A useful feature within the Cloud POS platform is the ability to communicate with your customers via SMS/text.
This functionality allows you to have a two-way conversation with the customer. For example, if you need them to say ‘ok’ to replacement parts for a Workshop Job, or to confirm when they plan to collect something you've ordered for them.
To make use of the two-way SMS/text feature, the number you'll be sending from needs to be registered for use with the service. Our Support Team can take care of this setup for you.
Here, we explain how the functionality works in the Point of Sale.
Setting up the 2-way SMS / text functionality
If you would like to start using this functionality for the first time, just reach out to the Citrus-Lime Support Team, and they will be happy to sort out the setup for you. Please note that the sending number for two-way SMS/text messages will not be your store number — it is a separate number that is registered and managed for you by Citrus-Lime.
Sending messages from the Point of Sale
When you set a customer in the Point of Sale, you'll see a button in the transaction summary panel to open the Customer Communications:
When you click this button, a panel will appear on the right of the screen, into which you can type your message. You can also attach images, if needed, which will be converted into a link for your customer to follow.
Hit the Send icon once you're ready:
Additionally, a record of this is saved to the Messages and Communications section of the customer's account in the Cloud POS Back Office:
Receiving and reading replies
When a customer responds to an SMS/text, you'll see a notification icon appear in the transaction summary panel:
Clicking on the icon will open a panel which shows any unread messages you've received:
Click on the message you wish to view. This will expand the conversation and set the customer.
The customer's reply will show in bold text with a blue background and will have the status ‘Unread’, until you click on the body of the message, at which point it will change to regular text, a grey background and ‘Read’:
If you wish to change the message back to Unread, click again on the body of the message. You can change between these two statuses as often as you need so, for example, if you read a message and need to come back to it again later, you could mark it as Unread and the notification icon will continue to appear in the Point of Sale.
When you have no Unread messages from any customers, the message notification icon will not display.
As with your outbound messages, a record of any inbound messages (replies from your customer) will be saved to the Messages and Communications section of the customer's record in the Cloud POS Back Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sending number for my SMS/text messages?
The sending number is set in the Back Office under ‘Setup’ > ‘Configuration’. This is set for you by the Citrus-Lime Support Team and cannot be changed, otherwise your 2-way SMS/text functionality will not work. This is the number that your customers will see as the sending number when they receive your messages. They cannot ring this number, as it isn't linked to your store. If you are using templates for your SMS/text messages, you might want to include the store phone number in that template, in case the customer would prefer to call you back.
Can I set up templates for my SMS/text messages?
Yes. This can speed up customer communications, especially for standard messages such as ‘your order is ready to collect’. You can find further guidance on creating templates in this article: How do I create Communication Templates?
