Progress Messages
Progress messages are short simple messages to your client that can be sent by SMS or Email.
SMS messages are sent to your client's mobile phone and are therefore best kept short. Progress message emails are sent as a plain message immediately and thus will not have your email signature attached. For these reason they are best used, again, for short simple messaging such as 'we have exchanged on your purchase' or 'searches have been received'.
Firms find that keeping it too simple may cause more phone calls, for example "Searches have been received" may generate a call from the client asking "whats next?" So perhaps "Your property searches have now been received, we will now review these and report to you in the next [X] days"
For progress messages to work the matter must have a valid mobile number and / or email set against the client and for it to be flagged to send text and / or emails
There are two ways to send a progress message: either manually from your Document screen (SMS only), or as a triggered action on a task.
Send from Document screen (Manual)
Ad-hoc SMS text messages can be sent from the Document screen by selecting 'New SMS' from the button options
You may have a limit set as to how many manual SMS messages you can send per case. Your Business Consultant can discuss the set up with you if desired
From the New SMS dialogue window you can select your client in the Recipient drop down. If there is more than one client and you wish to message each then you cannot select them all at the same time; you will need to send a separate message to the other desired contact(s). If there is a mobile number associated with that client it will auto-populate into the relevant box.
Type your message and press the Send button when ready. The message will be sent and added to the document screen.
For manually sent SMS messages there is a character limit of 160 beyond which you cannot type further
Send from Task Trigger
An administrator can set progress message task triggers. Instructions in this article
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