ServiceCore allows you to programmatically send text messages to your Site Contacts based on events in ServiceCore through our Pro Messaging feature. Pro Messaging allows you to provide even better customer service and optimize driver efficiency through real-time communication with your clients.   

Real-time communication ensures smoother operations, keeps clients informed, and helps drivers navigate their routes more efficiently. That means more time saved and happier customers.

In this article, we will go over the steps to:

• Enable Different Messages
• View Sent Messages
• Managing Your Contacts
• Sending ETA Texts from the Mobile App
• Deep Dive Into All Messages
• Glossary of Terms 

Before you Start

Here are some things you should know before using Pro Messaging:

• Only users with Manager or higher level permissions to view the Messaging tab 
• Only users with Owner or Admin level permissions can make edits on the Messaging Preferences page
• Pro Messaging is only available to companies with a Pro Plan subscription, to learn more about the Pro Plan speak with your account manager

Prerequisites

To send text messages in ServiceCore, you will need to be a Pro level subscriber and go through the Pro Messaging onboarding process:

• All customers must go through the 10 DLC Compliance review process, this usually takes 2 weeks
• Your Account Manager will let you know when your messaging account has been approved and you are ready to start sending messages!

Messaging Tab

From any page of the ServiceCore web app, you will see a new addition to the top level navigation for Messaging.

Clicking on Messaging will bring you to the Messaging Center, your hub for everything related to text messaging in ServiceCore.

The Messaging Center is comprised of 3 tabs: Messaging Preferences, Chat History, and Contacts. Messaging Preferences controls what messages you send, Chat History shows you the messages you sent, and Contacts is how you control who you are sending messages.

Turning On & Off the Messages

The Messaging Preferences sub-tab of Messaging gives you control over which messages you are sending to your Site Contacts. Turning a message on or off applies the change at the company level. Only users with Owner or Admin level permissions can edit the preferences on this page. Users with Manager level permissions can view the preferences but cannot make any changes.

The Messages

There are 6 different messages you can send in ServiceCore: Intro Message, Response Message, Driver ETA, Job Scheduled, Job Completion, and Job Incomplete. A deep dive into each message is available below.

Dynamic but Not Customizable

The messages contain dynamic variables to provide your clients with all necessary information, but the text of the messages cannot be edited. 

What Messages Have I Sent?

The Chat History tab of the Messaging Center is where you can see what messages you have sent, and to whom. You have the ability to view all contacts you have messaged. Once you select a contact, you are able to view all messages you have sent to that contact. Currently, we are only showing messages you sent, but soon will include any messages sent to your number.

Who am I Sending Messages to?

The Contacts tab is where you control who will receive messages. By default all customers and contacts have a status of off. Toggling on at the Customer level will allow you to enable messaging for Site Contacts. You must toggle on text messaging for each Site Contact for them to receive messages.

Note: Toggling on text messaging for a Site Contact will immediately send them the Intro Message

Where Else can I Enable or Disable Messaging?

Add New Customer Form

When you are onboarding a new customer through the Add New Customer form we have added a Site Messaging Settings section. This will allow you to get consent from your customer to send messages and enable messaging during the sales process.

Note: As this Customer is not yet associated with a site(s), you will need to enable messaging for the individual site contacts once they are added.

Create Rental Form

When you are creating a new rental Create Rental form, after selecting a customer and a site you have an option to "Update Messaging". Clicking update messaging will launch a right-rail and display the messaging preferences for the customer and each site contact.

How Does a Driver Send an ETA Text?

A driver always has to take action to send an ETA text. This is to help ensure accuracy and build trust with your clients. There are two locations with two separate workflows for sending ETA texts.

From the Homepage

From the Homepage (schedule) of the mobile app, if you click the Actions button you will see two new options View on Map and Send ETA and Sent ETA Text. Tapping either of these buttons will send an ETA text to the first non-completed job on your schedule (at the top). This workflow assumes you are working through the route from top to bottom.

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From the Job Details Page

If you are not working the route from top to bottom, and you want to send an ETA text to a specific site, tap on the job to visit the Job Details page. If you tap on the three dots menu in the upper right corner of the screen you will see a Send ETA Text option. This will send a text message with your drive time to this site regardless of where it is on your schedule. 

Deep Dive: The Messages

Take a deeper look at the messages you can send, their associated variables and what triggers them to be sent.

Intro Message

The Intro Message is the first message your clients will receive. It introduces your business, how to contact you, and informs your customer how to opt-out of receiving text messages. For legal compliance reasons, you cannot disable this message. This message is sent immediately after enabling messaging for a contact.

Variables & Values

• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Company Phone Number: Your Phone Number

Response Message

The Response Message is sent when one of your clients responds to a message you sent to inform them that no one is able to reply to their message and to call the office for more information. This message cannot be disabled.

Variables & Values

• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Company Phone Number: Your Phone Number

Driver ETA Message

The Driver ETA message informs the site contacts that your driver is on their way and to be ready for their arrival. It is sent to site contacts when a driver selects "Send ETA text" in the mobile app (more below). When the driver takes this call-to-action, we calculate their drive time to the site and send the message. 

We made a deliberate decision to require drivers to send the Driver ETA message in order to ensure a more accurate estimated time of arrival (ETA). This helps build trust with clients and improves customer service.

Variables & Values

• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Site Address: Address of Job Site
• ETA: Calculated Drive Time to the Site

Job Scheduled

It is often your customer contacts that place orders and the team at the site may have no idea the driver is coming. The Job Scheduled message informs the crew at the Job Site that there is a job scheduled so they can be prepared. This message is sent immediately after the job is created and has variations for one-time and repeat jobs.

Variables & Values:

• Job Type: Delivery, Pickup, Exchange, Service
• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Site Address: Address of job Site
• Job Date: Date of Job
• Time Window: Time of Job (if applicable)
• Repeat Series: How Often Does the Job Occur (if applicable)
• Company Phone Number: Your Phone Number

Job Completion

The Job Completion message lets your clients know that the job has been completed successfully. This message is sent anytime a job is moved to "Done" with a status of "Complete".

Variables & Values

• Job Type: Delivery, Pickup, Exchange, Service
• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Site Address: Address of job Site

Job Incomplete

The Job Incomplete message lets your clients know that the job has been done, but was not able to be completed successfully. The message provides them with a prompt to call the office for more information. This message is sent when a job is moved to "Done" with any status other than "Complete".

Variables & Values

• Job Type: Delivery, Pickup, Exchange, Service
• Company Name: Your Company's Name
• Site Address: Address of job Site
• Status: Unable to Service, Partial service
• Company Phone Number: Your Phone Number

Glossary

SMS Message - A protocol for sending messages to a cell phone 

10 DLC Compliance - 10 Digit Long Code Compliance - new regulations in the US around sending text messages from an application to a person

Brand Registration - The first phase in the compliance process, confirmation that the entity that will be sending messages is valid and will not be spamming recipients

Campaign Registration - A more in-depth review of the company we are registering and, validation that the content we will be sending matches what we say we will be sending 

The Campaign Registry - The 3rd party entity that does campaign review