Customer consent and opt-outs

MotoDealerHQ only emails or texts a customer when they agreed to that channel and have not opted out. This page explains where consent comes from, how opt-outs work, and how your website asks visitors before loading Google Analytics. Staff notifications are not affected by any of this.

Where consent comes from #

Every change is kept in the customer's consent history. Nothing is overwritten.

Record consent given in person or by phone #

1. Open Sales › Customers and select the customer.
2. In the Consent panel, pick the Channel (Email or SMS).
3. Under Decision, pick Customer granted consent or Customer revoked / opted out.
4. In How was it given?, write how and when, for example "Verbal on phone call 3/4".
5. Select Record consent.

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The panel shows the current state for each channel (granted, not given or opted out with the date). Open History to see every change, its source and the wording or note.

Text opt-out keywords (STOP and START) #

When a customer replies to one of your texts:

• STOP (also STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, OPTOUT or REVOKE) as the first word opts them out of texts from your dealership straight away.
• START (also UNSTOP, YES or OPTIN) as the whole message opts them back in. A reply such as "Yes, see you Saturday" is treated as a normal message, not a consent change.
• HELP or INFO as the whole message is recorded. MotoDealerHQ does not send its own reply; your Twilio number's opt-out settings decide what the customer gets back.

Keyword replies are logged on Sales › Messages and in the customer's consent history. An opt-out also ends any text steps in follow-up sequences.

Unsubscribe links in automated emails #

Emails from follow-up sequences end with a short footer: why the customer gets it, your rooftop address and an unsubscribe link. They also carry one-click unsubscribe headers that Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail use for their own "Unsubscribe" button.

The link opens an Email preferences page on your website where the customer can unsubscribe in one click, or choose what they want: follow-ups and offers by email, purchase and service updates by email, follow-up texts, or stop all email. Each change is written to the consent history and ends the affected sequences. The link only works for that customer on your website.

The website cookie banner (Google Analytics) #

If you add Google Analytics 4 to your website, you choose whether visitors are asked first.

1. Open Settings › Integrations and set up Google Analytics 4 with your Measurement ID (it starts with G-).
2. Under Visitor consent, choose:
   • Ask first (recommended): Google Analytics loads only after the visitor selects Accept on the cookie banner. The footer gets a Cookie settings link so visitors can change their mind.
   • Do not ask: Google Analytics loads for every visitor. Use this only where the law allows it.
3. Save and switch the integration on.

Your built-in website statistics (see website analytics) do not use cookies or store IP addresses, so they work whether or not a visitor accepts.

Tips #

• Keep the default form checkboxes. If you edit their wording under Marketing › Forms, the new wording is what gets stored from then on.
• A customer who says "stop texting me" on the phone: record Customer revoked / opted out for SMS right away.
• Turning an option back on in the preferences page does not re-subscribe someone who withdrew consent. They need to tell you, and you record it.

Permissions #

Limitations #