2024's Business Texting Best Practices

For professional business texting, maintain best practices to help keep your customers happy and your business respected. Customers prefer messages from individuals they can respond to rather than automated text messages. Use this personal messaging to your advantage, engage customers and make them feel like they are getting the best customer service, no matter the format. Message your current and returning customers to provide relevant updates. Design your messages to be fresh and valuable to your customer base and ensure you are answering important questions and following through with the messages you are receiving. Keep up to date with 2021's business texting best practices with these messaging tips.

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Here are some ways to keep your business texting professional and effective

Send quick responses by text

Stay on top of incoming messages as they arrive and follow up with customer inquiries. While customers are not waiting on hold, answer text messages while the customer is engaged to maintain communication. Let your customers know you have received and read their message, even if you do not have their answer yet. Informing them when you are able to answer will keep valuable customers from waiting. For messages received outside working hours, providing a response informs customers about your business hours or when they will receive a response. You can enable and customize auto replies for messages received after hours.

Keep your messages concise

Keep your messages short. Text messages are best when your messages are direct and clear. Answer questions as directly as you can, customers can ask follow-up questions for more details as needed. Depending on the complexity and confidentiality of the topic, you can also request to schedule a call or ask for an email to develop an ongoing conversation through another medium.

Convey a professional tone

To maintain a professional tone, limit the use of abbreviation and slang words in your messages. As you are messaging as your business, it is important your messages reflect your business. Make sure customers can easily understand your replies, stay away from unclear language. Your use of emojis are up to you! Keep it limited and professional for most businesses. 👍

Keep matters non-confidential

Text messages should not contain or ask for confidential information. Do not ask for private information over text message, address further details and private information over a phone call or email. Users must consent for your business to transfer their private data via text message. View Ten Rules for Texting with Customers for more information on texting with private health data.

Wrap up the conversation

Verify your customers are satisfied with the customer service they have received by text message. When wrapping up a conversation with a customer, ensure there are no further questions or concerns remaining. With all business resolved, each text interaction and customer feels fully taken care of. When ready, add your business’ contact information and sign off to complete the customer service experience. Let customers know they can return knowing their questions and concerns are handled, even by text messaging.

Enforce opt in and opt out

Get permission if you plan to send marketing messages to interested customers. Allow customers to opt in and out of receiving your promotional messages. Let customers reach you via text message for your best offers available. Treat your text messaging with the same care of your regular customer service platforms. Manage incoming messages to help current and potential customers working with your business. Customers do not want unsolicited messages, especially when you are directly sending a text message. Be mindful of customer requests for methods of contact and interest in receiving offers for your business. Ten Rules for Texting with Customers also covers what text marketing laws to be aware of when using text messaging for business.

Set up business hours

During your busiest hours, make sure you or your staff are answering messages promptly and thoroughly. Your replies should be mostly contained within your operating hours. Your customer service can extend beyond your business hours, depending on your availability. Ensure you are not sending notifications too early or late, disrupting customers' days. Send your outgoing messages during reasonable business hours. Messages are best sent and responded to during optimal times for your business, when customers are likely to remember and act on offers you send.

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