Customer reviews are golden to business, as they get you direct insight into the brand perception. But sometimes, the process is not as instant as you wish it to be.
Enter SMS marketing! It allows you to communicate directly and immediately with your customers. Leverage its higher open rate for collecting feedback and reviews.
In this blog, learn more about feedback messages and get 20+ feedback SMS templates.
Best practices for SMS communication
Here are some of the key best practices for SMS communication.
1. Get permission
You must get people’s explicit consent before sending them the messages. It is very important for compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) regulations. It saves you from all legal troubles. Obtaining permission before sending an SMS also shows the respect you have for people’s privacy and preferences.
When people themselves provide permissions to your SMS, it also implies you will be getting better engagement. You can leverage this to send more specific and targeted campaigns for better conversions.
To obtain permissions, you can use
- SMS Opt-in form on website
- Pop-out form on website
- Ask during checkout
- Send an email with an opt-in form
- Send an SMS with opt-in keyword
2. Don’t send too often
No one likes that clingy friend, so don’t become one to any of your customers by sending too many off messages. It can lead to annoyance and unsubscription at faster rates. Maintain a balance by sending personalized offers and messages up to 6-8 text messages per month in the majority of the cases.
But make sure while you have fewer chances for communication, make it highly relevant. Include high-value and targeted offers at the right time for better engagement.
Also, you can send a message beforehand informing customers of how many messages you will be sending to your customers so that the expectation can be set.
3. Include disclaimers
Disclaimers are important for clearing the air around all the important things. The Consumer Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) has set guidelines for SMS disclaimers and businesses must comply with all these regulations. For example, your opt-in message must contain a disclaimer that message and data rates may apply.
4. Provide an opt-out option
An opt-out option provides your customers a way out if your messages start seeming irrelevant to them after a certain point. It helps increase customers’ SMS subscription rates as customers can exit anytime they want. Providing an opt-out option is also important for Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) compliance.
Include the opt-out route in your disclaimers for customers to hold no confusion regarding the process. For example, one way could be if your recipients want to opt out of receiving text messages, they can simply text “STOP,” “QUIT,” “UNSUBSCRIBE,” “OPT-OUT,” or “CANCEL.”
5. Text during regular hours
Messages received during recipients’ inactive hours will not yield any result. The best times to send SMS messages are
- In the Afternoon: people take a bit of a break in the afternoon on weekdays and weekends.
- Around 2:00 p.m.: sometimes it is best to send instantly after that afternoon break.
- Between 6-8 p.m.: people are mostly commuting or relaxing allowing them to be most active on their phones.
Also make sure to include different demographics and timezones, while setting up the automatic sending of the messages.
Must avoid timings are
- Late at night
- Early in the morning
6. Provide value
Make sure every SMS contains value for your customers. People opt in because of some specific reasons and make sure their belief in those reasons lives on. Include relevant offers, exclusive discounts, useful tips, personalized recommendations, or early access to new products or services.
Recommended read: 50+ Best SMS Templates to Get more sales on Shopify
SMS templates for customer feedback & survey SMS samples
There are key times when gathering customer feedback can be incredibly valuable for Shopify brands, such as during major sales events like Black Friday. Customer insights from these periods can help improve future campaigns, tailor offerings, and enhance overall satisfaction. Below are SMS templates designed to help you gather valuable customer feedback and survey responses.
Customer feedback SMS templates:
1. “Hey there! We hope you loved your recent purchase. Mind sharing your feedback? Reply with a number: 1 for Great, 2 for Good, 3 for Okay, 4 for Needs Improvement, or 5 for Not Happy. Your opinion matters!”
2. “Hi [Customer’s Name], we’re eager to hear about your shopping experience with us. Could you rate it from 1 to 5? 1 being Awesome and 5 being Not Satisfactory. Thanks for helping us improve!”
