Contacts and channels
Channels: email, SMS and WhatsApp
How notices arrive, why they end up in spam and how to raise response rates.
It does not matter how well the process is built: if the notice does not arrive, or arrives and is not read, nobody delivers. Most "this supplier never replies" cases are a channel problem, not a willingness problem.
Which channel, and when
| Channel | When it fits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| First notice, long documents, office recipients | It crosses the most filters; without your own domain, half never arrives | |
| SMS | Reminders, field staff, signature codes | Costs credits; the text is short, so the link must be clean |
| Sole traders, small suppliers, anyone who ignores email | Very high read rate; the mobile number has to be right |
Why email ends up in spam
An email claiming to come from your company but sent from a different domain is exactly the pattern anti-phishing filters look for. Connecting your email account makes the notice go out from your domain; and if your authentication records are in order, it lands in the inbox.
Watch out
If they still land in spam after connecting your email, an authentication record is almost always missing from your domain's DNS. Whoever administers it fixes that once and for all.
The wording matters too
- A message written by you gets noticeably more replies than the generic one.
- Saying what it is for and by when cuts the questions that come back.
- Each request title is read by someone outside: "Doc 3" means nothing.
- Message templates save rewriting it each time without losing that tone.
Frequently asked questions
›Can I notify on several channels at once?
Yes, if you hold the details. One is usually enough for a first notice; combined channels pay off on reminders.
›How do I know the notice arrived?
The case flags the send, the bounce and the link opening. That separates "it never arrived" from "they have not looked".
›Do SMS and WhatsApp cost?
Yes, they consume credits because the carrier charges. Email does not.
›What language is it sent in?
The contact's, from their record. Not yours, which is the common wrong assumption.
A real case
The situation
A company sends 80 requests by email and after five days only 20 have replied.
What you do
- Checks how many emails were opened on the cases: only 25
- Connects their email domain and resends to those who never opened
- Sets the second reminder on WhatsApp
What you get
Goes from 20 to 63 replies in a week, without changing a word of the text.
The situation
The email does not arrive and people keep emailing.
What you do
- Changes channel after the second attempt
What you get
The notice arrives where it gets read.
The situation
A supplier only responds on messaging.
What you do
- Sends them the link on that channel
What you get
Uses the channel they already use.
The situation
Everything goes out on the same channel out of habit.
What you do
- Picks the channel by urgency and recipient
What you get
Delivery improves without more chasing.
The situation
Nobody knows whether the message arrived.
What you do
- Checks the delivery status
What you get
Sent is told apart from delivered.
The situation
A channel the recipient does not want is used.
What you do
- Records each contact's preferred channel
What you get
The notice arrives where it gets handled.
This article answers
- why do my emails go to spam
- send notices by whatsapp instead of email
- set up SMS notifications
- message templates for requesting documents
- improve supplier response rates