The bad news is you've now been exposed to the world of carrier violations. The good news is that we're here to help.
What is a carrier violation?
The process for delivering a text message looks like this:
A carrier violation is when the cellular carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) receives a text message from our messaging service, however elects not too populate that text message to the customer’s cell phone. (Put simpler, “they didn’t get the text.”)
The carrier tells our messaging service (who then tells us) that they will not be delivering the text.
Why do carriers care about what texts end up on their customers’ phones?
The customer is always right!
When customers of the carriers get text messages that they deem to be spammy, bad things happen. They may file complaints with the carrier or governing bodies. They may use their phone less or decide to use a different platform for messages. Or even catastrophically, they may elect to switch to a carrier who provides better filtering on the messages.
Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interest for carriers to prevent what the customers find as offensive content off their devices.
Trust us, as an end-user of a carrier service yourself, you should be very happy that they do this.
How do I know if my messages are being filtered?
If you were texting customers from your personal cell phone, you’d never know. You’d simply have a whole lot of people who didn’t get your texts. Similar to how SPAM works with e-mail, you know that it exists even though you can’t see it.
In FranFunnel, we offer the ability to see when messages aren’t delivered properly. This matters more than it sounds: undelivered messages are invisible failures, and a franchise lead engagement program that silently drops texts looks identical to one that's working right up until you check the numbers. When you try and send a message that doesn’t make it through, it turns red:
If a particular lead has always had red texts, that likely means that their number can’t receive texts at all. If there is a red text amongst a series of blue texts, then that particular message likely committed a carrier violation.
How do I prevent my messages from being filtered?
Ah yes. The ultimate question.
If you have several carrier violations associated with your account, it may be too late. Your outbound texting number has likely been flagged permanently and there’s basically nothing you can do to fix this.
Your best option is to contact FranFunnel and ask about an account reset. In certain instances, there are actions we can take to get your account back on the right track.
But ultimately, the way to avoid carrier violations is to avoid sending content that the leads would find objectionable. Some tips include:
- Avoid links, OVER CAPITALIZED WORDS, aggressive language, and hyperbole
- Ensure that the messages you’re sending are directly related to the reason that the lead gave you their phone number in the first place
- Keep the content on the messages succinct. Use fewer words.
When you’re debating whether the lead will find the text objectionable, remind yourself of the texting golden rule:
TEXT OTHER PEOPLE HOW YOU’D LIKE TO BE TEXTED.
This is also why the first message matters so much. A text sent within seconds of the inquiry reads as a response to something the candidate just did, which is exactly the kind of message carriers and recipients both treat as legitimate. A generic blast sent three days later does not. If you're comparing how different platforms handle this, our breakdown of CRM-bundled texting covers where deliverability tends to break down.