Can't receive outbound text messagesLast updated on 05/12/2023

Check whether or not the customer notification setup is correct.

To do that:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Settings.

2. Go to Customer Communications > Customer Notifications.

3. Click the customer notification in question.

   Make sure:

   • Text notifications are enabled.

   • The message template does not have short links, for example bit.ly. Texts with URL shortener links are likely to be flagged as spam by mobile carriers.

   • The message template doesn't exceed 1500 characters.

4. Go to the Settings tab and check the Arrival Window, Exclusion Settings, Booking Confirmation Checkbox Mode sections to understand whether or not these settings are the reason that the user didn’t receive the notification.

Trigger words, for example, stop or cancel, automatically opt the recipient out from that tracking number. To check whether or not accidental opt-out is the reason that the user didn’t receive text messages:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Search.

2. From the Search dropdown, select SMS.

3. In the From field, enter the recipient’s number.

4. In the Message field, enter the word stop. Note:  You can also search for the word cancel.

5. Run the search.

Another way to check whether or not accidental opt-out is the reason that the user didn’t receive text messages is the following:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Search.

2. From the Search dropdown, select SMS.

3. In the To field, enter the recipient’s number.

4. In the Message field, enter You successfully opted out.

5. Run the search.

6. If there’s the You successfully opted out text in the Search results, this indicates the user texted a stop trigger to opt-out of receiving texts from the company’s number. To opt back in to receive texts from the company’s tracking number, have the recipient text back an opt-in trigger such as start, restart, or enroll to the same tracking number.

Landline phone numbers can’t receive text messages, but sometimes companies save landline phone numbers instead of mobile numbers for the customer contact. Use an online phone validator to check whether or not the recipient’s number is a landline number.

To do that:

1. Go to https://www.phonevalidator.com/.

2. Enter the customer’s number.

3. Select I’m not a robot.

4. Click Search.

5. On the Results page, check the Phone Line Type field.

If the Phone Line Type is Landline, that means the phone number cannot receive text messages.

If you want to send text messages to this customer, you should change the landline number to a mobile number in the Customer or Location profile.

If no outbound texts have been sent since successfully registering for texting with The Campaign Registry (TCR), check if there are any tracking numbers in the ServiceTitan Phone Number Settings.

Prior to the new TCR regulations, companies were able to send outbound texts from their ServiceTitan even if they had zero tracking numbers in their account. However, the new TCR regulations have made that option obsolete. This means companies will need to have at least one tracking number in ServiceTitan that’s set as their Outbound SMS before they can send outbound texts.

1. Go to Settings > Your Account > Register for Texting and confirm that the texting registration is complete - there’ll be a green Your business completed the registration process! message on the Register to Enable Text Messaging page.

2. Next, go to Settings > Phones > Phone Numbers to view the tracking number page. 

3. If there are no tracking numbers on the Phone Numbers Settings page, then either create a new tracking number and set it as the Outbound SMS, or port an existing number into their ServiceTitan account. See Port existing phone numbers for more information on the porting process.

4. If there are already tracking numbers on the Phone Numbers Settings page, move on to the next troubleshooting section.

Check whether or not your company’s phone numbers are set up correctly.

To do that:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Settings.

2. Go to Phones > Phone Numbers.

3. Check both the Outbound SMS and Outbound MMS numbers in the Phone Number list.

4. Check the Toll-Free column for both numbers.

   Note: The Outbound SMS number can be either Toll-Free or Local, but the Outbound MMS number should be Local because MMS messages contain media, for example, the technician’s photos.

If the Outbound MMS number is a Toll-Free, you should change it to a Local Number.

To do that:

1. In the Outbound MMS field, enter a proper local tracking number.

2. When you’re done, click Save.

Note:  If the above troubleshooting workflows don’t solve the issue and the issue affects all outbound texts, you can change the Outbound SMS and Outbound MMS numbers to another unused tracking number, or create a new one as a temporary solution. Reach out to the Support Team to investigate and potentially remove any spam blocks on your original Outbound SMS number.

To change the Outbound SMS and Outbound MMS numbers to another unused tracking number:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Settings.

2. Go to Phones > Phone Numbers.

3. Click the Outbound SMS and Outbound MMS fields.

4. Enter a tracking number that is not used.

5. When you’re done, click Save.

To to create a new tracking number:

1. In ServiceTitan, go to the navigation bar and click Settings.

2. Go to Phones > Phone Numbers.

3. In the Phone Numbers page, click Add New Number.

4. Select the criteria:

   • Local Number

   • Toll-Free Number

5. Enter the number.

6. Click Search Numbers.

7. Select the number that you want.

8. Click Choose Number.

9. Enter the newly created number in the Outbound SMS and Outbound MMS fields and save changes.