Option 2: Customer Preferences / Account Settings

Option 3: Claim Submission

Option 4: Inbound-Initiated Opt-In Methods

Option 4a: Inbound Text Message

Option 4b: IVR / Phone Menu Selection

Step 2: Sending the Welcome Message

Step 3: Customer Confirmation

Step 4: Ongoing Customer Interaction Options

Step 5: Need to Resend the Welcome Message? No Problem!

Manual Opt-Out

Opting Back In After an Opt-Out

Translation

Conclusion

Overview

In this guide, we’re going to walk through the process of getting your customers’ consent to text with you through Hi Marley. We know compliance can sound a bit intimidating, but don’t worry – we’ve got it all laid out for you, step by step. Not only does this ensure everything’s by the book, but it also creates a great experience for your customers!

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Getting Consent

Before you send that first text, you need to make sure the customer is on board. This means you’ll need to ask for their consent. There are several ways to get consent from customers.

Option 1: Verbal Consent

How do you get verbal consent?

Maybe you’re on the phone with them and they agree to text communications.
Or perhaps it happens during an in-person chat where they give the go-ahead for texting.

No matter how it happens, this is the all-important first step. If they give the green light, you’re ready for Step 2!

Example Conversation

Operator: Hi [Customer’s Name], I understand you're calling about your claim. One of the quickest ways to get real-time updates on your claim status, repair approvals, and next steps is through text messaging. Before I enroll you, please note that by opting in, you agree to receive automated informational text messages from [Insurance Carrier]. Message frequency will vary depending on your claim activity, and message and data rates may apply. You can reply STOP at any time to opt out, or HELP for support. Our full texting terms and privacy policy are available at himarley.com/tp. The SMS program is powered by Hi Marley. Do you agree to consent to receive text messages from us regarding your claim?

Customer: Yes, I agree.

Operator: Awesome! I have registered your verbal consent and activated that for you right now. You should receive a confirmation text on your mobile phone in just a moment.

Option 2: Customer Preferences / Account Settings

With this approach, customers can sign up for text alerts directly through a dedicated sign-up page. This page can be part of the communication preferences within Account Settings on the website, where customers can easily opt in to receive text updates.

Example Process:

Customers navigate to their Account Settings on the website.
Under Communication Preferences, they select the option for Text Alerts.
They review and agree to the terms, confirming their preference for text updates.

This method would provide customers with control over how they receive notifications, allowing them to adjust their preferences as needed

Sample Account Settings Page

Option 3: Claim Submission

Customer texting preferences can be collected and stored as part of the digital claim submission process. This approach ensures that customers have the opportunity to opt in to text communications when they initially submit their claim, streamlining the setup for receiving real-time updates and notifications.

Example Process:

During the online claim submission, customers are prompted to review and select their communication preferences, including the option for text messaging.
They are informed about the benefits of receiving claim updates via text, such as timely notifications and simplified communication.
Once they agree to the terms and select text messaging, their preference is recorded and stored along with their claim information.

This method makes opting into text alerts a seamless part of the claim setup, enhancing customer experience by integrating communication preferences directly into the submission workflow.

Sample Claims Submission screen collecting Opt-In

Option 4: Inbound-Initiated Opt-In Methods

In addition to the outbound opt-in methods described above, customers can also provide implied consent by initiating a text conversation themselves. When a customer reaches out first, their action demonstrates a clear intent to communicate via text. Below are three ways this can happen.

Option 4a: Inbound Text Message

When a customer sends a text message directly to your texting number to initiatie a conversation that inbound message serves as implied consent to engage in a text conversation.

How It Works:

The customer sends a text message to a dedicated Marley number – for example, to ask a question about their policy, report a claim, or request a claim status update.
Hi Marley receives the inbound message and creates a new conversation in the platform, associating it with the customer's phone number.
An automated welcome message is sent back to the customer confirming that the message has been received, along with the required compliance language.

Sample Automated Response

Thank you for reaching out to [Carrier Name]! We've received your message and one of our insurance professionals will follow up with you here shortly.

By texting us, you consent to receive text messages from [Carrier Name] regarding your policy or claim. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. You can get help at any time by replying HELP, or opt out completely by replying STOP. You can review our texting terms and privacy policy at (himarley.com/tp).

Option 4b: IVR / Phone Menu Selection

Many carriers already use an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system when customers call in. By adding a texting option to the phone menu, customers can choose to switch from a phone call to a text conversation – and that selection serves as their opt-in to text communications.

How It Works:

A customer calls into your phone line and is greeted by the IVR phone menu.
Among the menu options, the customer hears a clear prompt offering text-based support – for example: "Press 3 to continue this conversation via text message."
When the customer selects that option, the IVR system captures their phone number and intent to receive text communications.
Hi Marley sends an initial text message to the customer's phone number, confirming the conversation has been started and including the required compliance language.

Sample IVR Prompt Script

"Thank you for calling [Carrier Name]. If you'd like to handle your request via text message instead, press 3. You'll receive a text from us shortly and can communicate at your convenience. Message frequency varies. Standard messaging and data rates may apply."

Sample Initial Text Message

Hi! You've chosen to connect with [Carrier Name] via text. How can we help you today?

By continuing this text conversation, you consent to receive text messages from [Carrier Name] regarding your policy or claim. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt out at any time. Texting terms and privacy policy: <himarley.com/tp>

Step 2: Sending the Welcome Message

After you’ve got the consent to text, it’s time to set up the case in Hi Marley which triggers a message to confirm Opt-In.

