Mandatory Workflow Change
This change will automatically apply to all customers who have this feature enabled at the time of this release. Review the changes below.
Get ready to answer texts in Messages
Texting in Messages is a new feature coming to Max and Demand companies in the next release, so your team can read and answer texts in one shared inbox with each conversation tied to the right account. This change is coming soon in a future release, but you can begin preparing for it now.
Available inMax
Feature type
Coming Soon
Industry
All business types
Roles
CSRs
Region
United StatesCanada
What's new
Today, texts come in on the Chat screen, separate from the rest of your team's work, and there is no shared view of who has read or answered a conversation. In the next release, texting moves into Messages. Your team works from one list of incoming and outgoing texts, sees the person's name on each conversation, and shares read status, so the moment one person opens a text, everyone can see it has been handled. You start a new text from an existing account, location, or job, and incoming picture messages display right in the conversation.
Workflow comparison — before & after
← Before
✓ After
1.A customer texts your business number asking about an appointment.
1.A customer texts your business number asking about an appointment.
2.A customer service representative (CSR) opens the Chat screen to find the text.
2.The CSR opens Messages and sees the conversation in the shared list with the customer's name already on it.
3.The CSR looks up the account separately to see who is texting.
3.The CSR opens the conversation, and it shows as read for the whole team.
4.The CSR replies, but nobody else on the team can tell the text was handled.
4.The CSR replies from the same screen, and the conversation stays tied to the right account.
5.When the conversation is done, the CSR closes it so the list shows only open texts.
⚠ Texts sit apart from the rest of your team's work, and two CSRs can answer the same text or nobody answers it.
✓ Every text lands in one shared list tied to the right account, so your team answers faster and nobody doubles up.
How it works for your industry
Residential Service and Replacement
- A customer texts about a furnace that will not start. The customer service representative (CSR) sees the customer's name on the conversation and replies without looking up the account first.
- A customer texts a photo of a leaking water heater. The picture displays in the conversation, so the CSR can see the problem before booking the visit.
- Two CSRs share the evening queue. When one opens a text, it shows as read for both, so they do not double reply.
Commercial Service and Replacement
- A property manager texts about a rooftop unit (RTU) that stopped cooling. The CSR opens the conversation and replies from the same screen.
- A facilities contact replies to a text the office sent last week. The conversation reopens in the list so the team sees the new reply.
- A customer service representative (CSR) needs to reach a site contact about access. The CSR starts the text from the job, so the conversation stays tied to that job.
Residential Construction
- A customer on a remodel texts to ask when the crew arrives. The customer service representative (CSR) answers from Messages without switching screens.
- A customer texts a photo of a finished cabinet install. The picture displays in the conversation for the office to review.
- After a question is answered, the CSR closes the conversation so the open list shows only texts that still need a reply.
Commercial Construction
- A general contractor texts a question about an active project. The customer service representative (CSR) opens the conversation and replies with the account already on screen.
- Several CSRs cover the same project lines. Shared read status shows which texts are already handled.
- The CSR needs to confirm a site visit time. The CSR starts the text from the location, so the conversation is tied to that site.
Roofing and Exteriors
- A customer texts after a storm asking for a roof inspection. The customer service representative (CSR) reads the thread and replies from Messages.
- A customer texts photos of missing shingles. The pictures display in the conversation, so the CSR can flag the job as urgent.
- The office filters to unread conversations after a storm, so the team answers new requests first.
How to prepare
01
This feature is not yet available, but will be generally available for all Max and Demand customers in the next release.
02
Have an administrator reach out to Support or your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to have texting in Messages and any prerequisite configurations enabled.
03
Plan for a short pause while your text history moves into Messages. Texting is unavailable until the move finishes, and recent history carries over. Older picture messages show a placeholder instead of the image.
04
Confirm the right people can see texts in Messages. There are no new permissions. Access uses your existing chat and messaging permissions.
05
Train your CSRs on the new texting workflow. New texts start from an existing account, location, or job, and outgoing picture messages are not supported yet.
06
Bookmark any knowledge base articles or Academy videos for team training.