3. “Hello! How did your recent order go? We’d love to know! Reply with a smiley face 😊 if you’re happy, a neutral face 😐 if it’s okay, or a sad face ☹️ if there were issues. Your feedback guides us!”
4. “Hey, quick question! Did your purchase meet your expectations? Reply YES if it did, NO if not. Feel free to share more details. Your feedback shapes our service!”
5. “Hi [Customer’s Name], we’re always striving to do better. Can you spare a moment to tell us what you loved or what we can improve? Your insights are gold to us!”
6. “Hi there! We’re on a mission to make your shopping experience fantastic. Can you rate how satisfied you were with your recent order?”
7. “Hey there! How was your recent shopping experience with us? Reply with a number from 1 (Awesome) to 5 (Needs improvement). Your feedback helps us serve you better!”
Survey SMS samples:
8. “Hey [Customer’s Name], fancy sharing your thoughts in a quick survey? Your feedback helps us enhance our services. Just reply YES if you’re in, and we’ll send you the link. Thanks a bunch!”
9. “Hi there! We’re curious about your recent shopping experience. Would you be up for a short survey? Reply with a thumbs-up emoji 👍 if you’re in, and we’ll get it to you right away. Cheers!”
10. “Hey, hope you’re doing well! We’re on a mission to make your shopping experience even better. Can we send you a brief survey? Reply with YAY if you’re game, and we’ll get started. Thanks a ton!”
11. “Hello! Your feedback means the world to us. Ready to share your thoughts in a quick survey? Just respond with a YES, and we’ll make it happen. Appreciate your time!”
12. “Hi [Customer’s Name], want to help us improve? We’ve got a short survey waiting for you. Simply reply with an OK, and we’ll send it over. Thanks for being awesome!”
13. “Hi! Your feedback is like gold to us. Would you mind participating in a quick survey to tell us more? Reply ‘Yes’ to get started. Thanks for being part of our journey!”
14. “Hello there! We’re all ears for your thoughts. Ready to take a short survey and make your voice count? Reply ‘Yes’ to receive the survey link. Your input is priceless!”
Review request feedback SMS templates
Here are four SMS review templates to request feedback:
15. Product review request
“Hi [Customer’s Name], we hope you’re enjoying your new [Product Name]! Mind sharing your thoughts with us? Your review can help others make informed decisions. Click here [Review Link]. Thanks a bunch!”
16. Service review request
“Hey there! How was your experience with our customer service team? We’d love to hear your feedback. Share your thoughts here [Review Link]. Your input helps us serve you better!”
17. Shipping experience review request
“Hi [Customer’s Name], did your order arrive on time and in good condition? Let us know about your shipping experience. Click here [Review Link] to share. Your feedback matters!”
18. Overall shopping experience review request
“Hello! We’re curious about your overall shopping experience with us. Mind taking a moment to leave a review? Your insights can help us improve. Review here [Review Link]. Thanks a million!”
19. Special discount review request
“Hey, remember that special discount you used on your last purchase? We’d love to hear how it went! Share your experience with us by leaving a review here [Review Link]. Thanks for being a valued customer!”
20. Incentivized review request
“Hey [Customer’s Name], want a special discount? Leave us a review and enjoy [Discount Offer] off your next purchase! Share your thoughts [Review Link]. Thanks for being awesome!”
21. Feedback follow-up
“Hey! We value your feedback. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to review your purchase. Click here [Review Link]. Your opinion makes a difference!”
Tips for increasing SMS response rates
Here are some tips for increasing the SMS response rate:
1. Send interactive content
Interactive elements in your feedback SMS templates make them more fun and engaging for your recipients. It enables them to actively respond to the messages. For example, you can include, interactive polls, quizzes, surveys, or clickable links.
When customers actively participate in these messages, businesses get vast amounts of relevant data. You can later use this data to create hyper-personalized messages for better engagement and conversion.
