Your Guide to Messaging Customers: 10 Rules of Business Texting Etiquette
With great business texting comes great responsibility and Textel has a handful of professional messaging best practices that will help you put your best emoji’s forward when communicating with customers.
Here are 10 business texting tips to elevate your messaging game beyond “New phone, who dis?”
- If they text you, don’t call them.
One of the beautiful things about texting with a business is that it lets you cut to the chase. Just the facts, Jack. An unsolicited call after receiving a text basically breaks the unspoken agreement that texting was built around. If you really think a call is needed, text them for approval first!
- You have a sworn duty to respond.
A customer may not always get back to you right away, but your business must remain vigilant in response of any and all inquiries that come via text. This will organically create the warm, fuzzy feelings that are meant to power the customer experience. Replying within five minutes should keep all parties happy.
- Consider the emoji and the correct time to use it.
Listen, we ❤️ emoji’s. They show you’re playful and fun. However, in a business setting, it’s probably best to just forget the ???? emoji exists. And less your business centers around planning children’s birthday parties, sending the ???? emoji will probably get the cops called.
- Sure, sarcasm is a GREAT idea.
Not. It is not a great idea. Unless you have a strong relationship with whoever you’re texting, it is more likely that the intent of your message will get lost in translation when sarcasm is injected. Tone is very difficult to imply via text and it often leads to miscommunication. Use only if following up with All Caps explanation: THIS IS SARCASM.
- ALSO, DON’T USE ALL CAPS!
UNLESS YOU WANT THE RECIPIENT TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING AT THEM! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? The All Caps feature is useful for driving a point home, but doesn’t have a place in the business texting world where any heated conversation should be had in person. To this end, it’s best to avoid hashtags and “text speak” in your messaging b4 u m8k urself look silly lol rofl.
- Be mindful of your text timing.
Keep it courteous when sending out texts. Note the time zone if possible and if one of your texts ends up being their morning alarm, it’s your business that needs a wakeup call. In general, stay within work hours and avoid bulk texts in case they are in a meeting and unable to respond. Overall, be mindful of the actual value of the text before interrupting a life.
- Use auto correct and then read it out loud.
Texting is an excellent, efficient way to communicate, but sometimes that kind of speed can trip people up. As a business, you want to appear professional and courteous in each encounter, so be sure to check the spelling and the word choices before sending anything to a customer. When you read it out loud, it’s easier to determine if that’s how you’d say it to their face.
- Make sure you’re sending it to the right person.
This can be a real showstopper. Sending irrelevant, inaccurate or inappropriate texts to the wrong person can result in some awkward conversations. Similar to #7, this just requires a quick quality check before sending out into the world.
- When possible, use images to get your point across.
Maybe it’s to show the crack in a carburetor that needs repair or maybe it’s to show a specific hair style they might like. Pictures save you 1000 words via text, so make them part of your business messaging strategy. Like sarcasm, pictures without context can confuse so be sure to follow up with a clear, specific explanation.
- Don’t forget to say goodbye.
Best not to leave a customer hanging. When the conversation has reached a natural resolution, don’t just assume they’ve checked out. Send a final text thanking them for their time and asking if there is anything else you can help with. When they confirm all’s well, you can say goodbye and close the conversation so there is a clear ending.
There you have it – a tried and true guide to business texting excellence that will keep your customers informed and happy that you’re only a message away.
If you’re looking for more ways to elevate your messaging strategy, check out how business texting software from Textel improves the customer experience.
