In the contemporary age of communication, libraries need an effective means to stay connected with their patrons. They need to provide transactional notifications promptly and reliably, but with the least possible hassle. This is where MessageBee, a complete patron communication tool, comes to the rescue.
Among its many communication capabilities, MessageBee’s text messaging feature, also known as SMS (Short Message Service), stands out remarkably. It offers an unparalleled advantage over traditional communication methods, such as email to SMS gateway.
MessageBee SMS: Maximizing Deliverability
In a world that appreciates and requires automation to properly serve patrons, MessageBee’s SMS service simplifies the process of sending transactional notifications. Due dates, event reminders, account statuses – all these notifications become a ‘set-and-forget’ task. The system manages the communication end-to-end, liberating the libraries from the continuous task of tracking and updating patron information.
The secret behind MessageBee’s superior deliverability is its utilization of ‘native’ text-messaging that incorporates all compliance with the telecom industry’s 10DLC process, a stark contrast from the traditional email to SMS gateways that many libraries still rely on. Telecom companies are phasing out the email to SMS gateway that have become the backbone of many libraries’ systems, which means many libraries will soon be left out in the cold if they aren’t prepared.
The Old Way: Email to SMS Gateway
Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, we’ve got email to SMS gateways. Aren’t they good enough?” Well, they seem handy, sure. They turn your emails into text messages and the price is right. But they come with a pretty large range of potential issues.
For starters, they can’t guarantee that your message will actually reach your patrons. Then, there’s the hassle of having to maintain and update carrier information. And let’s not even start on the lag. Waiting for a book or popular material to finally be available only to miss or have the notice delayed? Not ideal.
The Drawbacks of Email to SMS Gateway
While the email to SMS gateway offers the convenience of using existing systems, it suffers from significant shortcomings that MessageBee’s SMS successfully addresses.
Deliverability: The email to SMS gateway often struggles with the problem of deliverability. Not all text messages sent via this system reach the intended recipient. In contrast, MessageBee, using the industry 10DLC process, maximizes the chances of the messages being delivered successfully.
Reliability: Messages sent through email to SMS gateway are susceptible to being marked as spam by service providers, thus reducing their reliability. Conversely, MessageBee reduces this risk, ensuring that patrons receive essential notifications as much as possible without fail.
Carrier Information Management: One of the burdensome tasks that libraries have to manage when using the email to SMS gateway is tracking and updating patron carrier information. With MessageBee, this burden is alleviated as the system seamlessly handles this task, saving time and reducing the possibility of errors.
Speed: The email to SMS gateway process can often result in delayed messages, a significant downside when sending time-sensitive transactional notifications. On the other hand, MessageBee ensures optimal delivery speed, enabling patrons to receive their messages in a timely manner.
Visibility: Libraries typically have zero visibility into the delivery outcomes of their email to SMS communications. Did they arrive? If not, why didn’t they? MessageBee answers all of these questions in an easy to use portal, allowing library staff to know whether a patron was notified or not.
TL;DR: Libraries will need to stay on top of trends and industry standards with regards to text messages and communicating with patrons. What worked in the past likely will not be be a solution for the future.
To wrap it up, while the email to SMS gateways might seem like the easy road, it’s got more than a few bumps and will only get worse as technology and rules surrounding SMS and text communication evolve. Libraries looking to keep their patrons informed in a hassle-free, reliable, and speedy manner can’t go wrong with MessageBee’s SMS capabilities as we do the work for you staying on top of these best practices. With MessageBee, it’s not just about making communication easier; it’s about making communication better.
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