Every Second Matters in the World of Service Messages

SMS have an open rate of up to 98%, making them one of the most effective methods for delivering automatic updates, news, and sensitive or important information in a timely manner directly to customers' phones that used simply through continuous, text-based conversations with the target audience with the smart tools that significantly deepen customer relationships like high open rates, strong engagement, and fast response times.

Business SMS elevate messaging fundamentals to a higher level of professionalism and complexity, to leverage the power of SMS in your business, you should shift more towards sending service messages, which are categorized under the code (SRV) as bulk messages sent to the beneficiary to provide information related to a contracted service and/or with the beneficiary's consent or request and this type of message relies on a continuous communication channel between the company and its customers, taking advantage of the high open rates of SMS.

While unsubscribe rates for promotional messages range between 40% and 60%, transactional SMS have a much lower rate of only 3% to 6% this makes service messages a necessity for any business aiming to provide fast and reliable service and you can enhance customer satisfaction and improve operational efficiency by integrating an API interface into your systems, designing custom message templates, and following best practices.

Types of SMS

SMS messages are categorized into:

• Alert messages (ALR) sent by authorized government entities to all or specific beneficiaries to warn them
• Awareness messages (AWR)also sent by government entities to educate beneficiaries
• Service messages (SRV) sent to beneficiaries to provide information about a contracted service and/or at the request or consent of the user
• Promotional messages (ADV) that contain advertising or marketing content

The Difference Between Service and Promotional Messages

It’s important to distinguish between promotional and transactional SMS when receiving messages from any commercial entity Service or transactional messages are sent based on an action taken by the customer, such as confirming a purchase or reminding them of an appointment, on the other hand, promotional messages are used for marketing purposes, such as announcing discounts or launching a new product.

Service messages are the direct way companies can send important, personalized information to the customer via SMS and they are usually sent after a customer performs a certain action or when there’s a necessary update that the customer must be informed about, these messages contribute to an immediate improvement in the customer experience and deliver the required information quickly and easily.

The most important examples of service messages are the following:

OTP Codes and Account Verification Messages

When creating a new account or logging in, service messages are used to send One-Time Passwords (OTP) to verify the user’s identity , these messages enhance security and give customers peace of mind that their data is protected also SMS is used to enable quick registration in digital services without going through multiple steps via email.

Fraud Alerts

In cases of suspected unusual activity on accounts, banks and financial institutions send instant SMS alerts to notify the customer, this allows users to act quickly such as by freezing the card or changing a password.

Delivery Notifications

When orders are shipped, SMS are used to inform the customer of the shipment status, tracking number, and expected delivery date, this type of communication reduces repeated inquiries about order status and provides a more transparent and comfortable experience.

Order Confirmations and Status Updates

After completing a purchase, e-commerce platforms send immediate confirmation messages followed by status updates like "preparing" or "shipped from warehouse", these ongoing updates keep customers informed at all times.

Benefits of Service Messages

• Speed : Most customers expect fast communication from companies within 24 hours of registration
• Reliability : SMS does not depend on the internet but on mobile networks, increasing delivery success
• Simplicity : No need to check email or apps because information is delivered straight to the phone
• Improved customer experience : Customers appreciate transparency, even when issues arise (e.g., shipping delays)
• Trust building : Order tracking and updates increase customer loyalty
• Automation : Interactive SMS can save time by automatically sending updates without human input

Key Pillars of the Service Messaging System

The service messaging system offers an ideal solution for companies to send bulk SMS through the following key components:

Messaging Platform

The system is developed based on the SMS gateway provided by a telecom solutions provider; therefore, the first step is choosing the right business messaging interface that allows you to send messages to individuals or contact lists via your CRM, or even from a standalone desktop or mobile messaging application

Sender ID

According to global SMS standards companies can use a custom sender ID that appears as the sender on the recipient’s phone, the sender ID can be up to 11 English characters long.

