In this article, you'll learn how to text a customer from the page you're already working on. You don't have to go to Conversations first. The customer's thread slides in from the side, you send your message, and you're right back where you were.
Texts go out from your business number, never your own phone, and the customer's reply lands in the same conversation.
Where you'll find the text button
- Client page: the Messages icon next to the customer's phone number. On the web, the History button on the right edge opens the same thread.
- Job page: on the Details tab, the Text icon next to the customer's phone number. It's there on the web and in the app.
- Schedule and job map (web): click a job, then the Text icon beside the customer's phone number in the popup.
- Clients list (phone): swipe a customer's row to the right and tap Text. This works in the app and in a phone browser.
Text from a job or client page
This opens the customer's whole conversation, with your texts, emails and calls in one place.
To text a customer from their page:
- Open the job or the client.
- Click the Messages icon next to their phone number. On a job it's labelled Text.
- The conversation slides in from the right. Type in the box at the bottom, where it says Type your text.
- Click the send arrow. On a computer, pressing Enter also sends, and Shift+Enter starts a new line. On a phone, Enter just starts a new line.
When you're done, click the arrow at the top left of the panel. On the web you can also press Esc or click anywhere outside the panel. You're back on the job or client page, right where you left off.
Add a photo or a saved message
Click + next to the message box:
- Camera takes a photo and attaches it.
- Photos and videos lets you pick files to send.
- Quick reply drops one of your saved messages into the box.
On the web you can also drag a file onto the conversation and drop it when you see Drop to attach. You can attach up to five photos or videos at a time. On a computer, attachments only go out with a text, so the Camera and Photos and videos rows grey out when you're replying by email.
Reply by email or Facebook instead
If the customer can be reached more than one way, you can pick how your reply goes out. On a computer, click the round button at the left of the message box and choose Message, Email or Facebook message. On a phone, the same choices sit at the top of the + menu, where the text option reads Text. Pick Email and a Subject box appears above the message.
Mark it read or unread
Opening the thread doesn't mark it read. Click the envelope at the top of the panel to switch it between Mark as read and Mark as unread.
Send a quick text from the schedule
On the web, the schedule and the job map give you a smaller Send message panel. It's for a quick one-off text and doesn't show the conversation history.
To send a quick text from the schedule:
- In the menu, click Schedule.
- Click a job to open its popup.
- Click the Text icon next to the customer's phone number.
- Check the Phone number, then type in Message. Click Quick reply if you want one of your saved messages.
- Click Send text.
On a phone-sized browser window, open a job's menu on the schedule and tap Message followed by the customer's name. You get a short sheet headed Message and their name, with a note that it's sent from your business number, a box to type in, and Send.
The text still shows up in that customer's conversation, like any other.