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Time is money, and no one likes their time wasted. So, if you are not using the newest technologies, you are missing out on lucrative business opportunities. When it comes to texting – it is a relatively old technology – for more than 25 years people have been using it non-stop. And this communication tool is still on the rise, now more than ever.

With the prospects it has in the business industry, every car dealership should start thinking about investing in texting as an ideal communications platform. Why? Because it works and it will pay off in the long run.

By now, you have probably started wondering how much do texting tools for a business cost. And with good reason, because with the US economy still struggling to find the way to its old glory, dealerships must watch for every dollar and where exactly to invest it in.

Well, the cost of texting solutions depends on many factors. Here are some parameters to consider.

What makes the price go up?

Texting does not just mean having a phone and replying to your customers’ texts.

Imagine your employees had a cell or smartphone which received text messages from your customers. Would you be able to control the messages and see who sent what and when? Of course not. That would be beyond your powers because you would not be able to oversee all your employees at the same time. Especially when sensitive areas, such as private information and personal phone numbers, come to mind. The opportunities for misuse can be endless.

But it gets even more complex than that. Especially in the age of the FCC and TCPA rules. First of all, in order to text your customers, you need to have their prior consent – they need to express their willingness to communicate with you via text. Otherwise, you may be liable to pay from $500 to $1500 per message if those texts turn out to be unsolicited!

In order to avoid such liability, you should have a texting tool that can be easily integrated within your DMS, so that you know exactly when you got the message, who replied, what the text was about, and to protect your customers’ private data.

Texting tool should also have the option of sending videos and images (MMS), as well as coupons if you wish to send some.

Additionally, you should be able to work from anywhere, i.e. log in to it on any computer via the web or any mobile device, which means that all data would be stored on a cloud.

Cross-device and OS functionality would also be a great advantage, which means that you could use the tool on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and any other systems and device.

Also, it needs to be automated for “Appointment reminder”, “Vehicle ready”, “After service follow-up” texts etc.

In the age of user experience (UX), an easy-to-navigate user interface which requires little to no training is something both your customers and employees would love and would reduce costs of training for its use. Getting approvals faster than ever on an easy-to-use platform with constant support is something any car dealership would wish for from a texting tool.

Texting tools prices:

The texting market offers an array of similar tools with a range of different prices. So, what prices work for you? Here we analyze the three categories of tools:

1. Less than $100

If your dealership is on a budget, then a tool that costs less than $100/month may be a problem-solver.

With such a tool you would get texting options and no DMS integration, a couple of devices to pair and probably an app to install. This is fine as long as you don’t have a need for texting history, full control who said what and when etc. In that case, the non-integrated solution is what you should go for.

However, keep in mind that a low-rate tool will probably not improve your operations as they are not automated and don’t have integrated data feed.

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