Texting Customers with Smart Service
We offer a text messaging feature as an add-on to the base program, which is available for purchase. Smart Service will provide a number local to your area for sending messages, and texts can be bought in prepaid bundles.
The purpose of this feature is to allow businesses to send text reminders of upcoming visits, reply to messages sent by customers, and notify the customer when the iFleet user is on the way to them.
How to Activate Text Messaging
Versions of Smart Service 102 and higher support the text messaging add-on. To activate your text messaging center, please call the support desk at (888) 518-0818. We do not charge to activate the feature, but we do need to purchase a local number for you to use.
Your company will then have the ability to purchase text message segments through the “Text Messaging” window within Smart Service itself at the top left-hand corner of the window.
Clicking the “Purchase Messages” option will open your browser and guide you through our purchase portal. The message segments are sold in bundles of 2,500, 10,000, 25,000, and 100,000. Please review our next section below to understand the specifics of how we bill messages before using our text messaging features.
How We Bill Text Messages
All text messages sent and received by Smart Service are processed by a third party company called Twilio. While you use Smart Service to compose and read text messages, Twilio is responsible for processing your messages. With that in mind, we have provided a list of Twilio’s guidelines for sending and receiving messages, as well as how you will be billed for the messages.
To summarize the rules and pricing of text messages:
- Both messages sent and messages received will decrease your texting balance.
- You cannot send or receive a picture message.
- No message can exceed 1600 characters.
- Messages under 160 characters cost approximately a penny.*
- Messages (which contain alphanumeric characters only) exceeding 160 characters will be sent in 153 character segments, each segment costing approximately a penny.*
- Messages (containing special characters like emojis) exceeding 70 characters will be broken into 67 character segments, each segment costing approximately a penny.*
*Depending on which message segment bundle is purchased, the individual rate per message segment sent may vary. For example, purchasing 2,500 message segments at $37.50 results in message segments costing $0.015 each.
For those looking for the finer detail on what characters cause messages to cost more, please see the charts below. Twilio’s rules and regulations regarding GSM-7 Character Sets and USC-2 Character Sets can be found at these links. You can also use this interactive tool from Twilio to estimate the number of segments (and thus, the cost) of your message.
Messages containing only GSM-7 characters will be split into 153 character message segments if the total character count of the message contains more than 160 characters. Messages containing GSM-7 characters with a total message character limit of 160 or less will be sent as one message segment.
- LF is a Line Feed control.
- CR is a Carriage Return control, or filler.
- ESC is an Escape control.
- SP is a Space character.
GSM-7 Character Set Extensions which must be escaped by the text messaging application will count as two characters to display properly but are still considered to be in the GSM-7 Character Set.
- FF is a Page Break control. If not recognized, it shall be treated like LF.
- CR2 is a control character. No language specific character shall be encoded at this position.
- SS2 is a second Single Shift Escape control reserved for future extensions.
A message containing any UCS-2 characters will cause text messages to be divided into 67 character message segments, which would cause the price of the message overall to increase. In day-to-day usage, this would include all Emojis. You can use this tool to determine whether or not your message counts as GSM-7 characters, of if UCS-2 must be used to send or receive the message.
Texting Customers & Compliance
Before sending text communications to your customers, make sure you and your users are aware of the rules and regulations surrounding text communications to customers. How you obtain consent and what level of consent is required for each type of message a business can send is also important!
Before texting your customers, make sure you’ve read and understood the CAN-SPAM Act. If your company is based in, or provides service to Canada, please review Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL) For compliance, Smart Service requires you to opt customers in before sending text messages to them. Customers also have the ability to unsubscribe from your text messages at any time. Smart Service takes no responsibility in who you opt-in for text messaging.
A2P 10DLC Registration & Compliance
Businesses who currently do or plan to rely on our texting features must complete the following registration form as of April 1st, 2023 to continue using Smart Service’s texting functionality.
Why Is This Important for Your Business?
