Why WorkHound Chose Text Messaging

When WorkHound was just an idea, we thought through a variety of ways to ask for driver feedback. So, today we’re sharing how and why WorkHound chose text messaging as a feedback platform.

In today’s world, most of us communicate via text message, and that’s especially true when we’re traveling. It’s almost always easier to reply quickly to a text, rather than taking time to make a phone call or to answer one. It’s only natural, then, that it would be easiest for truck drivers to provide feedback via text.

“There are a lot of different tools out there asking for feedback,” says Max Farrell, CEO and Co-Founder at WorkHound. “Text messaging meets people where they are.”

Revolutionizing How Americans Communicate

It’s interesting to think about — in the last two decades, we’ve experienced a fundamental shift in the way Americans communicate. Just 20 years ago, texting didn’t really exist. If you needed to pass along a message, you picked up the phone.

Today, texting is where it’s at. Nearly everyone communicates via text these days, and the numbers prove it:

• At least 97 percent of smartphone owners text regularly.
• That adds up to 277 million people in the United States age 13 and older texting.
• On average, Americans send and receive 94 text messages each day.
• That adds up to a total of 26 billion texts sent across the United States on any given day.

But why has texting become our preferred method of communicating?

There are a number of reasons behind the shift, but texting offers benefits that a phone conversation does not. For one, it’s quick. But beyond that, it also allows us to express feelings, emotions, and feedback that we might not be comfortable sharing in person or even with our actual voices. Texting provides a layer of protection between us and the person we are communicating with.

That’s part of why it works so well in a feedback program.

Why Texting Works

But the why behind WorkHound using texting goes beyond that. It has a lot to do with the convenience of texting.

“Texting is likely the most used resource on our phones,” Farrell says. “Texts can be answered on your own time and at your convenience. It eliminates the pressure of a deadline, and drivers can provide feedback when they’re ready, rather than feeling the need to stop and respond right away.”

Because there isn’t a deadline and WorkHound isn’t calling drivers directly, this means text messaging as a feedback platform abides by safety laws. This allows drivers to respond once they’ve stopped for the day and can reflect on the feedback they’d like to share, just as they can catch-up on responding to messages from loved ones. 

“Texting is less intrusive than a phone call,” Farrell says, “and it comes in a way that gives drivers the opportunity to ‘opt in.’ You can choose what you answer, why, how, and when.”

Though it seems counterintuitive when it comes to soliciting feedback for a business, it’s also a benefit that drivers don’t have to answer at all. Instead, they can remain on the recipient list just to receive the weekly broadcast, which alerts the drivers of the changes made by their carrier.

Why Texting Instead of an App?

Since we’re all using our phones all the time, you might be asking yourself a question we get often: Why doesn’t WorkHound solicit feedback via an app?

“We chose not to use an app because that’s asking drivers to take an additional measure in order to communicate,” Farrell says. “We’re asking drivers to share their insights, and we don’t want to ask for more than that. Texting provides an easy, effective way to communicate, without needing to take an additional step to download something to your phone. An app also excludes drivers who might not use a smartphone.”

There’s also another reason why texting wins out over apps and even in-cab device functionality — drivers feel most comfortable sharing feedback when they have the ability to do so anonymously. Texting through WorkHound gives them that ability.

“Drivers are looking for the freedom and anonymity that comes from providing feedback via text from their own devices,” Farrell says. “If you’re ultimately looking to build trust with drivers while receiving helpful insight, text messaging feedback is a proven way to do that.”

Ready to turn driver feedback into meaningful action? Team up with WorkHound today! Sign up for a free demo to learn how we can help.