMS is a great way to compliment customer communications, by coming in at multiple angles. For example, you could configure Storman to send an SMS about an upcoming rental invoice. You could then send the invoice by email the next day (or the reverse; use the SMS to follow-up the invoice from the previous day).
According to a MobileSQUARED survey, over 90% of people read a text message within three minutes of receiving it.
The same idea can apply to customers that are in arrears. They may have missed an invoice email, but they’re bound to see (and read) the SMS. How many people do you know that look at their phone as soon as they hear an incoming text message?
The “nag factor” can work quite well in this regard – and I’ve often heard Storman users say that their phone will often ring after the batch SMS’s are sent from Storman, with customers wanting to pay the invoice over-the-phone – so it definitely works!
Less roadblocks
When comparing electronic communication methods, SMS has far fewer roadblocks than email. There are no email spam filters or email blacklists to content with, no virus issues & no mail server delays – and the recipient can’t block the message as spam. They’re simple and they work… plus, as I’ve said earlier, they’re a great forced engagement tool.
When used in moderation, SMS is a fantastic companion tool to email communication. It can be used to draw attention to important email communications that may have been missed.
Full-circle solution
A further benefit of SMS is the incorporated Delivery Receipt. This is an email which proves the SMS was delivered to the customer’s inbox. It’s included with every SMS you send from within Storman! Furthermore, it’s automatically attached to the customer’s file and is admissible in court.
Get in touch with our friendly team to arrange Storman SMS services be added to your account!
