How to start sending SMS with Voiso

Who should read this article: Administrators, Supervisors

An overview of what is needed to enable agents to send SMS from the Agent Panel.

Introduction

Small Message Service (SMS) messages are short text messages that Agents can send from the Agent Panel WebRTC Softphone to a contact's smartphone or cellphone.

This feature enables agents to send text messages as a follow-up to a call. The SMS might contain confirmation details or other relevant information that the contact needs as part of their call resolution. SMS can also include other types of useful content, such as a web link, phone number, or credentials to access account information.

Voiso SMS templates enable you to simplify the process of sending SMS. With a template, an agent does not have to write the SMS. Selecting an SMS template saves time and ensures accuracy.

Voiso enables you to include a Sender ID with every SMS. The Sender ID ensures that both the contact and the contact's telecom network recognize the source of your SMS.

Enabling SMS for your contact center

Contact your Voiso Account Manager or Sales Representative when you are ready to add the SMS feature to your contact center.

After SMS is enabled for you, the following options are added to the Administration menu in the Voiso navigation bar:

• Message templates
• Sender ID groups

If the Security Access Groups feature is enabled in your contact center, users with the Admin role or a custom role may access the Message templates and Sender ID groups pages.

Creating message templates

To create a new message template, in the Voiso navigation bar, navigate to Administration > Message templates, then follow these steps:

1. Click Add template to display the New template page.
   
2. Specify a name and the message content.
3. Click Add to specify the teams that may use the message template.
4. Select one or more channels to use the template.
5. Click Save to create the message template and make it available to members of the specified team or teams.

Creating Sender IDs

You require a Sender ID for all outgoing SMS so that the message source is recognized by your contacts and their telecom networks.

Contact your Voiso Account Manager to create your Sender IDs. After your Voiso Account Manager creates Sender IDs for your contact center, you can view them on the Sender ID groups page. In the Voiso navigation bar, navigate to Administration > Sender ID groups.

SMS Sender IDs in detail

Using Sender IDs for SMS and SMS campaigns can be tricky. Each country and telecom network has requirements and restrictions regarding businesses sending SMS or running outbound SMS campaigns.

Your Voiso Account Manager works with you to navigate the complexities of national, international, and carrier regulations. You might have to pre-register your Sender ID for vetting purposes. You may be required to provide detailed information about the contents of the SMS. Many countries restrict the types of content, including hyperlinks and marketing information, that a business may send using SMS.

Some countries restrict the number of SMS that you are allowed to send, while others provide a rating system where the number of SMS you are permitted to send increases with your rating.

Some countries require you to buy an SMS-enabled phone number to send SMS in or to that country. The number must be allowlisted–previously called whitelisted–to be registered for an outbound campaign.

Most telecom network providers allow their customers to opt in or opt out of commercial SMS messages.

Your Voiso Account Manager provides all the information you need to create the correct Sender IDs and plan your SMS messages and campaigns for any country or telecom network.

Creating Sender ID groups

After your Voiso Account Manager creates Sender IDs for your contact center, you may create Sender ID groups. Sender ID groups work similarly to the way that Caller ID groups work. You assign one or more Sender IDs to a team, and agents may select only from those Sender IDs when sending an SMS.

To create a Sender ID group, in the Voiso navigation bar, navigate to Administration > Sender ID groups, then follow these steps:

1. Click Add template to display the New template page.
   
2. Specify a name and a description.
3. Click Add to specify one or more Sender IDs to use.
4. Click Add to specify the teams that may use the Sender ID.
5. Click Save to create the Sender ID and make it available to members of the specified team or teams.

Sending an SMS

Voiso provides two ways for an agent to send an SMS to a contact: from an active call and from the call history.

From an active call

Now that you have created at least one message template and Sender ID group, agents assigned to those teams may send SMS using the template and Sender ID.

During a call, an agent may click SMS to display the New SMS panel.

The From field displays the default Sender ID for the agent's team. The agent may select a different Sender ID by clicking the From field to display a list of available Sender IDs.

The Template field displays Without template by default. If the agent does not use a template, they must compose a message in the Text SMS field.

The agent may select a template by clicking the Template field to display a list of available templates.

The agent may edit the message in the Text SMS field.

To send the message, the agent clicks Send.

From the call history

Agents can also send an SMS to a contact from their call history.

An agent may click Recents to display their recent calls.

To send an SMS from a previous interaction, an agent may click the kebab menunext to the interaction to display the interaction details.

The agent can click SMS to display the New SMS panel.

The From field displays the default Sender ID for the agent's team. The agent may select a different Sender ID by clicking the From field to display a list of available Sender IDs.

The Template field displays Without template by default. If the agent does not want to use a template, they must compose a message in the Text SMS field.

The agent may select a template by clicking the Template field to display a list of available templates.

The agent may edit the message in the Text SMS field.

To send the message, the agent clicks Send.

From the call history

To send an SMS directly to a contact, follow these steps:

1. Click Menu to display the Menu screen.
2. Click SMS to display the New SMS screen.
3. Click the To field to display the dialing panel.
4. Enter the number of the contact then click Next.
5. The From field displays the default Sender ID. To select a different Sender ID, click the From field to display a list of available Sender IDs. Select a Sender ID.
6. The Template field displays Without template by default. If you do not want to use a template, you must compose a message in the Text SMS field.
7. To select a template, click the Template field to display a list of available templates. Click a template to select it.
8. You may edit the message in the Text SMS field.
9. To send the message, click Send.

Call Detail Records for SMS

Like with voice calls and other interactions, Voiso saves information in the Call Detail Records (CDR) about the SMS interactions your agents send.

Each SMS CDR includes a unique ID and the message body along with the following details: