SMS

Updated: March 14, 2024

Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service used by Calltools to exchange messages with mobile devices. This feature is available on both the manager and agent dashboards.

How SMS Works

First, a Calltools account must acquire an SMS-enabled phone number (DID) and apply it to their account or a user's phone caller ID. Second, a contact must have a mobile number. Finally, from the manger or agent dashboard, search for a contact, and locate the SMS feature on the contact form to send a text message.

Agent Dashboard SMS

Go to: Agent Dashboard > Contacts (navigation tab):

• Click the Contacts tab and search for a contact with a mobile number.
• After selecting a contact, click View on Dashboard (bottom right of the screen).
• Click the SMS subtab on the contact form.
• Scroll down to "Send To" and ensure a number has been selected to send the SMS.
• Compose the SMS text in the Message section. Keep in mind, there is an SMS character counter located on the bottom right of the message section box. Keep SMS messages at 160 characters or less. Otherwise, a single SMS text message will be billed for multiple messages called segments (depending on the length of the text)
• Click Send. 
  

Manager Dashboard SMS

Go to: Manager Dashboard > Data > Contacts

• Go to the Contacts page and search for a contact with a mobile number.
• After selecting a contact, click View/Edit Contact (bottom right of the screen).
• Click the SMS navigation tab.
• The same steps apply
  

MMS

When DIDs are MMS-enabled, users can send attachments, such as images. Click the paperclip icon to select and upload an attachment. Click Send.

Opt-Out

When an initial SMS is sent, an opt-out message is included as well. It mentions that the contact can stop receiving SMS messages by replying "STOP" to unsubscribe. To resubscribe, simply text "START." This allows text messaging to remain compliant with SMS rules and regulations.

Owners and Subscribers

When users initiate a text message, that user becomes the owner of the conversation. Other users can join the conversation and become subscribers by simply sending an SMS to the same contact. So when messages are sent and received from any subscribed user, all other subscribers, including the original conversation owner, will receive SMS alerts on their dashboard.

Conversations and Public Minutes

Go to: Manager Dashboard > Reports > SMS Conversations or Agent Dashboard > SMS 

The Conversations page displays contacts that have had an SMS exchange with Calltools users. This page is also used to view answered and unanswered SMS messages.

Conversations left unanswered become available to other agents after a set amount of time.

Under Account > Settings > Voice/Messaging Default Settings > SMS Conversation Public Minutes, this setting indicates the number of minutes before an incoming SMS message that has gone unanswered and times out, making it available to other agents. The default is 20 minutes. So it's important for agents to be attentive to their SMS interactions.

SMS Changes Ready Status

Contacts have what's called a "Ready" status. This status lets the system if know it's ready to dialed through a live filter in a campaign. This mean that the "Ready" status can be set to "true" or "false." This can be viewed on the Contacts page under the "Ready" column or on a contact form in the form of a toggle switch. (see below)



If a contact has their ready status set to ready=true, and an SMS is sent to the contact, the contact's ready status changes to ready=false. Be mindful of this as it can alter any previously set call flow using live filters and campaigns. In other words, a live filter will not dial the contact if it's not set to ready=true.

Conclusion

SMS is a useful feature that's used by many businesses from different industries. The utility of SMS is essential to most outbound strategies due to its swift communication benefits. With Call Tools' ability to equip users with SMS, it's a great way to build relationships that aim for closing more sales and providing customer satisfaction.