We have all seen the term “SMS” in our phone plans and on street-side billboards. However, this short message service comes with a long list of rules and regulations to ensure no individual or business entity abuses quick texts to others. Here is an SMS compliance checklist for small businesses that you must know.
Know the Opt-In Requirements
SMS compliance regulations require that customers opt into the service you provide via text messages. This opt-in confirmation serves as the customer’s express approval that you can communicate with them and send them business-related information. The opt-in message will come first in the series of communications with the client. This opt-in notification should include a disclaimer that your business is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with your carrier settings. This way, you can avoid any legal ramifications from your work.
Send Quick Confirmations
Suppose a customer signs up for your SMS service in-store with an associate. Your system should be able to immediately send an SMS notification to the client confirming their acceptance of the communication. Opt-ins address the overall acceptance of the communication method while the confirmation records what kind of material you will send them. Newsletters, links to new products, promotions, service alerts, and more can all come via text. So, send a quick confirmation to consumers when they sign up with your SMS system.
Be Mindful of Timing
No one wants a beeping notification to wake them up at three o’clock in the morning. So, you must be careful about when your system sends out mass notifications. You should schedule them for the middle of the day when people are usually awake and when they will likely have their phone on hand to see the message. Businesses can quickly become pests if they do not adhere to these regulations for customer communication.
Knowing this SMS compliance checklist for small businesses will help you stay within the legal boundaries for customer communication. While you will need to stay up to date on the trends in SMS compliance, keeping these items in mind will set a firm legal foundation. If you need POS software for small businesses to help you manage these customer profiles, reach out to us at Business Software Solutions today.
