Ever had a customer call with a problem you’re pretty sure you can handle — but it’s hard to tell from their description alone? They want it fixed. You need to make sure you can price it right or even commit to doing the work. Sometimes words just aren’t enough.
The Problem with Email and Pictures
Getting a photo from a customer should be simple. In practice, it’s anything but:
- Take a picture with your phone
- Tap Share
- Tap Email
- Wait
Maybe the picture shows up. Maybe it gets lost because the file is too big. Maybe the customer doesn’t have email set up on their phone. Good luck walking them through any of those issues over the phone.
But here’s the thing — they can text.
Real-Time Pictures via Text
Every one of your customers has a smartphone with a camera that can send pictures by text. Sure, they could text your personal cell — but not every business owner or admin wants to hand out their personal number.
That’s where a dedicated SMS/texting number comes in.
ServiceMinder’s two-way texting add-on lets you set up a local phone number (you get to pick) that your team can use to send and receive texts with customers and crew. Replies show up right inside ServiceMinder. Customer texts are archived with the contact record, so they’re immediately available to your entire team.
You can also place that number on your website with an “sms:” link. Any customer browsing on their phone can tap the link and send you a text — including a photo.
Get the Picture
Next time you’re on the phone with a prospect describing a problem, just ask them to point their camera at it, snap a photo, and text it to you. You can view it in real time, confirm you can do the work, and schedule someone to handle it — all while they’re still on the line.
Because the photo is archived with the contact, your crew can pull it up on-site using the ServiceMinder mobile app.
So what’s that worth? A thousand words — or $49/mo.
