The Messages inbox

What this does

Sales → Messages lists every customer conversation, newest first, with unread ones marked. Open one to see the thread across both channels, reply, or start a new message to any customer.

Before you start

messages.send: every counter role. Technicians can't message customers.

Steps

Reply. Open the conversation, type in the box, choose SMS or Email if the customer has both, send. The thread shows Delivered once the carrier confirms, or a failure if it bounced.

New conversation. Choose new, search the customer ("Search by name, company, or phone…"), pick the channel, write or insert a template, send. If they have no phone or email on file, the app says so; add it on the customer first.

Templates. The template picker inserts a Communications template with its variables already filled from the customer and their latest job. Edit before sending.

Mark read. Opening a conversation marks it read and clears it from the writer dashboard's Message queue.

Analytics. Messages → Analytics counts sent, delivered, and failed by channel for the period; use it to spot a Twilio problem before customers do.

Common problems

"No SMS consent on file." Record consent on the customer or have them text START. See SMS consent.

"Customer has no phone on file." Add it. Same for email.

A reply came in from a number that isn't on any customer. It shows in the inbox unattached. Find the customer and add the number to their record so the next one lands correctly.