Message Content and Length

Many SMS are highly sensitive and require fast delivery; to meet this demand professional telecom solution providers use advanced software, servers, and high-performance communication channels to enable millions of messages to be delivered with minimal downtime and in record time per international mobile messaging standards.
If the message is written in Arabic characters:
Up to 70 characters = 1 messages
71–134 characters = 2 messages
135–201 characters = 3 messages, and so on, each 67 characters adds a new message unit

Multilingual Support

SMS Service messages can be written and sent in Arabic or English or even both languages in a single message.

Automated Campaigns

Service messages can include automated messages for awareness campaigns, surveys, scheduling, and notifications for complex process management; therefore, your company will need powerful workflow systems and event managers to track interactions and send messages at the right time.

Security and Encryption

Service messaging must support data encryption during transmission and in storage, high data protection and service availability are vital to the messaging system's infrastructure.

Delivery Reports

These reports confirm that the message was received by the recipient, ensuring transparency and allowing you to track how many messages were successfully delivered.

Message Scheduling

This feature allows messages to be sent exactly at the scheduled time even if you're away from your desk, the interface is user-friendly and allows easy management of scheduled messages, including sending messages up to one year in advance.

Steps to Sending Service Messages

1. API Integration
Connect your system to the messaging service provider through an API to enable automatic sending, the messaging platform’s ability to handle high volumes is critical, especially for businesses with large customer bases or high peak-time inquiries.

2. Template Creation
Create templates for common messages like order confirmations or appointment reminders, use variables such as the customer’s name or order number to personalize messages automatically.

3. Start with a Trial Campaign
Test your messages in a specific scenario such as shipping notifications, monitor customer interaction and adjust based on the results using the SMS platform’s tools you can even create a free trial account.

4. Start Sending Messages
Using the SMS interface, you can send service messages to individual or bulk recipients, or from Excel files or custom contact groups.

5. Optimize and Scale
Based on collected data, add more use cases like appointment reminders or security alerts.

Best Practices for Sending Service SMS

• Personalization : Use the customer's name, order number, or relevant data to create a tailored experience that feels more personal and less automated.
• Timing : Send messages at appropriate times, avoid early mornings or late nights to respect the customer’s privacy.
• Clarity and Brevity : Ensure the message is clear, concise, and directly communicates its purpose without unnecessary details
• Opt-In Compliance : Always make sure the recipient has agreed to receive service messages, especially in regulated industries.
• Monitoring and Updates : Regularly monitor the performance of your messages (delivery rates, open rates, response times) and update templates or strategies based on insights.
• Fallback Channels : In case SMS delivery fails, consider sending the same notification via email or app notification
• Multilingual Support : Support the customer’s preferred language, when possible, to increase comprehension and engagement
• Data Security and Compliance : Ensure your messaging system complies with data privacy laws or local telecom regulations to protect your customers' information.

Regulatory Provisions for Service Messages

Transactional SMS are subject to specific legal guidelines issued by the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, these guidelines outline the regulatory provisions for service messages, including a set of legal requirements and practices as follows:

• There must be consistency between the trade name, sender name, and content. Prior approval must be obtained from the Commission for any contract involving bulk message routing from outside the Kingdom, and such messages must only be routed to the contracted party by the same operator and not terminated on another operator’s network except in accordance with interconnection agreements between operators.
• No warning and/or awareness messages may be sent or routed unless through the competent government entities.
• The regulations include provisions requiring bulk message providers to obtain a general telecommunications license from the Commission before offering bulk messaging services, these services must be provided under subscription contracts that have been pre-approved by the Commission.
• The Commission may, whenever necessary, apply technical verification mechanisms to monitor the sending and/or routing of bulk messages between licensed providers, ensure compliance with these provisions, and detect any violations in a manner deemed appropriate by the Commission.
• When approval is granted for transactional and/or promotional SMS messages, you must clearly indicate the type of SMS being sent to the customer, you are not permitted to send promotional messages if you only obtained consent to send service messages.

At Taqnyat, we collaborate with our clients to deliver solutions that cover every aspect of service messaging at a global scale