Portable restrooms are a must for any large gathering, such as festivals, construction sites and outdoor sports contests. But events can be unpredictable, and logistics around restroom units can prove tricky. In those moments, and others, texting is a big help.

Integrating texting into your customer communications can be done through use of SMS, or short messaging service, a way to send quick messages via a cellular signal rather than an internet connection. A variety of business texting software services allow you to expand the capabilities of SMS and make it a valuable tool for small business.

Here are six ways grow your portable sanitation business through texting:

 1. Capture leads with SMS chat

When customers are searching for a reliable portable restroom company, they’re going to have plenty of questions and they want answers ASAP. They’ll come to your website to learn more about your services and equipment, but they’d prefer to ask you a question directly. Those questions often include:

-Do you charge a monthly rate for a job site?

-How often do you service the restrooms?

-Can I do a one-day rental for a wedding?

-Can I have a quote for a 500-person two-day event?

So how can you connect quickly with prospects? With texting. SMS Chat is a chat widget that goes on your website where people can start conversations with you, and continue them via text.

SMS Chat enables you to capture leads and their contact information so that you can follow up with them later and turn them into paying customers. The first business to respond is often the one who the customer chooses, and auto-responses on SMS Chat help you respond instantly, even after business hours.

2. Schedule and reschedule drop-offs and pickups

Once prospects have decided to go with your business, they’ll need to schedule to have the restrooms delivered to their location. Use texting to confirm more appointments.

Customers can text your business directly to set up an appointment, and from there, you can send them a link to your calendar so that they can pick a time and date that works for them. Or, if it’s a last-minute situation, just text back and forth to coordinate the details, like where on the property the equipment needs to be dropped off.

Send reminders upon appointment confirmation, and then remind them the day before and on the day of. Staying connected along the way will reassure your customers that you’re there for them, and these nudges will also give them the opportunity to reschedule if needed.

Scheduling for drop-off and scheduling for pickup works the same. Once the event is finished, text customers to remind them of your pickup time and any additional particulars they need to know about that part of the process.

3. Manage in-event needs

Every event needs accessible restrooms and hand-wash stations, and cleanliness is going to be top of mind for every guest. Use texting to communicate with event staff about sanitation needs, especially if a unit needs to be serviced so guests are provided with a clean space. Guests can even text your number to give real-time feedback about the cleanliness or functionality of a unit, so your team can act fast.

If a unit has been tipped over due to inclement weather or a rowdy crowd, event staff can text your office immediately so that a driver can be dispatched to the location quickly to clean the unit or switch it out.

4. Increase product and service sales

Standard restrooms are usually the first thing that your customers think of when they consider your business, but do your customers know your full range of products and services? Use text promotions to get the word out about everything you’ve got to offer, such as hand-wash stations, VIP restroom trailers, flushable units and accessories including fencing, trash containers and other equipment.

Make sure customers are getting everything they need for their situation. For example, festival organizers might not realize you offer fencing, and could use it to section off certain areas. Or, people dealing with a natural disaster will definitely need restrooms and showers, and they might also need to rent a trash container to help clear an area. 

5. Get paid with secure text payments

You’ve got to get paid, so make it a breeze by letting customers pay over text. Customers can pay you on the go without stopping their day, and you’ll have more on-time payments with less invoicing hassle.

To get started with text payments, you’ll need to connect your payment processor to your business account. From there, text a payment request to your customer before or after a service, and they can text a confirmation code to pay, or follow a link to pay.

This is a completely secure, payment-card-industry-compliant process, so you can have confidence in getting your money safely.

6. Gain positive online reviews

A high number of positive online reviews will only benefit your business. Why? When people are searching for a local portable restroom business, your organization will be more likely to show up at the top of search results. This is good news for you, since prospective customers are more inclined to choose a business with high-quality reviews.

So how do you get more reviews? By texting for them. After picking up your equipment from a site, all you’ll have to do is text your customers and ask them to leave a review. Send them a direct link to your review pages such as Facebook or Google Reviews, and thank them for their business.

Make it quick

You can use the mobile app of your texting software to do all of these things, so you don’t have to sit in front of a computer all day. No matter the place or time, your business can provide comfort in all kinds of situations, and texting can help you better connect with people who need your service.