With our Text Messaging product, your agency gets a unique text messaging number which is used to send and receive unlimited text messages from your customers. The text messages are automatically saved under a customer's Text Message Conversation Pane and Activity tab to create a clear record of communication. Once saved to the Activity tab, the text messages cannot be edited or deleted which is ideal for errors and omissions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Send a Text Message

Text messages are sent directly from a customer's account using the Text Message icon under the account's name.

1. Under the account's name, click the Text Message icon. This will cause the Text Message Conversation Pane to pop-out.

The Text Message Conversation Pane shows you the full conversation associated to the phone numbers on the account.

2. The blue messages are from you.

3. The gray messages are from your customer.

Did you know? You can switch between who you are sending text messages to by using the drop-down at the top. This is useful if you have a primary and co-applicant on the account, or if your customer has multiple mobile numbers. You can even text message contacts! Just make sure the receiving phone number is able to receive text messages before you start the conversation.

4. Click and type your message in to the Message box at the bottom. There is a character counter to help you keep an eye on the size of your text.

5. If you need to attach any PDF or IMAGE file types (.jpeg, .png, .gif.) click the Attachment icon. This will open a the Document Picker.

Note! To attach files to a text message your agency must be setup with the Multi-Media Service (MMS) version of our Text Messaging product. If you are not setup with this version, the Attachment icon will be grayed out.

6. You can attach PDF files or IMAGE files (.jpeg, .png, .gif) from the account's Document Library or you can upload the files from your computer.

7. Check all the files you are interested in attaching. The Document Picker will automatically keep track of the number of pages your files will create. Currently, you can text up to 10 pages per message.

8. Once you've selected all of the files, click the Import button.

9. All attachments will appear under the Message box.

10. Once the text message is ready, click the Send button.

Once sent the text message (including attachments) will be added to both the Conversation Pane and the Activity tab for errors and omissions records. Any received text messages that are connected to this account will also be recorded in these places.

Receiving a Text & Automated Replies

By default, every user in the agency receives a Workspace Notification for every incoming text message. From the notification, you can navigate to that customer's account or reply to the text message. This is really useful so you do not need to move away from what you are currently working on to continue communicating with your customer.

A Text Messaging Admin can change the Text Notification Rules to designate specific users to receive these notifications instead of every user in the agency if desired.

Did you know? For all received text messages, the customer's Assigned To Agent will receive an email about the text along with the Workspace Notification.This email notification preference cannot be modified by the Text Messaging Admin at this time.

An automated reply is sent for the first incoming text from the customer during every 6-month period. By default, the automated reply states: "Thank you, we will respond as soon as possible. No coverage is bound until specifically confirmed. Please note that multimedia messages are not supported."

If someone calls the text number, they receive an automated voice reply. By default, the automated reply states: "This number only accepts texts. Please call our main office number directly."

A Text Message Admin can customize both of these automated replies under the Text Messaging Settings. They can also enable the EZLynx Virtual Agent or Eva. Eva has the ability to automatically send your customers their Auto ID cards when requested so you don't have to! To learn more, see: EZLynx Virtual Agent (Eva)

Unresolved Text Messages

To avoid confusion our system will not assign a text message to a customer's account unless it is 100% sure which account it belongs to. When an incoming text is from a number that does not match to any customer account, the text is designated as Unresolved. This could also happen if the phone number matches the phone number for multiple customer accounts. To provide excellent service, it is important for you to work unresolved text messages regularly.

By default, any time an unresolved text message is received every user in the agency is notified via Workspace Notification. The Text Message Admin can change the Unresolved Notification Rules to designate specific users to receive these notifications instead of every user if desired.

1. To work unresolved text messages, hover over the Communication Center icon.

2. Click Calls and Messages under Voice & Text.

3. Then click the Unresolved tab.

The best practice to resolve an Unresolved Text Message is to identify (if possible) who the text message is from and associate the text with the correct customer account.

If you aren't sure who the customer is you can reply to the text by clicking the More Actions button and then the Send Text option.

Once you know who the customer is you can assign the text message to the applicant by clicking the More Actions button and then the Assign to Applicant option.

Type the customer's name in the Search Applicants field. The results from the search will appear below. Click on the applicant that the text belongs to and it will automatically assign the text to that applicant.

Once the text has been assigned to the correct customer account, it will appear in the Text Message Conversation Pane and the Activity tab just like normal.