For our customers in Canada, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) has also identified the difference between express versus implied consent when it comes to different types of email and text communications you may wish to send to your customers. You can review the guidelines here. To better assist you with compliance, Smart Service will soon securely collect your company’s Canadian Corporation Number (CCN) which will be used alongside your legal business address, industry, and business type to verify your identity once transmitted to the vetting authority. For your privacy, Smart Service will not store or otherwise record this information on our servers. This information will be transferred directly to our partner Twilio, who in turn, will relay the information to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a vetting company that assists with registering 10DLC messaging campaigns.
Will Smart Service Store Your Data?
We at Smart Service have a responsibility to facilitate the secure transfer of the above information to our partner Twilio, who in turn, will relay the information to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a vetting company that assists with registering 10DLC messaging campaigns. Beyond the secure transfer of this data, Smart Service will not store your EIN or CCN/BN on your servers or ours!
Customers Withdrawing Consent
If the customer has chosen to opt out of receiving text messages from your business, you will see the following prompt if you attempt to message them again. This will prevent you from accidentally sending them text messages in the future.
To sign a customer up for text messaging, make sure the SMS field is filled out on their profile and the “Opted In” box is checked. You can use the copy data to copy their number to their existing records.
Set up Message Job Reminders
Once this feature is enabled for your business, you can enter “Set Up Smart Service Add-ons” in your settings window to get started on creating message templates for reminders and quick responses. Message templates are created per job type; if you aren’t using job type yet, you may wish to create them now.
Once you’ve selected a job type and pressed the “Edit” button to the right, a pop-up window will appear asking you to create a template message.
You can right-click inside the field to enter field codes, which will display the customer’s information when the message is sent to the customer. Use these codes when you wish to display things such as the technician scheduled to perform the work or when the job is scheduled. Once your template is complete, click save.
You can instruct Smart Service to automatically message this job reminder to your customers before their service by checking the “auto-send” checkbox and adding in the number of days in advance of the job the reminder should be sent to the customer. If you add 1 day, the text will go out 24 hours before the job, 2 days is 48 hours, etc.
You can create a different template per job type, or copy and paste your template into multiple job types. All job types must have a template set up in order to send job reminders later. If you intend to use that feature, please make sure each jot type has a template.
Remember that including emoji’s and other UCS-2 characters will make each message cost more money. This is especially true when job reminders will likely be sent out to several customers.
Sending Message Job Reminders
Once your settings are in place, you can enter the “Message Job Reminders” screen at any time via Job Preparation in the Office Screen. From this screen, you must use the filters at the top left to tell Smart Service which customers you’d like to text. You may filter these jobs by the scheduled technician, date range, class, customer type, and job type.
Please keep in mind that only customers who have opted in for text messaging will be displayed on this screen. If you’re missing any services, visit the job and verify that the customer has the “Opted In” box checked and an SMS number entered.
Once you’ve made your selection, you may text each customer individually by clicking the “Message” button to the right or text all selected items at once by clicking “Mark All to be Auto-Sent” at the bottom right corner of the screen and following the prompts. Here are a few helpful tips to consider when using this feature:
- The checkmark at the top left of the screen allows you to select/deselect the entire list
- Click the exclamation button on the left to add an SMS number to any job missing one
- Dates of recurring jobs are presented individually here, which can lead to multiple texts sent
Message Shortcuts
To the right of the “Text Message Job Reminders” window, you have the option to create quick response messages called “Message Shortcuts”. When sending text messages, you can bring up a list and choose on of your message shortcuts by right clicking where you’d typically compose your response.
How to Text Employees
Users also have the ability to set up texting for employees. This feature is intended to send vital information that may not be contained within iFleet, or other important company messages. When choosing a phone number to use, you may wish to consider setting up your employee’s personal device. This depends on what device your employee will notice your message on first. Since each employee can only have one SMS number assigned, choose wisely.
To add an SMS contact number for a given employee, open Smart Service settings, browse to the employee profile in the employees tab and write an SMS number in the “SMS Num” field.
Please keep your employee’s cellular plan in mind, as not all cellular plans include unlimited messaging. Additional rates may apply when using this texting feature.
