American Sale Uses SMS To Coordinate Deliveries

November 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Bob Johns, associate editor

Delivery and installation customers don’t have to sit around waiting with the company’s new SMS delivery notifications.

Not many companies change with the seasons as much as American Sale. They go from carrying pools, spas, and outdoor furniture to having 200 Christmas trees on display throughout the store, not to mention the Halloween buildup. With the large amount of oversize product and the number of installations carried out, American Sale needed a more effective way to communicate with the customer and coordinate delivery and installation. No one likes the old “I’ll have someone out there somewhere between 8 and 5.” And, when you are delivering a patio set or hot tub, you really need someone to be home.

With this in mind, American Sale turned to its email provider, Knotice, for help. Knotice came up with an SMS marketing and delivery system that sends messages directly to the customer. “We were doing some phone calling and emailing to coordinate with customers, but with nearly everyone having a cell phone with them at all times, this method reaches them instantly,” says American Sale marketing manager Rick Septoski. “A lot of people are leaving work to be there for the delivery, and if there is an issue or the time has to change, we don’t want them missing work. It does not make for a happy customer.” Septoski worked with his team and Knotice to develop a system of messages that are sent to the customer to update delivery status. This can range from an initial message notifying the customer of the day and time, to a message saying a driver is running late or early.