Introducing Service Texts: Streamline Communication and Strengthen Trust

Keeping your customers informed about appointments, service updates, and any unexpected changes is crucial for building trust, delivering a positive experience, and increasing loyalty. That's why Skimmer is thrilled to introduce service texts, a new feature that lets you send text message notifications directly to your customers.

Why Service Texts?

We listened to your feedback– You told us clear, timely communication with your customers is a top priority, and the safety of your techs is paramount. Service Texts address these needs by providing you with a convenient and efficient way to keep your customers informed when you’re on the way, service is completed, or there is an unplanned service interruption.  

How Does This Benefit Your Business?

  • Time savings: Automated messages minimize the need for manual communication, allowing technicians to focus on service delivery while also keeping your customers informed.
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: With proactive updates and clear communication, you can strengthen trust, reduce misunderstandings, and foster positive customer relationships.
  • Streamlined communication: One-way updates eliminate back-and-forth conversations, saving time and resources for both you and your customers.
  • Additional proof of service: Texts provide advance notice for residential or commercial pool owners and short-term rental property managers to take any necessary actions before your technician arrives, like putting dogs away, notifying tenants, or providing access.
  • Safety for your techs: A proactive text can ensure the safety of your technicians, especially if your techs are arriving after dark or outside of the expected service window.

How Does It Work?

  1. Enable the service texts feature in the settings menu of your Skimmer app. Each delivered message costs an additional fee of $0.029(2.9 Cents). 
    Note: Customers in the "Scaling Up" and Owning the Market" pricing tiers get free, unlimited Service Texts.
  2. Before activating Service Texts, you will be prompted to review and accept the terms and agreements. 
  3. Skimmer currently offers three types of service texts you can send to your customers. You will need to select which ones you'd like to turn on, based on your communication preferences.
  4. By default, Service Texts will be activated for all of your customers. To manually opt-out specific customers, simply deselect Service Texts on their customer profile page.  
  5. All text messages originate from a single Skimmer number. Calls and texts to this number will receive a generic message that notifies the caller that the number does not accept calls or texts.

Note: To use Service Texts, ensure you and your team are using the latest version of the Skimmer mobile app.

Once activated, you need to train your technicians to use Service Texts so your customers can start receiving messages. We have provided links to training resources at the bottom of this article to guide you through the process. 

Note:  Some text delivery may fail due to customers' self-selected opt-outs, carrier issues, or other network problems. However, your technicians will still be able to send notifications from the app, but will not be notified of the failed text delivery.

Your Customer’s Experience 

To help you easily inform your customers about this service and ensure that they recognize the mobile number and messages as legitimate, we have created a simple customizable email template for you, which you can find at the bottom of this article. We recommend sending it out before starting to use Service Texts. 

Also, your customers have the flexibility to opt-out of service texts by replying “STOP” to any message and opt back in by replying “START” to any message.

Types of Text Notifications

Service text notifications are designed to reflect typical events in your pool service workflow. There are currently three types of text notifications that can be sent to a customer:

  1. On The Way: This is sent when a technician marks themselves "on the way" to the next stop.
  2. Finished Service: This is sent when a technician finishes a routine service or a work order.
  3. Skipped Stop: This is sent when a technician skips a service location.

Service Text Reports

The Skimmer dashboard is now updated to show the number of service texts sent:

  • This week
  • Last week
  • This month
  • Last month

This will inform you of the total number of service texts you will be charged for per billing period. 

Reminder: Customers in the "Scaling Up" pricing tier get free, unlimited Service Texts.

You can also view the "Sent Service Texts" report that shows you:

  • The total cost of texts sent
  • Customers who were sent texts
  • What type of texts were sent
  • Status of texts sent and whether delivery was successful or not

Skimmer’s Service Texts empower pool service businesses to deliver a seamless customer experience by prioritizing clear communication.

Your Feedback Matters! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on Service Texts through our support team. We'll continuously make improvements based on our customers’ input, plus we’ll keep you updated about new functionalities that improve your ability to connect and engage with your customers!

 Ready to Learn More? 

Contact our dedicated support team at support@getskimmer.com for any further assistance.