Avoiding Text Message Miscommunication: Tips for Businesses

Have you ever sent a text message to a customer only to find out later that they completely misinterpreted the tone?

You're not alone!

There is a 50% chance that a text message will be misconstrued. What may seem like an effortless communication channel can quickly turn into one of the most expensive liabilities for your business when your text gets lost in translation.

Unlike personal texting, business communication carries significant financial risks. In a business context, misreading a simple text can cause confusion that could impact customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and your bottom line. The good news is that modern messaging platforms can help prevent miscommunication before it happens.

The hidden costs of miscommunication in text messages

Text message miscommunication isn't just annoying. Poor communication is a profit killer, costing businesses over $15,000 per employee per year and $1.2 trillion annually in the U.S. This is primarily due to unclear, ill-timed, and misdirected messages.

Let's consider the real-world impact of miscommunication. A customer receives a short payment reminder that says "Payment due NOW", and believes it to be an aggressive collection for a debt. They react defensively, escalate it to the next level, and ultimately churn. What started as a simple notification just cost you a customer relationship that might’ve taken months or years to build.

Where manual texting falls short in business communication

Many businesses rely on SMS for quick client updates and transactional notifications. However, sometimes, manual texting is often inadequate for delivering messages in a clear and concise language.

Character constraints cause confusion

Manual texting limits the sender to 160 characters, which means it cannot communicate complex details adequately.

As businesses attempt to include small details in appointment details, payment instructions, and client service updates, they often lose essential information in the limited character space. As a result, the recipients fill in the blanks with their assumptions, resulting in confusion and chaos.

There are no fallback systems in place

Most businesses overlook the importance of having an alternative channel or recovery mechanism that falls back during instances of message delivery issues. Without fallback systems, miscommunication and ambiguity are inevitable, particularly when spam filters block legitimate text messages.

Absence of context

When we receive a text message, we don't know what the sender is experiencing at the time. Perhaps they're texting on the fly while rushing to catch a train. Maybe they're ill and can only manage a brief message. They could simply be tired and thus struggling to concentrate. With all this crucial context missing, their message could be misconstrued as being short, snappy, or cold.

Missing body language and emotional cues

When we receive a text message, we have no idea what the sender is dealing with at that time. They could be texting but rushing to catch a train, or they could be unwell and barely able to send a quick message. They may be tired and having trouble focusing.

Out of all this critical context, we risk interpreting their message as brief, snappy, or cold.

In regular conversation with a person, our brains use nonverbal signs and tone of voice to perceive emotional cues. If we cannot see someone or have a face-to-face communication, it becomes much more difficult to 'read' them and understand whether we are aligned and on the same page.

Digital communication often loses the ability to convey emotional cues naturally (despite the liberal usage of emojis). It can result in a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of what 'emotional intent' is implied in a text message.

Language style differences

Different generations use their own digital language. For example, older generations tend to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, whereas younger people seem to be more comfortable with using emojis and abbreviations.

In the first case, texting can be misconstrued as stiff and formal, while in the latter, it can be seen as the opposite. But it's not even a matter of personal choice; some of this texting lingo was invented only recently, making older generations even more susceptible to text miscommunication.

Communication time-delays

Texts are sent and received virtually instantly. That's why it is often expected that replies will be instant, too. However, we don't always respond to these messages in real-time.

We might be talking on another phone call, in the middle of a task, or travelling from A to B when a text comes through. We could even be asleep! But if we don't text back right away, the sender might wonder why we're not responding and end up getting impatient or thinking we're ignoring them.

5 foundational strategies to avoid miscommunication over text messages

Before considering technological solutions, it is essential to establish a strong foundation with communication best practices. These five platform-agnostic tips will help you communicate more clearly in your business texts and reduce the chances that your text messages are misinterpreted.

1. Use concise, straightforward language

Your goal is to establish a professional yet approachable tone first and foremost. Avoid industry-speak and unnecessarily complicated sentences in your business text messages. You want to be professional.

However, using full, clear sentences in a friendly tone is usually more effective in business communication such as promotional message rather than a overly formal or too casual tone.

