What Happens When Someone Replies STOP?

When a customer replies "STOP" to an SMS review request, SoTrustworthy immediately suppresses their phone number and cancels all pending automated messages to that contact. This opt-out process takes effect instantly at both the wireless carrier level and inside your account, ensuring full compliance with federal text messaging laws without requiring any manual work from you.

---

What Happens Immediately After a Customer Texts "STOP"

The moment a customer replies with the word "STOP", a automated compliance workflow triggers across the telecommunications network and your SoTrustworthy dashboard:

1. Carrier-Level Block: The mobile carrier (such as Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile) immediately flags the request and prevents your dedicated sending number from delivering further text messages to that specific phone number.
2. Instant Status Update: SoTrustworthy updates the customer's contact profile across all plans (Starter, Growth, and Pro) to an Opted Out status.
3. Sequence Cancellation: If the customer was enrolled in an automated review request sequence—such as a multi-step follow-up campaign—all remaining scheduled messages are permanently deleted from the queue.
4. Automated Confirmation: The wireless network sends a single, mandatory automated response back to the customer: "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages."

Because this workflow happens at the network layer, you do not need to log into SoTrustworthy to manually remove the customer, update a spreadsheet, or change a setting.

---

Supported Opt-Out Keywords

While "STOP" is the most common command used by consumers, standard US text messaging regulations require carriers to honor several universal opt-out keywords. SoTrustworthy automatically recognizes and processes all of the following replies:

• STOP
• UNSUBSCRIBE
• CANCEL
• END
• QUIT

If a customer replies with a full sentence containing an opt-out phrase (for example, "Please stop texting me"), SoTrustworthy’s smart reply processor flags the message, halts further review automated sequences, and notifies you in your dashboard activity feed so you can review the customer's conversation history.

---

The Legal Regulations Behind Opt-Outs (TCPA & A2P 10DLC)

Automated text messaging for local businesses is strictly regulated in the United States. SoTrustworthy's automated opt-out system is built to keep your business compliant with two primary frameworks:

1. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

Enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC TCPA Guidelines), the TCPA mandates that consumers have the right to revoke consent to receive automated text messages at any time. Continuing to send promotional or transactional texts to a consumer after they have revoked consent can result in severe financial penalties per illegal message sent.

2. A2P 10DLC Regulations

A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is the system built by US mobile carriers to regulate business texting. Guided by the CTIA Messaging Principles, mobile carriers strictly enforce mandatory opt-out keywords. If a business attempts to bypass opt-out requests or repeatedly attempts to deliver messages to opted-out numbers, carriers will flag the sending number, issue fines, or permanently block the business from sending texts altogether.

By enforcing real-time suppression upon receiving "STOP", SoTrustworthy protects your business phone number's sender reputation and ensures your account remains fully compliant with mobile carrier requirements.

---

How Opt-Outs Work with Jobber and HubSpot Integrations

If you use SoTrustworthy alongside native field service management or CRM integrations like Jobber or HubSpot, opt-out management remains seamlessly synchronized.

Here is how the automated sync handles opted-out contacts:

• Jobber Sync: When a job is marked "Closed" or an invoice is paid in Jobber, Jobber sends a webhook signal to SoTrustworthy to trigger an SMS review request. Before sending, SoTrustworthy checks the customer's phone number against your master suppression list. If the customer previously replied "STOP", SoTrustworthy safely drops the request. The job completion stays logged in Jobber, but no SMS is sent.
• HubSpot Sync: When a deal moves to "Closed-Won" or a ticket is marked resolved in HubSpot, SoTrustworthy checks the opt-out registry. If the contact has opted out, SoTrustworthy skips the text message and logs an "Opt-Out Suppressed" activity event in your campaign logs.
• Master Opt-Out Memory: Even if you re-import a customer's contact information via CSV upload or re-trigger a workflow through Jobber six months later, SoTrustworthy remembers that the phone number previously opted out and will continue to prevent automated texts from going to that contact.

---

What to Do If a Customer Opts Out by Mistake

Occasionally, a customer might text "STOP" by mistake—perhaps mistaking your review request for spam—and later ask why they aren't receiving your service updates or review links.

Due to strict mobile carrier regulations, you cannot manually unblock or opt a customer back in from inside your SoTrustworthy dashboard. Neither you nor SoTrustworthy support staff can override a carrier-level block.

To restore SMS delivery for a customer who opted out accidentally, the customer must take action from their own mobile phone:

1. Have the customer open their text messaging app.
2. Locate the text conversation with your dedicated SoTrustworthy sending number.
3. Have them reply directly to that thread with the word START or UNSTOP.

Once the customer texts "START", the mobile carrier clears the block, and SoTrustworthy automatically updates their status from "Opted Out" back to "Active."

---

How SoTrustworthy Minimizes STOP Replies

Opt-out rates are a direct reflection of message timing, frequency, and messaging tone. SoTrustworthy’s SMS-first workflow includes built-in safeguards to protect your customer relationships while maintaining maximum review conversion rates:

• Review-Request Throttling: SoTrustworthy automatically throttles message delivery to prevent sending multiple review requests to the same customer within a short timeframe. If a home service business completes three jobs for the same client in one week, SoTrustworthy ensures the customer isn't bombarded with three separate review requests.
• No Review Gating: In strict accordance with Google review policies, SoTrustworthy sends direct, honest review requests that give customers a clear path to leave feedback. Transparency reduces customer frustration and keeps opt-out rates low.
• Polite, Concise Messaging: SMS templates in SoTrustworthy are pre-formatted to be short, professional, and clear about who is texting. Customers are far less likely to text "STOP" when they immediately recognize your business name and recall the positive service experience they just had.

---

Summary Checklist

• Zero Manual Effort: When a customer texts STOP, SoTrustworthy handles carrier suppression, account status updates, and campaign queue removal instantly.
• Carrier Enforcement: Neither you nor support agents can manually override an opt-out; the customer must text START from their device to re-subscribe.
• Integration Safety: Connected platforms like Jobber and HubSpot will continue operating normally, but SoTrustworthy will automatically filter out opted-out contacts before sending texts.

---

Next Steps

• Review Your Delivery Logs: Visit the Contacts tab in your dashboard to view active, queued, and opted-out recipients across your account.
• Connect Your Workflow: Learn how to set up automatic triggers for completed jobs using our [Jobber Integration Guide] or [HubSpot Integration Guide].
• Test Your Sending Setup: Explore how review request throttling works during your 14-day trial to see how SoTrustworthy prevents messaging fatigue.