Obtaining Customer Consent to Text

According to United States texting regulations, you must obtain express written consent from each customer before sending the first text message to that customer. Failure to obtain customer consent before texting can result in fines.

NOTE: You cannot send the customer a text to obtain consent to text. You must obtain the customer’s consent before sending the first text.

There are two ways your shop can obtain written consent to text for each customer in R.O. Writer:

1. Inked signature – Have the customer physically sign the printed repair order, consenting to the texting terms displayed on that repair order. The printed repair order with the physical signature must be saved with your shop’s business records.
2. Digital signature – Have the customer electronically sign the repair order, consenting to the texting terms displayed on that repair order. The electronic signature is saved and can be accessed in R.O. Writer History.

NOTE: Obtaining written consent before texting assists in complying with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA).

Step 1 - Create a Labor Operation for Texting Consent (Required)

You need to create a new labor operation whose only purpose is to include the texting terms that each customer agrees to when they consent to receive texts from your shop.

Sample Texting Consent Statement Disclaimer

Please read the following disclaimer from R.O. Writer very carefully before using the sample texting consent statement below:

THIS LANGUAGE IS PROVIDED AS A GENERIC EXAMPLE AND IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. R.O. WRITER MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF THIS LANGUAGE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THAT SUCH LANGUAGE COMPLIES WITH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR CONSTITUTES SUFFICIENT OR APPROPRIATE CONSENT PURSUANT TO ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR OTHERWISE IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE R.O. WRITER TEXTING SERVICES. USE OF THIS LANGUAGE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.  YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR OWN LEGAL COUNSEL TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR USE OF THIS LANGUAGE IS APPLICABLE OR APPROPRIATE TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

Sample Texting Consent Statement

Please review the following paragraph as a possible template you can use to create your own texting consent statement:

“I agree to receive autodialed and manually dialed promotional text messages from [ENTER STORE LEGAL NAME HERE]. I further understand and agree that: (1) my consent is not a condition of any purchase, (2) standard text message and data rates may apply, and (3) I can opt-out by replying STOP to a received text message, in which case I will receive one text message after texting STOP to confirm my request to no longer receive text messages was received.”

NOTE: The phrase “[ENTER STORE LEGAL NAME HERE]” in the above statement should be replaced by your shop’s business name.

To Create the Labor Operation for Texting Consent

Complete these steps:

1. In Configuration, click the Configuration menu > Labor > Operations.
2. Select the labor category in the Category dropdown list and click Add.
3. Enter an Operation Code if you want a specific code. (R.O. Writer usually assigns the code after you click Add or Save.)

4. Copy and paste your texting consent statement into the Description box.

   

5. If you want to obtain a physical signature on a printed repair order, add a signature line to the end of the description.

   • Place your cursor at the end of the last line and press the ENTER key.
   • Type in “x______________________”.

   

6. Click Save. The labor operation is saved and added to the Operation dropdown list.

Step 2 - Make the Texting Consent Labor Operation a Required Service (Optional)

You can make the labor operation for the texting consent a required service so that the labor operation is posted to all new estimates and repair orders automatically. Required services also post automatically when a phone quote is converted to an estimate or repair order.

NOTE: This is an optional step but highly recommended. If you do not make the texting consent labor operation a required service, you must post it to the repair order manually.

Complete these steps:

1. In Configuration, click the Configuration menu > Repair Order > Service Request Options.

2. Type in a description for the Service; for example, “Consent to Text” or “Approve Texting” or something similar.

   This description appears as the name of the service on the Service Requests tab.

   

3. Select the Category and Operation of the texting consent labor operation created in Step 1.
4. Check the Required Service box.

5. Click Add. The service appears as the last row of the table with a “Y” in the REQ column.

   

Step 3 - Obtain the Customer’s Signature Consenting to Receive Texts (Required)

You must obtain the customer’s signature to consent to receive texts from your shop before you send the first text to that customer.

You need to create a repair order that includes the labor with the texting consent statement. Then, you can obtain the customer’s physical signature (on the printed repair order) or digital signature (on a pin pad device).

To Obtain a Physical (Ink) Signature

Complete these steps:

1. Create a new repair order for the customer and vehicle.

2. Add the texting labor operation.

   • If the texting labor operation is a required service, it is posted automatically. Verify that the texting labor operation is posted to the Parts/Labor tab.
   • If the texting labor operation is not a required service, you need to add it manually. Click the Labor toolbar button and select the texting labor operation.

   

   You can double-click the labor line to open the labor. The Description box includes the texting consent statement.

   

3. Click the Print RO toolbar button . The standard printing window opens to the Printer tab.
4. Select the printer and click OK. The repair order prints with the texting consent statement as a labor.

5. Have the customer sign the signature line in the labor description.

   

   NOTE: The printed repair order with the physical (inked) signature must be saved with your shop’s business records.

To Obtain a Digital Signature

If you have a pin pad configured that you use to obtain electronic signatures from customers for processing electronic payments, you can use the electronic signature function in Estimate Authorizations to obtain a digital signature to approve texting.

You create an authorization specifically to approve texting and have the customer sign the pin pad to complete the authorization.

NOTE: The printed repair order must include the texting consent statement and the texting authorization with the customer's digital signature.

Complete these steps:

1. Create a new repair order for the customer and vehicle.

2. Add the texting labor operation.

   • If the texting labor operation is a required service, it is posted automatically. Verify that the texting labor operation is posted to the Parts/Labor tab.
   • If the texting labor operation is not a required service, you need to add it manually. Click the Labor toolbar button and select the texting labor operation.

   

   You can double-click the labor line to open the labor. The Description box includes the texting consent statement.

   

3. Click the Est Auth toolbar button . The Estimate Authorization window opens.

4. In the Contact Method dropdown list, select In Person. The Get Signature button appears.

   

5. In the Reason field, type “APPROVED TEXTING” to indicate consent to receive texts.

   

6. Click the Get Signature button. The Signature Capture window appears.

7. Have the customer sign the pin pad. The signature appears on the window.

   

8. Click the Accept button. The Signature Capture window closes.
9. Click the OK button to save the authorization and close the Estimate Authorization window.
10. On the repair order window, click the Print RO toolbar button . The standard printing window opens to the Printer tab.

11. Select the printer and click OK.
    The repair order prints with the texting consent statement as a labor and the texting approval as an authorization.

    

    NOTE: The electronic signature is saved and can be accessed in R.O. Writer History.

12. If there is other labor on the repair order, create another authorization to approve those services.