SMS
SMS (short message service) is the standard for sending short text messages between phones over the carrier network. In a receptionist context it is the channel for texting a caller a link, a confirmation or a follow-up.
Also called: text message, texting, short message service
A text arrives on any phone without an app, which is why it remains the default for confirmations, reminders and links. A receptionist that can text mid-call turns a spoken address or website into something the caller can tap, and a post-call text lets the caller correct what was captured.
Business texting has rules. The number that sends must be registered for messaging, and in the United States automated texts to consumers fall under the same consent regime as automated calls. Sending from a number the customer already recognizes, rather than a short code or a stranger’s number, gets the message read.
SMS is one channel among several. Email carries longer content; a webhook carries structured data; chat and voice carry the conversation itself.