Thryv Review

Why Thryv Is Best for Service Providers

From sending promotions and managing appointments to collecting payments and contacting customers in the field, service businesses need a messaging platform — one that puts managing customer relationships front and center. Thryv’s Business Center does just that, which is why it is our choice for a text message marketing platform for service providers.

We understand that businesses providing a service need to contact customers efficiently when on the go — this is why we love that Thryv does so much more than texting. It combines all your inboxes, from SMS to social media, in one place. Plus, you can do everything, including invoicing and accepting payments, from the mobile app. While a handful of other solutions we reviewed offer similar functionality, only Thryv’s features were designed specifically with service providers in mind. Thryv even offers a HIPAA compliance add-on, something essential for health service providers.

When it comes to marketing, Thryv includes essential features to make running campaigns and sending personalized promotions easy; it does so without bogging down the platform with complex features meant for large companies. We especially love that marketing message limits start at 5,000 per month, which is higher than many other services we reviewed. While the cost per message isn’t the lowest, the price per value for service providers is unmatched; the platform includes a CRM-lite with payment functions.

Thryv also helps you manage your social media presence and online reviews from the same place you send messages. Not all platforms we reviewed help you build your online reputation, but Thryv makes it a priority no matter where your customers look for information. We found this tool especially useful as service businesses depend on a positive reputation and word of mouth advertising.

Usability

Thryv packs a lot into its platform, and it can be a challenge to learn your way around the system at first. This is especially true for many service providers who aren’t used to working with complex business software. Fortunately, Thryv’s mandatory onboarding provides dedicated support to help you learn to navigate the platform. There’s also a quick start guide, self-guided online course and tutorial videos for every feature.

Thryv’s layout is similar to other text messaging marketing platforms. A menu bar on the left side contains links to all your features, like the centralized inbox, online reputation features and analytics dashboards. Using the inbox is intuitive, as it looks like most messaging platforms and every action is just a click away. You can easily add features, like a website builder, additional users and Thryv’s Marketing Center to get the most out of the platform.

Integrations are available with 25 external business solutions, including POS systems and accounting software. Plus, Thryv integrates with Zapier, allowing you expanded integration access so you can always work with the software you need.

Thryv Features

CRM Platform

When you subscribe to Business Center, access to the free tier of Command Center is included; here, you can conveniently manage customer relationships. Client profiles are customizable, so you can provide superb service with the right information always on hand. Customer messaging, interaction and payment history are unified, keeping your entire team in the loop. Filters and tags let you stay on top of everything. You can send documents and invoices via text. You can even use Thryv for employee communications. We appreciate that you get five seats — more than many competitors we researched.

Thryv lets you create custom contact fields to collect customer information and opt-ins. It also lets you create fields specific to your service business. Source: Thryv

Unified Messaging

Individual customers prefer to communicate over different channels, and we love that Thryv unifies all conversations in a single inbox. Whether it’s over Google, Facebook or Instagram, all customer messages will be stored in the same place. No other texting service we reviewed includes so many channels. No matter how customers reach out, you’ll see every new message in the CRM. You can even make voice or video calls and get text transcripts of missed voicemails.

SMS Marketing

While Thryv excels at one-on-one communication, it also includes essential tools for text message marketing. We love that Business Center plans include at least 5,000 monthly marketing messages, enough for most small businesses. Building customer loyalty with personalized promos and coupons is easy. Custom fields let you segment customers for targeted campaigns and automations. Thryv even provides templates, which can be a big help if you don’t have a dedicated marketing team. Once you click send, you’ll get useful engagement analytics. You can also use Thryv’s basic web widget or text prompt to generate opt-ins.

Online Reputation Management

Thryv understands that reputation is paramount for service providers; it includes useful tools to build your reputation in the places your clients visit. We appreciate that Thryv works with over 40 listing sites, including the big hitters like Google and Yelp, so your company will be easy to find. You can read and respond to reviews right in your inbox. Thryv also includes a content library, scheduling recommendations and AI automations to help build your social media presence.

Thryv unifies reviews from across more than 40 sites in one central location. You can see your review score and post replies. Source: Thryv

Appointment Scheduling

We think service providers will find Thryv’s appointment-scheduling feature, something unique among the platforms we reviewed, especially useful. You can text a link to Thryv’s online appointment tool, and customers can book time themselves. You can set up automated appointment reminders and rebook requests by text, and it can integrate with shared calendar apps you already use too.

Your customers can book their own appointments, and Thryv will automatically send out text reminders. Source: Thryv

Mobile App

A fully functional mobile app is a must for small service businesses that don’t have a dedicated office staff. If you run all your customer communications and the service part of your business, you need a platform that is ready on the go. Thryv’s app for iOS and Android lets you message from your inbox, create and send invoices, share documents, and accept payments just as easily as if you were in the office.

