MaidBossPro Blog — Offices, Rentals & Move-Outs

Two-Way Texting With Office Managers and Property Managers

Office managers and property managers are busy. They do not want to call, wait on hold or play phone tag. They want to send a quick text, get a quick answer, and move on to the next thing on their list. A maid service that can text with them easily, from the office and not from someone's personal phone, is easy to work with. And easy to work with is a big part of keeping commercial accounts.

Why Texting Fits Commercial Clients

Following up on quotes, covered in Quoting Office, Move-Out and Turnover Cleaning With Online Approval, is one of the most common reasons to text a business client. It is far from the only one.

Commercial clients send a steady stream of small messages: a new lockbox code, a unit that is ready early, an office closed Monday for a holiday, a request to add interior windows this month. Each is small, but together they are how the account runs. Texting is the natural way to handle them.

Texting From the Office, Not a Personal Phone

Many small cleaning companies start out texting clients from the owner's cell. That works until the owner is on a job, on vacation or asleep, and nobody else can see what the property manager asked for. It also means important information, like a new alarm code, sits in one person's phone.

In MaidBossPro, two-way texting happens from the office. Messages to and from each client land in that client's thread, where anyone in the office with access can see the history and reply. When the property manager texts at 7am, whoever opens the office first can answer.

Common Messages, and What to Do With Them

Some of the texts you will get from commercial clients, and how to handle each:

• “New lockbox code for Unit 4B is 5821.” Update the entry notes on that address right away, so the team sees the new code.
• “Unit 12 is ready early, can you come tomorrow?” Check the dispatch board, move or add the job, and reply with the time.
• “We're closed Monday for the holiday.” Move or skip that week's visit on the board and confirm.
• “Can you add the windows this time?” Add interior windows as an extra on the next visit and confirm the price.
• “Did the team get to the clinic last night?” Check the board for the Complete and the photos, and reply.

The rule of thumb: whatever the text changes, change it in the system before you reply. A code that lives only in a text thread is a code the team will not see.

Texting the Client When Something Goes Wrong

Texting is also the fastest way to let a client know about a problem. If the team taps Skip with a note (“Code didn't work, no key in lockbox”), the office can text the property manager first thing. If the team notices a leaking faucet or a broken blind, a text with a photo gets it to the manager the same day. Clients appreciate hearing about problems from you before they find them.

For more on how photos help in these situations, see Before-and-After Photos as Proof of Service for Property Managers.

Automated Reminders and Alerts

Not every message has to be typed. MaidBossPro sends automated reminders and alerts by text and email. For commercial accounts, a reminder the day before a visit can help an office manager remember to clear the conference room or let you know about a closure. Clients can choose which alerts they get, so a property manager who does not want a text for every unit can turn them off.

Keep Texts Short and Clear

Text messages are billed by segment, and plans include a monthly text allowance: 500, 1,000 or 2,000 segments sent and received on Start, Pro and Crew. Short, clear texts are better for the client and for your allowance. Skip long explanations and special characters, and get to the point: what happened, what you need, and what happens next.

Texting with customers works in the US and Canada.

Texting Builds Trust

Quick, friendly replies are one of the easiest ways to stand out with business clients. A property manager who knows you will answer within the hour is a property manager who keeps sending you units. An office manager who gets a heads-up about a skipped visit before they notice is an office manager who renews.

To see how texting fits with offices, rentals and move-outs, visit the MaidBossPro commercial cleaning software page.