What does the message say?

Here’s an example: "Hi [Customer Name], Thank you for reporting your claim [Claim Number] to us. We need your consent to communicate about this Claim. Please reply YES to agree to the terms and privacy policy (himarley.com/tp). Msg and data rates may apply. Msg freq varies. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt out."

This message is short and sweet, letting them know:

What to expect when they start texting with you
How they can opt-out if they change their mind
Where they can find the privacy policy and other helpful info
A reminder that standard message and data rates may apply (you know, the usual fine print).

Step 3: Customer Acknowledgement / Confirmation

Upon receiving the welcome message, your customer has a choice: do they want to engage a conversation via text or they do not want to receive text messages? Let’s break down the responses they might send.

Accepted Responses When They Receive the Welcome Message:

Yes (or any fun variant of it):
- Examples: Yes, Y, Yup, Yep, Yeah, Yea, Ok, Okay, Si, Sí, Ya, Oui
- What happens: They’re in! This officially opts them into the texting program, and you can start communicating right away. From there, you can send updates, reminders, or anything else related to their insurance needs.
- Pro tip: It doesn’t have to be just “Yes.” They can get creative – punctuation like “Yes!” or “Ok.” is totally fine. They can even throw it into a full sentence like “I agree. Yes.”. Just note that if they respond with something like “Yes?”, it won’t count – we need something a little more confident!
STOP (or other variants):
- Examples: Unsubscribe, End, Cancel, Stopall, Quit, Optout, Opt out, Revoke
- What happens: If they send STOP or any of the other keywords above, they’re choosing to opt out. They’ll get a confirmation message back letting them know they’ve been unsubscribed:
  - "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."
- When to use it: Maybe they don’t want to receive texts right now, and that’s okay! This option is there if they decide texting isn’t for them – at least for the moment.
HELP:
- What happens: Need a little more info? No problem! If they text HELP, they’ll get a message explaining how they can get support. It might look something like:
  - "Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & Data Rates May Apply."
START (or resubscribe options):
- Examples: START, UNSTOP, YES
- What happens: Maybe they opted out earlier but now want back in. Easy! By sending START or YES, they’ll be resubscribed, and the conversation can pick back up where it left off. They’ll see a message like:
  - "You have successfully been re-subscribed to messages from this number. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & Data Rates May Apply."
- When to use it: Perfect for when they’ve had a change of heart and want to reconnect.

Until Consent is Received...

The customer must reply to the welcome message to complete the double opt-in process and confirm their agreement to receive messages. Until this confirmation is received, the insurance professional cannot continue texting with the customer.

Note: No outbound messages can be sent to the customer until they reply with their consent. Here’s what that looks like:

Key Things to Remember:

They can reply with these options when they first get the welcome message or any time after. It’s flexible!
Once they say Yes, you’re good to go. They’ll be able to use STOP or HELP at any time during your conversations if they need to.

Here is an example of what that experience looks like for a customer:

Step 4: Ongoing Customer Interaction Options

So, now that your customer is fully opted in, Insurance Professionals can send informational text messages about policies or claims to consumers.

Customers have the following options for managing their text preferences whenever they need:

Opt-Out: The customer can choose to stop receiving messages by sending STOP or any of the other opt-out keywords at any time

Once they opt out, they’ll see this confirmation message: "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."
Help: If your customer needs help down the line, they can text HELP anytime. Here’s the response they’ll get: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & Data Rates May Apply."
Resubscribe: If they opted out but decide they’d like to start texting again, they can text START or YES to get back in. They’ll receive a confirmation message, and the conversation can continue.

Step 5: Need to Resend the Welcome Message? No Problem!

If your customer didn’t respond to the initial welcome message, don’t worry! You can always resend it. This gives them another opportunity to opt in, opt out, or ask for help.

And remember, they can reply with any of the response options – Yes, STOP, HELP, or START – at any time while they’re interacting with you through text.

An automation can be configured to send the Welcome Message again if it is not responded to after 24 hours. For more information, please contact your Client Executive or Customer Success Manager.

Manual Opt-Out

Adjusters have the option to manually opt-out a policy holder from the 'Actions' drop-down menu.

A prompt will appear to confirm the operator action:

A grey message will appear confirming that the policyholder has been opted out:

Opting Back In After an Opt-Out

If an end user opts out of texting by replying STOP, they can opt back in at any time by replying START.

It’s important to note that opt-in/opt-out status is managed at the individual phone number level.

The opt-out applies between a specific end user number and a specific sending number
For example, if a user opts out of messages from 222-222-2222, they must reply START to that same number to resume messaging

To support compliance with industry regulations (including TCPA), Hi Marley enforces opt-outs across a carrier’s messaging pool. This helps ensure that once a user opts out, they do not continue receiving messages from other numbers associated with that carrier.

Translation

In the event that the case has been created but the language is not correct for the policy holder you can have that updated within the case itself. Using the screenshot below as a reference where it says English (Default) you can click there and update the language as you need.

Cases can be created with Translation enabled and Translation can be turned on or modified to another language at any time.

Conclusion

By following this process, you’re making sure that everything stays clear, compliant, and easy for your customers. Plus, you’re giving them the control to manage their preferences – all while keeping communication friendly and flexible.

Need more help? Feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager, or send us an email at support@himarley.com. We’re here for you!

Opt-in & Opt-Out Workflow for Texting

Table of Contents

Overview

Step 1: Getting Consent