Start a Messaging Session with a Customer on the Mobile App

There are times when you need to reach a customer first, whether it is an appointment reminder, a service notification, or an outbound marketing message. From the Cloud Voice App on your mobile device, you can begin an outbound conversation without waiting for the customer to contact you.

Note

Sessions you start yourself are limited to the SMS (Short Message Service, plain text messages sent to a phone number) channel. You cannot proactively open a conversation over other messaging channels.

Caution

Before you send an outbound message, especially a marketing one, make sure you have the recipient’s consent and that you honor any opt-out request. Unsolicited messaging can breach carrier rules and messaging regulations, which can get your channel number blocked.

Before you begin

Confirm the following so the SMS option is available to you.

PBX server: The PBX (Private Branch Exchange, the phone system that routes your organization’s calls and messages) is managed by your administrator. Check with them that the platform is running version 84.23.0.24 or later and that at least one messaging channel has been configured.

Cloud Voice App: Update the mobile app to a supported release:

• iOS: version 5.25.15 or later
• Android: version 5.25.14 or later

Start the session

1. In the Cloud Voice App, open Chat and switch to the External Chat tab.
2. Tap the add icon in the top-right corner.
3. Choose Create SMS Session from the menu that appears.
4. Set the two ends of the conversation: a. Under Sender, pick the channel number the message will be sent from. This list shows the messaging channels your administrator set up on the platform. b. Under Recipient, choose the country or region code, then type the customer’s number.
5. Tap Create in the top-right corner.

Caution

Pick the country or region code that matches the customer’s actual number. A wrong or missing code sends the message to the wrong place or causes it to fail.

Note

If a conversation with the same sender and recipient is already open, and the channel permits duplicate sessions, you will be asked to confirm. Tap OK to continue. Rather than starting over, you are handed the existing session with its full message history intact.

What happens next

The conversation is ready, and you can start typing messages in the chat window.

Tip

A brand-new session stays hidden from the External Chat list until you send its first message.