question

Pinnacle Sothebys International Realty avatar image

NOT using SMS for Customers

We are only using SMS employee to employee, we rarely use it outside of texting each other and we do not have a SMS sign up on our website. I am not sure what we are supposed to submit for approval when they do not exist within our business. We have about 5 numbers that are consistently texted on a regular basis.

sms and text messaging
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Andrea Rodriguez avatar image Andrea Rodriguez commented ·

I would like to know the answer to this too. We do not utilize texting to customers only employee to employee.

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1 Answer

Becky-Community_Manager avatar image
Becky-Community_Manager answered Becky-Community_Manager commented

@Pinnacle Sothebys International Realty @Andrea Rodriguez
I am enclosing Consent information below - this should help to guide your submission.

Implied Consent (Conversational Messaging Content)

  • First message is only sent by a Consumer

  • Consumer initiates the conversation and the business simply responds.

  • Does NOT provide consent for informational, promotional, or future messaging unless recipient provides consent during conversation

Express Consent (Informational Messaging Content)

  • Consumer needs to agree to receive texts for a specific purpose when they give the business their mobile numbers

  • Consent must be specific for SMS, general language including “opt into communications” is not considered sufficient (instead say “opt into receiving SMS)

  • Does NOT provide consent to be notified of promotional messages unless recipient provides consent to be added to the marketing list.

Express Written, and Logged Consent (Promotional Messaging Content)

  • Consumer needs to agree to receive texts for a specific purpose when they give the business their mobile numbers

  • Consent must be specific for SMS, general language including “opt into communications” is not considered sufficient (instead say “opt into receiving SMS)

  • Businesses that already ask Consumers to sign forms or submit contact information can add a field to capture the Consumer’s consent

  • Consent must be logged as outlined below

Message Senders Should Provide Clear and Conspicuous Calls-to-Action

Purpose: Disclosure to ensure that a consumer consents to receive a message and understands the nature of the program

  • Invitation to opt-in to a messaging campaign

  • Calls-to-Action should not contain any deceptive language

  • Calls-to-Action should not be obscured in terms and conditions

  • Example of calls-to-action:

    • The program or product description

    • Telephone numbers or short codes from where the message will originate

Ways to Collect Opt-in

Purpose: Help prevent messages from being sent to a phone number that does not belong to the Consumer who provided that phone number (e.g., a Consumer purposefully or mistakenly provides an incorrect phone number to the Message Sender)

For conversational messages:

  • Recipient sends you a message first


For informational messages (and conversational):

  • Verbally asking recipient if they would like to receive messages

  • Clicking a button on a mobile webpage

For promotional messages (and above):

  • Entering a telephone number through a website

  • Turning on SMS notifications via a website preferences panel

  • Responding to an ask, or asking to be sent SMS via email

  • Sending a message from the Consumer’s mobile device that contains an advertising keyword

  • Signing up at a point-of-sale (POS) or other Message Sender on-site location

  • Opting-in over the phone using interactive voice response (IVR) technology

.

Logging Consent:

Purpose: to provide clear evidence that a recipient has opted in to messaging, critical for promotional messages. Carriers may request this information to be provided randomly.

Message Senders should also document opt-in consent by retaining the following data where applicable:

  • Timestamp of consent acquisition

  • Consent acquisition medium (e.g., cell-submit form, physical sign-up form, SMS keyword, etc.)

  • Capture of experience (e.g., language and action) used to secure consent

  • Specific campaign for which the opt-in was provided

  • IP address used to grant consent

  • Consumer phone number for which consent to receive messaging was granted

  • Identity of the individual who consented (name of the individual or other identifier (e.g., online user name, session ID, etc.)).

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Andrea Rodriguez avatar image Andrea Rodriguez commented ·

Thank you for this information. From what I read, employee to employee text messages are considered express consent. I need to get consent prior to me sending texts to other employees? How are you getting consent from employees? Even if we are using the text option this way, not for promotional messages, we need to register?

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Becky-Community_Manager avatar image Becky-Community_Manager ♦♦ Andrea Rodriguez commented ·

@Andrea Rodriguez I think what you can report to TCR is that you have contacted your employees, collectively, to establish consent via email or an employee broadcast to ensure there is consent.

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