SMS messages are a quick and easy way to communicate to both your customers and mechanics


This article will go through the many ways SAM can send SMS messages from within the application


See the following guides for more information:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS



?HOT TIP: To get the most out of SMS, we recommend you introduce a process of confirming customer mobile numbers on every visit to your workshop, and saving these in SAM. It probably goes without saying, but you can only send SMS messages to customers with accurate mobile numbers in SAM.




Sending messages

Custom SMS messages

Customers can be sent individual SMS messages from customer maintenance screen.
Click on the double arrow button next to the customer’s mobile number

This opens the “Send SMS” screen below. The message field below will populate with the "Default Message" from System setup, but can be altered as necessary.

 

Repair Order SMS messages

For booking reminders to be sent to customers, the “Booking” tick box must be selected (See Booking and Ready Bulk Update)

Repair Order reminders can be sent by selecting the Repair Order button in the Add/Maintain screen, but NOT from within the individual Job. With SMS enabled the additional “Send SMS” tick box is available:

When you click 'OK' it will take you to the Reminder List screen


Invoice SMS messages

The send SMS tick box will appear in the window when invoicing and the customer must have a mobile number.



- For this option to show the 'Ready' must be ticked.  This can be done in Customer Setup
- There is no 'Edit Message' option when sending an invoice SMS message.  The message layout comes from the Default Messages



Follow-up Reminders

?Hot Tip: If you can form a habit of checking and updating WOF and service due dates in SAM, even when that isn't the type of work they're in for this time, it will help you get the most out of your reminder marketing, developing better communication and relationships with your customers.

Run the follow-ups as per normal processes: Reports > Marketing > Service Reminder Cards and then selecting your Follow up parameters.


When you select the SMS, like with the other options, before the list of customer contacts with mobile numbers are displayed a window will pop up asking if you want to record and delete Follow-ups from list – select as required. 

This will then open the list of customers that have mobile numbers set up on their account. The message format comes from the default messages setup (See Customer Setup, Reminder List and Default Messages)

To a Technician 

This function sends the job details to the selected technician. This can be used for mobile technicians or messaging your technician’s off site; however, the technician must have a mobile number entered in their set-up which is found in Maintenance > Technicians.


From the ‘Maintain a job’ screen you can send an SMS to the technician that’s selected for that job by clicking on the SMS button.

Bulk SMS/Promotion SMS

Bulk messages can be sent from the Utilities - Send Bulk SMS menu.
Messages can be created and saved as SMS library entries; this allows the same message to be reused whenever required. Recipient lists can also be saved and reused.



SMS Library

Within the bulk messaging utility there is a bulk text library which can be reused as needed. In SMS library screen you can select an existing message, change an existing message or add a new message.

When clicking change or insert from here you can modify the message as shown below. Press OK to save the message.

Recipient List

Back in the bulk messaging screen, selecting recipients, can either be done through an existing saved list of clients or, you can create a new list of recipients. When you choose to create a new list, this will display a list of customers with a cell phone number entered.
Use the tag options to build a list of customers to send the message too. This list of customers can be saved to be used again as required. Once the desired customers have been selected, select “Send” to process the SMS. (See Customer Setup)

Reminders List

With most bulk reminders, once you have selected your distribution method it will take Send reminder screen, where you can make some individualised modifications to customer messages. From this screen you can also un-tag customers you do not want to send messages to, or build a delay into the messages for when the messages should be sent.

 

See "How to send a bulk SMS" for more information




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