Messaging Clients

To text clients directly from your Clientping number, choose "Messages" on the left-hand menu bar. Your reminders and your conversations with clients appear here, including clients' replies to reminders.

Threads

Messages keeps one thread per client phone number. A reminder or any ordinary text in either direction starts a thread. Threads are listed newest first, and the search box at the top finds a thread by phone number, contact name or the text of its last message.

Each thread shows the client's name if the number matches one of your contacts, or "No Contact Found" if it doesn't. From the thread you can create a new contact for the number or edit the existing one. To have names show without typing them in, sync your contacts; see contacts.

When a client texts you, their thread is marked unread with a green dot until you open it. That includes STOP and START. A thread that begins with a text from you is marked read from the start.

HELP and INFO are the exception. They can get a short automatic reply, limited to one per client and 50 across your firm in 24 hours, but they don't start a thread, mark one unread or email anyone. If you already have a conversation with that number, these texts and any automatic reply show in its history.

The Messages screen refreshes itself every 10 seconds, so new texts appear without reloading the page.

Replying and starting a conversation

To reply, open the thread, type in the "Text Message" box and send. The client receives it from your Clientping number, in the same conversation as their reminders.

To text someone new, click the pencil icon ("New message"). Next to "To:", search your contacts by name under "Search for a contact" (only mobile numbers are listed), or type a number into "OR enter a phone number".

Messages you type can be up to 1,600 characters. Unlike reminders, they don't get your firm's name or an opt-out line added. Only text people who've agreed to receive texts from your firm. When you start a new conversation, begin the message with your firm's name so the client knows who's texting, and if the client hasn't had a text from you before, end with "Reply STOP to opt out."

Clients who have opted out

If a client texts STOP (or another opt-out word), their thread shows "This client texted STOP and has opted out of texts. Texts to this number are not sent until they reply START." Messages you send to that number aren't delivered, and each attempt is marked "Not sent: client opted out (STOP)". Texts to a blocked contact aren't sent either.

Getting told about new texts

You don't have to keep Messages open to see replies. When a client's reply to a recent reminder says more than a plain YES or NO, the calendar's notification address gets a "Client Message" email. For an appointment that hasn't started yet, a plain YES sends no email, and a plain NO sends a "Client declined" email, which has no reply link. Texts Clientping can't match to a recent reminder can be emailed to the address in your Profile as "Client Text". The "Client Message" and "Client Text" emails end with a "Reply here" link that lets you answer without logging in. See notifications for which texts count as replies.