Text consent, STOP and START

FocalPOS only texts clients who said yes, and it keeps two separate yeses for each phone number:

• Appointment texts: booking confirmations, reminders and the thank-you after a visit. See Appointment texts and reminders.
• Marketing texts: automatic messages, one-time sends and offers.

A client can say yes to one, both or neither. Nobody is opted in by default.

How do clients say yes to texts?

• On the booking site: the details step has two boxes, one for appointment texts and one for marketing texts. Both start unticked. Clients who are signed in are asked about marketing on the “You’re booked” page instead.
• On the card terminal after paying, when the terminal is set to ask.
• On the tablet when checking in a walk-in: new clients who give a phone number are asked about marketing texts (YES, Keep me updated or No).
• By text: a client who texts START or YES to your number gets a menu to choose (see below).
• Recorded by you: on the client’s page (see the next question).

When a client says yes, they get a short welcome text right away.

How do I opt a client in or out myself?

1. Go to Customers and open the client.
2. Find the Text messages card. It shows each kind of text, whether the client is opted in, and since when.
3. Press Opt in or Opt out next to the kind of text.
4. For an opt-in, type What the customer agreed to (for example what they said at the desk). It’s kept word for word in the Consent log.
5. Press Record opt-in (or Record opt-out).

Only record a yes the client actually gave you. Opting a client in texts them the welcome message right away.

ध्यान दिनुहोस्

Recording a yes does not undo a STOP the client texted. Only the client can do that, by texting START to your number. See below.

What happens when a client texts STOP?

If a client replies with any of these words to your texting number, it counts as STOP:

STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, REVOKE, OPTOUT

(Any capitals or punctuation, as long as the whole text is that one word.)

• They stop getting every text from your business: appointment texts and marketing texts.
• They get an automatic confirmation that they’re unsubscribed.
• Our texting provider (Twilio) also blocks every text from that number of yours to them, until they text START to that same number.

CANCEL does not cancel the appointment

A client who replies CANCEL to a reminder is opted out of all texts. Their appointment stays booked. If a client wants to cancel, they should use the link in their confirmation, or call you.

How does a client start getting texts again?

The client texts START, YES or UNSTOP to your texting number. They get a menu:

“Reply 1 to receive all messages, 2 for appointment reminders only, or 3 for marketing offers only.”

• 1: appointment texts and marketing texts.
• 2: appointment texts only (marketing is turned off).
• 3: marketing texts only (appointment texts are turned off).

The menu waits 24 hours for their answer.

What does HELP do?

A client who texts HELP or INFO gets a reply saying who is texting them: “This is a messaging service from <your business>. Reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for more info. Msg&data rates may apply.”

Is consent per location or per business?

Per business. A yes (or a STOP) counts for all your locations. Consent belongs to the phone number, so it holds even if the client’s record changes.

Common questions

A client texted STOP by mistake. How do I opt them back in?

You can’t, and neither can support. The client has to text START to your texting number (the one they texted STOP to), then pick 1, 2 or 3. Ticking a box on the booking site, recording a yes on their page, or saying yes on the card terminal records their consent, but texts from that number stay blocked until the client texts START.

My client replied YES to a reminder and got a strange menu.

YES counts as START, so it opens the 1-2-3 menu. They can answer 1, 2 or 3, or ignore it. Replying YES does not confirm the appointment.

My client replied CANCEL and now gets no texts, but they’re still booked.

CANCEL is an opt-out word. They are opted out of all texts and their appointment is still on your calendar. Cancel it for them if they meant to, and ask them to text START to your number if they want texts again.

The booking site says “we’ll text you a confirmation”. Does every client get one?

No. Only clients who ticked the appointment texts box (or said yes another way), and only if you turned on Booking confirmation in Appointment texts. Clients with an email address get the confirmation email either way.

Where can I see a client’s consent history?

On the client’s page, in the Text messages card, under Consent log: each change, when, and how (booking site, card terminal, text reply, staff).

Does a yes to appointment texts let me send them offers?

No. Marketing texts need the separate marketing yes.