SMS Text Messaging. Guide & User Instructions Revised. America s Largest Message Notification Provider

Transcription

1 SMS Text Messaging Guide & User Instructions Revised 07/ Grant Street Troy Ohio onecallnow.com America s Largest Message Notification Provider Copyright One Call Now, LLC. All rights reserved. One Call Now is a registered trademark of MyTeam1, LLC.

2 Contents... 1 Introduction... 3 Opting In... 4 Opting Out... 4 Sending an Opt-In Request (Domestic mobile phones)... 5 Text Message Introduction... 8 Sending Your SMS Text Message-Using your Roster... 9 Sending Your SMS Text Message-Using Canned or Scenario Call

3 Introduction Short Message Service (SMS) is an optional feature on several One Call Now Service Plans. SMS is a textmessaging component of web or mobile communication systems, which allows the exchange of short text messages between mobile phone devices. Because of the potentially high cost of receiving text messages, mobile phone service providers require that phone owners manually opt in and have a means to opt out of receiving these messages. That is, they must take a deliberate action that confirms they will accept text messages from a third party service such as One Call Now. While text messages can typically be up to 160 characters in length, One Call Now reserves 30 characters to provide this required opt-out clause allowing recipients to stop receiving messages at any time. In order to receive SMS texts, SMS capable phones must be marked as such in the Roster. To identify messages as coming from your Group, you can create a default SMS Text Introduction. This default setting is found under Message Options. Please consider that standard text messaging rates apply to your members for all texts they receive. Not all Service Plans include SMS text messaging. International SMS text messages is available as an optional feature. Read more about SMS text messaging and opting in. 3

4 Opting In Cell phone service providers require that text message recipients agree to receive text messages from third parties, such as One Call Now. Therefore, your group members must opt in before you can deliver a text message to them. To opt in, your members must send a text message: Domestic US mobile phones will text the word ALERT to 22300, the One Call Now s SMS identification number, also called a short code. Canada, Puerto Rico, and US Territories will text the word RESUME to All other countries will text the word RESUME to For domestic, US mobile phones, One Call Now has a prerecorded message with opt-in instructions that can be delivered to those phone numbers within your Roster that are identified as being cell phones. Please see the Send Opt-in Call section for more information and instructions. The Opt-In Tool is found on the Group Leader menu, under the Manage Group link. The Text Opt-in Call displays the phone numbers in your Roster that are likely to be mobile phones. This list may not include all cell phones in your Roster. In the past, the telephone number s exchange (the three digits after the area code) indicated if a phone number was a wired landline phone number or a cell phone number. Recently however, some carriers allow the owner of a phone number to port (or transfer) the number to a landline from a cell number and vice-versa. As a result, some phone numbers will not be immediately identifiable by the One Call Now system as cell phones. Of course, you are not required to use the prerecorded message. You may send your own voice or message to your members instructing them to send the text message ALERT to the appropriate number based upon their mobile phone number. Opting Out Group members may opt out of receiving text messages from One Call Now by sending a text message with the word STOP to: Domestic US mobile phones will text the word STOP to 22300, the One Call Now s SMS identification number, also called a short code. Canada, Puerto Rico, and US Territories will text the word STOP to All other countries will text the word STOP to Group members who have opted out of receiving text messages will no longer receive text messages. After opting out, members may opt back in at any time by opting in again. 4

5 The Edit Group member window for each Group member includes a Send Text Message check box. Uncheck this box to disable text messaging to a member. This may be helpful if a member wishes to opt out of receiving text messages temporarily. See the Roster Maintenance Guide for more information. Sending an Opt-In Request (Domestic mobile phones) Group members must opt in to receive text messages. You may choose to send a prerecorded message to your members using the Text Opt-In Tool. You can send a prerecorded message to those phone numbers in your Roster that the system has identified as cell phones. The message tells your members to text the word ALERT to To use the Text Opt-In Tool, from the Group Leader menu: 1. Click Manage Group then Text Opt-in Call. 2. Please read the instructions and information at the top of the screen. 3. The table displays the Group members and corresponding phone numbers that our system identified as cell phones based on the area code and exchange. If you initiate the call, these members will receive the prerecorded message instructing them how to opt in to receive text messages. This list should show those phone numbers that can receive the opt-in message, meaning those phone numbers have never received the opt-in message or did not respond with either an ALERT or STOP text message to Member Name and Phone Number are as listed in the Roster. Status and Description will usually show Not Contacted and New phone or opt in message never sent, or Contacted and SMS offer sent. Other statuses usually cannot receive the opt-in message. 5

6 To edit this list click the Edit Phones to Contact button at the bottom of the screen. Phone numbers must already exist in the Roster. The default view will include New/Not Contacted and previously Contacted phone numbers. New/Not Contacted phone numbers have not received the prerecorded opt-in instruction message. Contacted Phone numbers can include members who have opted in, opted out, or not responded at all. If the system missed a known cell phone number, change Display Phone Numbers to All Phones. Check the box next to any phone numbers that need to be marked as cell phones. To resend the opt-in message to a previously contacted phone number who neither opted in nor opted out, check the box in the Send Opt-in Message column to the left of the member s name. To exclude members from receiving this prerecorded message, uncheck the box in the Potential Cell Phone column to the right of the phone number. Click the Save button. 6