You can send a text to your employees from any customer, location, job, or prospect record. Select the “Text Msg” option under the record name in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
Text Message Center
The text messaging center can be accessed by either trying to text a customer or by clicking on the “My Text Messages” option at the top of the office screen.
The text message center will display all text messages sent and received by Smart Service. You can use this window to initiate new messages or check messages received by customers.
Message threads will appear on the left-hand side of the screen and cannot be deleted. You can click on message threads to open the corresponding conversation to the right. If a contact name is not listed on the message, you may wish to ask via message who has contacted you.
Clicking on one of these conversations will display the chat on the right-hand side with the latest message listed at the top of the screen.
You can compose your message at the bottom of the message window. Pressing ‘Enter’ on your keyboard will also allow you to send the message to the customer. Consider the message cost (listed above the send button) before sending your message.
This option will send your message to the customer. Please review the estimated cost for the message before using this option. The ‘Enter’ key also sends your message.
This will place your message in the chat window, but not send the message to the customer. Use this feature to provide context about the message chain to other Smart Service users.
There are additional internal notifications available at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Use these to communicate with other Smart Service users.
Use this option to let other users know that you are claiming this message chain and responding to the customer. This will move the message from the “All Texts” to the “My Texts” section on the left of your screen.
When a message chain has ended for the current moment, you can apply the “Resolved” status. This will place the message back into the “All Messages” section if the customer responds.
Use this option to transfer this conversation to another Smart Service user if you are unable to continue the conversation with the customer and require another user to take over.
Texting Employees without the Texting Module
Unlike the texting module, this feature only allows you to text your employees job information. Smart Service’s default package contains the ability to text your employees customer and job information. In order to use this feature, you will need the “Email Job Reminders” feature enabled with your company’s email address.
To add your employee’s phone number, enter their Smart Service user profile via the “Employees” tab in the settings window. Enter their number in the “Text Address” field at the bottom of their profile as shown below. The number does not require and special formatting to work.
Below are the addresses for sms and mms messaging. For some carriers, additional charges may apply for either sms or mms. Please check your cellular carrier’s terms and conditions before using this feature. If possible, we recommend using the mms address as sms messaging may be limited to a set number of characters for your carrier.
- AT&T
- @txt.att.net (SMS)
- @mms.att.net (MMS)
- Boost Mobile
- @sms.myboostmobile.com (SMS)
- @myboostmobile.com (MMS)
- Cellular One
- Comcast
- Consumer Cellular
- @mailmymobile.net (SMS)
- Cricket Wireless
- @sms.mycricket.com (SMS)
- @mms.cricketwireless.net (MMS)
- C-Spire
- @cspire1.com (SMS)
- Google Fi
- @msg.fi.google.com (SMS & MMS)
- Metro PCS
- @mymetropcs.com (SMS & MMS)
- Republic Wireless
- @text.republicwireless.com (SMS)
- Sprint
- @messaging.sprintpcs.com(SMS)
- @pm.sprint.com (MMS)
- T-Mobile
- @tmomail.net(SMS & MMS)
- Tracfone
- @mmst5.tracfone.com (MMS)
- U.S. Cellular
- @email.uscc.net (SMS)
- @mms.uscc.net(MMS)
- Verizon
- @vtext.com (SMS)
- @vzwpix.com (MMS)
- Virgin Mobile
- @vmobl.com (SMS)
- @vmpix.com (MMS)
- Bell Canada
- @txt.bell.ca (SMS)
- Chatr
- Fido Solutions
- @sms.fido.ca (SMS)
- Koodo
- @msg.koodomobile.com (SMS)
- MTS (Manitoba Telecom Services)
- @text.mts.net (SMS)
- Rogers Communications
- @pcs.rogers.com (SMS)
- Sasktel
- @sms.sasktel.com (SMS)
- Telus
- @msg.telus.com (SMS)
- Virgin Mobile
- @vmobile.ca (SMS)
- WIND
- @txt.windmobile.ca (SMS)