Using The Comms Hub – SMS/Text

The Comms Hub is a web messaging application that offers various communication tools. This article will show you how to use the SMS/Text features of the Comms Hub. You can easily navigate to a specific feature using the outline on the side of the page or read through the entire guide to familiarize yourself with all the features. For an overview of what the Comms Hub can be used for, see the Comms Hub Overview article.

The SMS/Text section enables you to exchange SMS messages with contacts using your TrueDialog phone number. This feature facilitates one-to-one communication, allowing you to both initiate and respond to messages.

1. Access the Communication Hub page by clicking Comms Hub in the left sidebar. 

New Conversation

1. To start a new conversation, click the conversation icon button.

   

2. Enter the phone number in the Phone Number textbox.
3. Click Start. If a conversation already exists for that number, it will be opened.

   

Conversation Section

The conversation section allows you to send an SMS or an MMS message to the contact and displays the conversation history. 

Send Message

1. Enter the message in the message box at the bottom of the conversation section.
   • (Optional) Click the smiley face icon to display a menu of emojis to insert into the message.
2. Click Send.

   

Messages exceeding 160 characters will be sent as multiple SMS messages. Below the message textbox is a Message count that indicates how many SMS messages are needed to send the message. Since each SMS message requires a credit to send, if the Message count is three, you will use three credits to send the message. If you need to purchase more credits, follow the instructions in the Purchasing More Credits article.

Attach Image to Message

You can attach media files in the following file formats:

File Type	Supported Extensions
Image	.jpg | .jpeg | .jfif | .png
GIF	.gif
vCard	.vcf
Video	.mpeg | .mpg | .mpe | .m1v | .m2v | .mp4 | mp4v
PDF	.pdf
Document	.doc | .docx
Text	.txt | .text
Audio	.wav | .mp2 | .mp3

1. Click Attach and select Upload new. (Alternately) Select Use existing if you want to attach a file you have already uploaded.

   

2. Drag and drop a file into the window or click Browse to select a file.
3. Wait for the file to upload, and then click Ok.

   

4. The attached file will be displayed next to the message.
   • (Optional) Write a message to send along with the file.
5. Click Send.

   

Contact Options Menu

The Contact Options menu provides options for managing the contact of this conversation. The options are explained below.

Set Tag

A tag can be used to manage contacts in various ways, such as assigning clients to team members or displaying short notes about a client. Tags are searchable and are displayed next to the contact’s name.

1. Click the gear icon to open the Contact Options menu.
2. Click Set Tag.
3. Enter the tag for this contact in the Tags textbox. Note: A contact can only have one tag.
4. Click Save.

   

Assign

Specific accounts can be assigned as the primary point of communication for the contact. When a contact is assigned to your account, it will show up in the Mine list of the Chat tab.

1. Click the gear icon to open the Contact Options menu.
2. Click Assign.
3. Click the Account dropdown and select the account to assign the contact to.
4. Click Assign.

   

View Profile

1. Click the gear icon to open the Contact Options menu.
2. Click View Profile.

   

Update Contact

1. Click the gear icon to open the Contact Options menu.
2. Click Update Contact.
3. Update the desired information.
4. Click Save.

   

Conversation Options Menu

The Conversation Options menu provides control of the conversation.

AI Assistant

The AI Assistant is an advanced tool that reads messages received in the Comms Hub and suggests replies. It enables your agents to respond to various client queries quickly. For more information about the capabilities of the AI Assistant and how to get started using it, see the Using The Comms Hub – AI Assistant article.

Sidebar

The Comms Hub sidebar allows you to select the conversation to display in the Conversation Section as well as manage the contacts. The features of the SMS/Text sidebar are explained below.

Chat Tab

The chat tab allows you to easily manage your contacts with activity in the last 60 days. Selecting a contact will display their conversation history in the Conversation section. The features of this section are explained below.

Assignment Tabs

The contacts are grouped based on who they are assigned to.

Search

You can search through all the active contacts and display the results in real time as you type. The search results are shown in the contacts section below. The search will look for the search string in multiple fields, including first name, phone number, and contents of the last message.

Unread Message

The small green dot indicates unread messages. It is displayed on both the Assignment Tab and the specific contact.

Contact Menu

Right-click a contact to bring up an options menu for the contact.

Name/Cell Toggle

This toggle switches each contact’s displayed title between their full name (Name) or phone number (Cell). 

Contacts Tab

This section lists all contacts for the account and allows you to search for and manage the contacts.

Search

The search feature will scan through all the contacts for the search string and display the results in real time as you type. You can find the results in the contacts section below. The By: dropdown allows you to select what contact field your search is performed in.

By default, the Basic search is selected, which includes the following fields: first name, last name, and phone number.

Contact Options

Each contact has three buttons on the right:

Opted-Out Contacts

Any contacts highlighted in red have opted out of receiving mass text messages.