2. Personalize the message and offers
Personalized messages have a higher open rate and get better results. Collect your customer’s personal, behavioral, and geographical data for easily creating personalized SMS messages. To personalize feedback SMS templates,
- Start by addressing the recipient with the name
- Include references to past interactions
- Use personal pronouns
- Offer personalized recommendations.
Recommended read: What is SMS Personalization – Key Tips and Advice (2024)
3. Perform SMS segmentation
SMS segmentation divides your larger customer base into small groups based on common factors such as age, gender, location, behavior, or interests. This segmentation gives you a quick understanding of the group and allows you to optimize text message surveys and feedback SMS templates for better engagement.
4. Create clear and compelling CTAs
Your CTA is the final nudge, and make sure it is direct, clear, and engaging. Your CTA should leave no room for confusion and instead, instantly guide your customers about the next action. Also, make sure to add a sense of urgency to increase the chances of action.
When creating CTAs for feedback SMS templates, you must clearly know the purpose of the message. For example, If you want customers to visit your website, use CTAs such as “Find out more at our website”/
“Shop now for great deals”.
5. Test the campaigns
Testing different campaigns will help you know what elements of a particular campaign are successful with customers. The result will help in feedback SMS templates optimization for better engagement.
Some aspects you can test include message length, tone, timing of delivery, frequency of messages, different CTAs, personalized vs. generic messages, and variations in offers or discounts.
Recommended read: 15+ Text A/B Testing Examples to Boost your SMS Marketing Results
Conclusion
You can not only simplify the process with feedback SMS templates but also use an SMS marketing platform for automating feedback messages.
Along with automation, TxtCart also gives you an easy-to-use reporting dashboard. You can view the current status of the campaign(s), the number of recipients it sent to as well as campaign-specific reply rate, CTR (click-through rate), revenue generated as well as approx ROI (Return on Investment).
Install the TxtCart app today and reach out to our team of experts for better results.
FAQs
What makes SMS an effective channel for customer feedback?
SMS allows businesses to have direct conversations with people and has a higher open rate. It allows them to use SMS to collect customer feedback and product/service reviews instantly. SMS also allows for two-way communication. You can either ask for immediate replies to customer feedback SMS with keywords or can also include direct links to the feedback forms.
How can I personalize SMS feedback requests for better engagement?
To personalize each message effectively, start by addressing the recipient with their name, include references to past interactions to create a sense of familiarity, use personal pronouns to make the message feel more direct and relevant, and offer personalized recommendations based on their preferences or history with your brand.
What incentives can be effective in encouraging customers to respond to SMS surveys?
Offering incentives is the best way to encourage people to fill up customer surveys. These incentives can be
- Extra discount
- Offer freebies on the next purchase
- Free delivery on the next purchase
- Reward extra points
- Coupons
Whatever the incentive you choose, make sure it is relevant to the people. You can use SMS segmentation for offering targeted offers.
How long should my SMS survey be to ensure completion?
SMS has a character limit, hence your SMS survey should be short. Include only a few targeted questions that capture the most important feedback you need. Short surveys also allow more and more people to participate as they require less effort and time.
Are there any legal restrictions on sending SMS messages for feedback?
Yes, there are legal restrictions on sending SMS messages for feedback. In the United States, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) imposes rules on SMS marketing, including feedback requests. Business needs to obtain customers’ consent before sending them promotional messages, including feedback messages.
How often should I send SMS messages requesting feedback or reviews?
You should not send feedback messages too often. It is advised to send up to 6-8 text messages (of all kinds) per month in the majority of the cases. You should send 1-2 feedback SMS per month. You can send these messages either after the purchase or once every 15 days.
Can I automate the process of sending SMS feedback requests?
Yes, you can automate the process with an SMS marketing tool. TxtCart TxtCart’s intuitive dashboard offers deep analytics to track customer SMS opt-ins, live-agent responses, SMS campaign orders, opt-outs, and one-time SMS campaigns for new product launches, special offers, sales, and more.
Install the TxtCart app today and reach out to our team of experts for better results.
