How customers opt in to texts

• Text only customers who said yes to texts about their appointment.
• Ask when they book, and record how they agreed.
• Every customer can stop texts at any time with STOP. Customers who did not agree get emails instead.
• Appointment messages only: never marketing, and never anything for sale.

When a customer books, by phone, in person or on a form, ask something like this (with your business’s name):

Can Oak Street Home Services text you about this appointment at this number? You will get a confirmation and reminders. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

Agreeing must never be needed to book. A customer who says no gets their messages by email. Ways customers can agree, which you choose in Settings → Texting:

• They say yes when they book, by phone or in person.
• They sign a paper form or contract.
• They tick a box on a form on your website.

On a form or contract, put the words above next to the mobile number, and keep a copy.

Each customer in the app has their text consent, with when and how it was given:

• They gave this number for their appointments.
• They agreed to texts in writing (form, email or contract).

A customer from your calendar or a spreadsheet is recorded as “they gave this number for their appointments”, because your team put their number on the appointment. Only add numbers of customers who agreed.

A customer without consent shows No text consent and gets no texts; they get emails when you have their address.

The first text says who it is from and how to stop. With the plain starter set it reads:

Hi Jane, this is Oak Street Home Services. Your appointment is booked for Thursday at 10:00 AM. Reply YES to confirm. Details: confirmcue.com/a/Q7hK2pX9mT STOP to opt out.

• Usually 2 to 4 texts for each appointment: the booking text and reminders, and a text when the time changes.
• Only in your message hours, never at night.
• Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.
• Texts come from your business’s own texting number, and replies come to you.

• STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, REVOKE, OPTOUT, OPT OUT: a text with only one of these words stops every text from your number to that phone, at once. This is a phone carrier rule and cannot be turned off. You see ⛔ in front of their events in your calendar.
• START, UNSTOP: texts start again. Only the customer can undo their own STOP.
• HELP, INFO: they get who is texting and how to reach you, for example:

Oak Street Home Services: appointment confirmations and reminders. Questions? Call (202) 555-0147. Reply STOP to stop texts.

A longer text with a stop word (“Stop the work, please”) may not mean “stop texting”. Texts to that customer wait, and your team chooses: stop texts to them, or keep texting.

Because CANCEL is a stop word, messages never ask customers to reply CANCEL. To stop texts to a customer yourself, choose Stop texts on their page in the app.

When you save your texting details, your business gets a public page that tells customers how they agree, what they get and how to stop. The carriers’ reviewers open it, and you can show it to customers. Its link is in Settings → Texting.

• Send marketing, promotions or anything that is not about a customer’s own appointment.
• No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging opt-in data and consent are never shared with any third party.

The full rules: SMS Terms (for your customers) and the Acceptable Use Policy (for your business).