2. Proofread every message

Grammatical errors and misspelled words will make your business seem unprofessional. Some words can even change the point of your text. A misspelled word can cause your subscribers to opt out, and on rare occasions, a business has been driven to the brink of bankruptcy over a simple mistake.

For example, the Yellow Pages once promoted an "erotic" vacation instead of an "exotic" vacation. How ridiculous, and how costly! It would have only taken a quick proofread.

3. Choose the right punctuation

You have very few tools to indicate tone in text, and punctuation is one of them. An exclamation point can show enthusiasm and urgency, but excessive use may be perceived as unprofessional. Periods may communicate finality, but as stated earlier, they can also be interpreted as cold. Be conscious of how your punctuation might be perceived.

4. Use emojis when appropriate

Think about the meaning of any emoji you want to use, if appropriate. Emojis add friendliness, make meaning clear, and articulate emotional tenor. However, limit their use, and be conscious that emojis like the "thumbs up," which represent good and positive thoughts, also represent dismissive sentiments.

5. Be friendly and polite

Politeness goes a long way. It's a simple concept, really, but saying "please" and "thank you" will go a long way to improve the tone of your message. One of the most effective ways to sound friendly and personal is to use your customer's name. More examples and practices for sending professional text messages are available here.

Using guardrails to reduce SMS miscommunication

In text conversations, miscommunication frequently begins before the message is even sent. Everything from unclear recipients to lack of visibility into delivery can all increase the likelihood that the text will be misunderstood, or perhaps never seen at all. Use these send-time checks to keep messages clear, sent in a timely manner, and aligned with the intended message.

1. Ensure your message is actually delivered

The most basic miscommunication happens when a message is never seen. With a phone number validation feature, you can verify contact information before sending. Any invalid or disconnected numbers are flagged, ensuring notifications like two-factor PIN codes go only to valid contacts who are available to respond.

2. Build the perfect message at scale

It is impossible to guarantee clarity while executing high-volume message management manually. Before hitting send, test a few variations of your texts to validate which ones create a positive response.

Even if your choice of SMS marketing platform lacks the in-built A/B testing feature, you can segment audiences and use campaign performance analytics to compare message variants and optimize over time.

3. Choose the perfect channel to optimize delivery

Not all messages deserve the same fate. An omnichannel platform gives you the strategic flexibility to select the right channel for the situation.

Best for text messages:

• Brief, concise, easy interaction with brevity in message

• Timed messages with automated follow-up

• Order and delivery notifications with tracking links

• Appointment reminders with calendar reminders

Better suited for a voice message or a video chat:

• Complicated troubleshooting requires a deeper explanation involving voice tone, whereby verbal communication can prevent miscommunications.

• In-depth customer service, allowing for real-time clarification during a call.

• Sensitive account information that requires more secure channels.

• Situations in which in-person or face-to-face conversations work better.

4. Build a framework of trust and certainty

An ideal SMS marketing platform offers a structured framework to ensure priority messaging is addressed and that all messaging adheres to regulatory compliance.  

Compliance-first messaging

Trust starts with legal foundations. A platform like Messente, which manages opt-ins, immediately processes opt-outs, and retains records in accordance with TCPA and CTIA guidelines, will prevent costly violations and protect your reputation.

Avoid miscommunication in business text messaging

Text messaging can empower your business, provided that you pay attention to the type of content you're sending out and how it's likely to be perceived. Even the smallest issue with the text messages you send can have catastrophic effects.

With numerous competitors seeking opportunities to divert consumer attention, even a single miscommunication can severely damage your corporate identity, leading to lost customers, strained relationships, and substantial revenue loss.

Don’t let auto-correct, punctuation mistakes, or misinterpreted tone increase the chances of discomfort, frustration, or loss of business.

Be conscious of the fact that you don't have access to facial expressions, emotional cues, and body language, and can thus easily cause a text misunderstanding. Only use SMS for purposes where a quick message will suffice, like promotional campaigns, simple customer service messages, alerts, and certain types of internal communications.