ThryvPay

Getting paid can be complicated for small service businesses, but Thryv makes it simple with its add-on for accepting payments. Customers can text-to-pay, scan a QR code or go through your online customer portal. You can also get a mobile contactless card reader. With Thryv, you can accept ACH payments, credit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay. We especially love that it includes features for adding tips or fees and paying in installments.

ThryvPay lets you charge for services and lets customers add tips and pay in installments, all from the fully functional mobile app. Source: Thryv

Thryv Costs

We appreciate that Thryv Business Center plans include all features, albeit with some usage limits. Unlike other services we reviewed, Thryv charges by location; this makes it an expensive choice for multi-location businesses. If you need an affordable platform to communicate with customers and accept payments from all your branches, read our review of Textedly. Thryv requires a six-month minimum contract, and you can get a 5 percent discount if you pay semi-annually.

Business Center plans break down as follows:­­

All Business Center plans come with the free version of Command Center. You can upgrade to a paid plan if you need more users or communication channels. Here are what the plans offer:

Beyond that, there are a few additional costs to consider:

• $250 mandatory one-time onboarding fee
• $0.01 per additional SMS over the limit
• $29 monthly for HIPAA compliance add-on
• 2.6% + $0.30 ThryvPay starting processing rate

You can try the platform out with a 14-day free trial. Afterwards, you can choose which level of service you need in a paid plan. When it comes to straightforward text messaging needs, Thryv isn’t the cheapest option. However, Thryv offers service companies a ton of value at a bargain price when you consider all the customer-facing features it includes in one platform.

Thryv Setup

Setting up Thryv can take a bit more time than some of the more basic text messaging services we reviewed; however, that’s not surprising considering it has so many features. Beyond importing contacts, you’ll have to link all your accounts in the centralized inbox; plus, you might need to link your financial information for payments.

We appreciate that Thryv offers onboarding assistance to everyone who signs up for the platform. Thryv reps can help you get everything up and running and teach you how to use complicated features. They can even help you customize the platform to meet your needs by adding additional tools like ThryvPay or Marketing Center.

While onboarding assistance is solid, we were disappointed that Thryv charges a mandatory fee for this service. Many competitors offering an equally complex solution include onboarding assistance for free.

Thryv Customer Service

Every Thryv plan has 24/7 access to live email, chat and phone support. Not many competitors offer round-the-clock service. You can also access the online community to get usage advice and troubleshooting tips. Thryv’s website is full of useful resources like how-to videos, blogs, podcasts, webinars and business guides. Almost every topic a small service business might be interested in is covered.

In our research, we received fairly rapid responses from live chat; however, the information was not always reliable. It seems like AI handles many incoming chat queries and isn’t able to give straightforward answers. We were also disappointed that all users must pay a $9 monthly fee for support; most competitors with plans at a similar price point include live support free of charge.

Thryv Drawbacks

We were disappointed that Thryv doesn’t offer as much flexibility around creating SMS marketing campaigns as many of the platforms we reviewed. You can only claim one keyword for opt-ins and that keyword can’t be changed. The only other option for getting customers to subscribe to your marketing is a text opt-in request, and you can’t edit the copy. In general, we would have liked to see better lead generation tools.

You’re also stuck using the number Thryv assigns you when you sign up. There are no options for porting your own number or using dedicated short code. This can be a problem for established businesses with a number customers already know. If you need more wiggle room when running text marketing, consider reading our SimpleTexting review — our top choice for flexibility.

We were also disappointed that Thryv charges mandatory fees for onboarding and monthly support. As the platform is complicated, yet geared toward small service businesses, we would have liked to see this support included standard. Considering the additional fees and that you can only use your subscription at one location, Thryv might be too expensive for some companies. If you need an affordable, easy-to-use solution with onboarding included, read our ProTexting review.

Methodology

While investigating the best text message marketing services, we took an in-depth look at a number of platforms. Whenever possible, we sat down for guided demos, spoke with support representatives and gave the software a test drive with a free trial. We also relied on resources from the providers’ webpages, like tutorials and how-to articles, as well as online customer reviews. When determining the best software for service providers, we specifically looked for easy-to-use platforms with great value for money; we also looked for ones that let businesses communicate with customers both in the office and on the go.

Overall Value

We recommend Thryv for …

• Small businesses looking for comprehensive software to manage communications.
• Small businesses that want essential text marketing features as part of an omnichannel solution.
• Small businesses that need to message customers and collect payments in the field.

We do not recommend Thryv for …

• Businesses that want to use short code or their own number to send text messages.
• Businesses that operate from more than one location.
• Businesses looking for a no-frills platform for straightforward SMS needs.