Our current Sales CRM, Vinsolutions, provides texting capabilities to all users. The process to obtain customer confirmation to text is slightly difficult.  The CRM user must give the system’s assigned text phone number to the customer and ask them to message ‘YES’ in order to ‘opt in’ and receive text messages. As a result of the difficult process we have obtained low amounts of customers ‘opting in’, and many employees have slowly merged to using personal cell phones to text each customer. We can still text through our personal cell phones, but each employee attempting to text customers must follow a few steps in order to protect themselves and the company.

1.      The user must ask for permission to text the consumer’s personal cell number. Verbal confirmation on a connected call is adequate proof that the customer acknowledges and confirms text messages are allowed. Documenting the confirmation in the customer notes is advised.  

2.      If permission has not been given on a call due to no contact, the first text message must ask for permission to continue to text the customer along with a reply from the customer confirming texting is welcomed or preferred.

3.      If at any time the customer asks to not receive text messages, you must immediately discontinue that form of contact and notate it in the customer’s records with the appropriate date and time requested.

In summary text messaging is still okay, but please be sure to follow the proper steps to be in line with the TCPA.

Regards,