Consent and opt-outs
How "OK to text", STOP replies, unsubscribes and bounces decide who ServFlo may message.
ServFlo checks consent before every message, automated or sent by hand, and again right before it goes out. This keeps you within US texting and email rules (TCPA and CAN-SPAM) without having to think about it.
Service and marketing messages
| Text | ||
|---|---|---|
| Service (reminders, on my way, quotes, invoices, receipts) | The customer allows email, and the address hasn't bounced, complained or turned service emails off. | The customer allows texts, the number is OK to text, and it hasn't replied STOP. |
| Marketing (win-back, promotions, campaigns) | All of the above, plus the customer's marketing preference, and not unsubscribed. | All of the above, plus the customer's marketing preference. Texts end with "Reply STOP to opt out." |
Archived customers get no automated messages. Customers marked do-not-service only get billing messages (invoices, receipts) from automations.
"OK to text"
A phone number needs OK to text before ServFlo texts it. You get it when:
- you record the customer's permission (for example, they said yes on a phone booking) on their contact's phone, or
- the customer ticks the optional texting checkbox on your booking page, booking widget, website contact form, membership sign-up or referral page. It's never pre-ticked, and ServFlo keeps a record of what they agreed to and when.
When a customer texts you first, you may answer them for 30 days without OK to text. That covers your team's replies only, never automations or marketing.
See and change a customer's consent
Open the customer and go to the Messages tab.
Under Messaging consent, each phone and email shows OK to text, Service emails (reminders, invoices) and Marketing, plus any block such as Replied STOP, Unsubscribed, Bounced or Marked as spam.
Change what's allowed. You'll see "Consent updated".
A STOP reply or an unsubscribe can only be undone by the customer. You can't turn texts back on after a STOP; the customer has to text START. An address that unsubscribed itself can only opt back in from its preferences link. A booking form never turns texts back on for a number that replied STOP.
Text keywords
- STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT: stop all texts to that number at once, on every customer and contact that has it.
- START, YES, UNSTOP: turn texts back on.
- HELP, INFO: answered with your business name and phone number.
Email unsubscribes and preferences
Every email has your postal address and a link: "Unsubscribe" on marketing emails, "Unsubscribe or change email preferences" on service emails. The link opens Your message preferences, where the customer chooses Offers and news and Service emails. The unsubscribe button in Gmail, Yahoo and Apple Mail works too. Unsubscribing from marketing still lets service emails through, unless the customer turns those off as well.
Emails that bounce, and addresses that mark a message as spam, are blocked automatically. A spam complaint also opts the address out of marketing.