7 You may also easily review the SMS text message status and description of all members. To view the phone numbers of members who have opted out of receiving text messages, check the Opted Out box. To view the opted-in phone numbers, check the Opted In box. Click the Cancel button unless you have changed the status of any phone numbers as described. 4. Click the Initiate Opt-in Phone Call button to schedule a message that will play the prerecorded message with opt-in instructions. 5. Select the delivery date for your message by typing a date in the date box or by clicking the calendar icon. 6. Select the time deliveries should begin. a. The default display is your Call Delivery Hours. You can change from the defaults by typing in the Start Hour and End Hour boxes or by clicking the clock icon message delivery.. Allow at least one hour for b. Check the Continue next day box if the system should retry any phone numbers that were not answered on the first day. Attempts will begin at the Start Hour. 7. Click the Call Now button. 8. On the next page, Search Message Reports, you can review your Message Report for the Text Opt-in Phone Call. 7

8 Text Message Introduction SMS text messages can include a short introduction. You may use up to 40 characters for this introduction. From the Group Leader menu: 1. Click Settings, and then Message Options. 2. The text message options are at the bottom of this page. Enter the text that should appear at the beginning of every text message in the box labeled Text Message Introduction. This introduction is editable anytime you wish to send a text message. 3. Click the Save button. 8

9 Sending Your SMS Text Message-Using your Roster 1. From the Group Leader menu, click Messaging, and then Send a Message. 2. Depending on your service plan, you may be prompted to select a message type. Informational - Standard messages not related to an emergency delivered using your Standard Call Delivery Settings (sent to Main Contact/Primary Numbers). Priority* - Urgent or critical messages that need to reach all members immediately (sent to all phones in the calling list) NOTE: Not all service plans include these options. If your service plan does not include these features, you will not see this screen. Typically, messages are sent to members in the Roster. If the Canned Call feature is included in your plan, you are also able to send messages to members not in your Roster via an uploaded file. 3. Select the Source of Contact Information: The Canned Call feature allows you to deliver personalized, prerecorded messages to a list of phone numbers that do not have to be in your Roster, such as registered voters, potential customers, a list of invitees to a special event, or any list of phone numbers to which you do not regularly send messages. Canned Call is available to prepaid service plans where a block of deliveries has been purchased. 9

10 Message Selection Depending upon the features included in your Service Plan, you may have one or all of these options. NOTE: SMS Text messages can be sent via web service or One Call Now mobile app. SMS Text messages are delivered to text-enabled mobile phones. 4. Adjust your message introduction, if necessary, then type your message in the message box. Your SMS Text message can be a total of 160 characters (up to 40 of these characters can be in the introduction). The Message Introduction is optional. 5. Click the Next button. 10

11 If you have at least one Subgroup created in your Roster, you will be prompted to choose which Subgroup(s) should receive your message. 6. Enter a Message Code (maximum of 8 digits) and a Message Name. A description box is included to enter more information about your message for future reference. The message will be saved for future use in Saved Messages. More information on Saved Messages is available at the One Call Now Help & Support Center. 11

12 7. To save your message only, choose the Save Only button. To save this message and send it, click the Save and Send button. Sending Your SMS Text Message-Using Canned or Scenario Call Canned and Scenario Call messages can be used to send automated, personalized messages to your members (lunch balance reminders, attendance reminders, past due notices, maintenance reminders, etc.) Scenario Call messages can be used to send automated, personalized messages to your Roster members. Examples might be past due notices, lunch balance reminders, attendance reminders, or maintenance reminders. Despite the name, Canned Call messages can be sent via phone, SMS Text, , or a combination of all three! If your account includes the Scenario or Canned Call tools, you can create messages by following these steps. From the Group Leader menu: 1. Click on Messaging. 2. Click Send a Message. 3. Under the Type of Message, choose the type of message you want to send - the options available will depend upon your Service Plan. 4. To send to members that are NOT in your Roster, select Canned Call, to send messages to members that are in your Roster (and your file contains the External ID#), choose Scenario Call. 12

13 5. Click the Next button. 6. Depending on the features in your plan, you may see one or all of the delivery methods (phone, , SMS Text) for sending out messages to your members. 8. Click the Select button to browse to the file containing your contact information. 13

14 After you have selected and opened your file, the following screen appears, allowing you to verify the correct file has been chosen: 9. After you have verified the file is correct, click the Next button. 10. Select when you want to send your message, valid choices include: a. Start the day when the call list file is uploaded choosing this option along with saving the message (see next step) allows you to send the message on the day you upload your call list file. b. Start on the day following day the call list file is uploaded choosing this option along with saving the message (see next step) allows you to send the message on the day AFTER you upload your call list file. c. Start on a Specific Date Enter the date on which you want your message to be sent. d. Start on Day of Week Allows you to select one or more days of the week to send out your message. 14

15 7. The call delivery hours are defaulted based on your Message Options settings, they can be overridden at this time: 8. If you wish to save your message for future delivery, click the checkbox next to I would like to save this message for future use. 15