Feature
Two-Way SMS Texting in trades software
Send and receive text messages with customers from within the FSM platform, with conversation history tied to customer records.
Quick summary
- What it is: Send and receive text messages with customers from within the FSM platform, with conversation history tied to customer records.
- Tools that list it: 7 of the 127 in our directory
What is two-way SMS texting in trades software?
Two-way texting puts text conversations inside the field service platform, so every message to or from a customer is saved on their record. Fuller implementations text from a business number (not a technician's personal phone), support photos, send automatic appointment reminders and ETA messages, and let the office text from any customer record. Jobber, JobNimbus, Floorzap and Network Leads list two-way texting; on Service Autopilot it is an upper-tier item priced on request.
Why two-way SMS texting matters
Customers text to confirm appointments, ask quick questions and send photos of a problem. Without two-way texting in the platform, those texts land on personal phones and are lost when a technician leaves. Keeping them on the customer record gives the whole office the history.
How to evaluate two-way SMS texting when buying
Look for: texting from a business number through the platform, photo messages, automatic templates (appointment reminders, ETA notices, post-job thanks), and texting from any customer or job record. Check whether texts cost extra: some platforms charge for messages or sell message packs.
Tools that list two-way SMS texting (7)
Tools that name it among their key features in our data. Key-feature names are not standardised across tools, so a tool can offer two-way SMS texting without being listed here; check its review.
| Tool | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Floorzap | From $399/mo | Independent flooring retailers that want quoting, scheduling, inventory, invoicing, payments and customer texting in one cloud system, with QuickBooks kept for accounting |
| Jobber | From $29/mo | Small and mid-size home service businesses (1-30 people) that want quoting, scheduling, invoicing and payments in one app |
| JobNimbus | Custom quote | Roofing, exterior and restoration contractors that want a CRM and project management system built around the roofing sales cycle |
| MarketSharp | From $182/mo | Remodelers, window and door, roofing, siding and other home improvement contractors that sell through in-home appointments and want lead tracking, marketing campaigns and production tracking in one CRM |
| Network Leads | From $224/mo | Moving companies, van lines and relocation brokers that buy leads and want their CRM, dispatch, payments and email and SMS marketing in the same system |
| Service Autopilot | From $49/mo | Lawn care, landscaping, snow removal, cleaning, pest control and pool service businesses with recurring routes that want scheduling, dispatch, routing and billing in one system, with automations on the higher plans |
| Solea | Custom quote | Pest control companies with five or more technicians that want the phones, scheduling, routing, billing and collections in one pest-specific system and are comfortable buying by quote |
Related features
Related trade pages
Frequently asked questions
Why is two-way texting better than email for customer communication?
For quick, time-sensitive messages (appointment confirmations, ETA updates, short questions), a text is easy to read and answer on a phone. Email still suits invoices and longer documents.
Are there compliance requirements for business SMS?
Yes. Texting customers is regulated (the Telephone Consumer Protection Act in the US, and Canada's anti-spam law, CASL), and marketing texts in particular need the customer's consent and a way to opt out. Ask the platform how it records consent and handles opt-out replies, and get legal advice for your situation.
Can I send mass marketing SMS to my customer list?
Send marketing texts only to customers who have agreed to receive them, and give them a way to opt out. Check how each platform records consent and handles opt-outs, whether it supports broadcast messages, and what each message costs.
Browse more features
See the full list of trades software features and which tools list them.
All features →