AgencyRoot offers the ability to send and receive SMS / Text messages to customers, both individually and as a batch (“bulk SMS”). Agencies have two options for sending text messages:
Overview
Included With Your AgencyRoot Account:
Single texts may be sent to customers from an AgencyRoot default phone number (see pricing below)
Responses will not be received by the agency
Adding a Dedicated Phone Line Option
By purchasing one or more dedicated phone lines for your agency, you can send text messages as a batch to multiple customers, and receive customer responses directly into your AgencyRoot account.
Getting Set Up
Purchasing a Dedicated Phone Line
You now have the option to purchase a Dedicated Phone Line for your agency, individual agents, or teams. This dedicated phone line gives you the opportunity to text from a specific, recognizable phone number rather than the default AgencyRoot text line.
Having this Dedicated Phone line also allows your recipient to reply to your Bulk or Single Send SMS / Texts.
Your agency can purchase as many phone lines as you need. Please refer to Pricing & Guidelines for more information
Navigate to your Agency Admin Dashboard and select SMS Management under General.
Select the Green Add button to add your first or additional Dedicated Phone line(s).
Give your Phone Number a Name/Alias you can use to refer to later.
Ex: Travis' Text Line, AgencyRoot Text Number, or PRF Team Phone
Provide the Preferred Area Code for your Dedicated Line & select Search.
Select your desired, Dedicated Phone line & select Purchase.
Your new line is now ready to be managed and used.
Managing your Agent Access to the Dedicated Phone Line
Your agency can add as many users to the Dedicated Phone Line as needed. Each will have access to send, reply, and review texts that are sent/received from that line to customers.
Example: The Primary Agent 1 & the two underwriters that help the agent are grouped on one dedicated phone line. If your organization has multiple Primary Agents - Primary Agent 2 would get their own dedicated phone line & the same two underwriters could also be added to that line.
On the SMS Management page find the Dedicated Phone line Alias you are looking to manage and select the 3Dot Action button under Actions.
Select Manage Agent Access.
Select the Agents drop-down menu and select all the Users that will have access to the dedicated phone line.
Minimize the drop-down box *by clicking anywhere above the drop-down box & Select Save.
Your line is now ready to use by those users.
Sending & Receiving
Sending a Bulk SMS / Text Message
Requires dedicated phone line
Requires contacts to have a primary mobile phone set on their contact account
Customers may be texted without approval by you. They have consented to communications through their business transaction with you. Prospects should provide you written consent to send them text messages.
Navigate to your Contacts Dashboard.
Select any appropriate filters to adjust your list from all Contact, Prospects, Customers, to just the group you wish to send the Bulk SMS / Text Message to.
This is a great example of how Segments work. If I wanted to send a Bulk SMS / Text message to just my PRF Customers; I could select the Status Filter = Customers & the Segments Filter = PRF.
Please refer to the Segments portion of the Contacts User Guide Page.
Once your Contact List contains who will be receiving the Bulk SMS / Text Message Select the “Send Bulk SMS” option under BATCH ACTIONS
Confirm the Agency Phone Line you will be using to send the Bulk SMS / Text Message from.
If you only have access to one line - only that one line will appear.
If you have access to multiple lines - use the drop-down to select the appropriate line.
Key in your Message in the message box.
Please note one text message = 160 characters. See the pricing section for details on messages longer than 160 characters.
Confirm the recipients of your text message by checking or unchecking the Selected Box
Select Send to send your Bulk SMS / Text Message to the selected contacts.
Select Close if you do not wish to send the Bulk SMS / Text message
Sending a Single SMS / Text Message
Single text messages can also be sent directly from the communications tab of the contact’s page.
Please note you do not have to purchase a Dedicated Phone line to send Single Texts messages using the AgencyRoot Default Phone Line, however, you will not receive replies.
Navigate to your Contact & Select their Communications tab
Select the Green “Add” button
Select the Text icon & the Button for “Send text from AgencyRoot ($0.10)”
You can choose to send the Text from your new Dedicated Phone Line or the AgencyRoot Default.
Please note if you choose the Dedicated Phone Line your recipient can reply. If you choose the Default they cannot.
Please note that if you select a Dedicated Phone Line you’ve purchased your individual text messages are included up to 200 messages in a month. You will only be charged the $0.10 if you go over your 200 messages/month or send them from AgencyRoot Default.
Select the button for the Phone Line you will be sending to:
Type in your Message into the Text Message: Box
Select Send Text or Send Text & Follow up (Follow-up will open a task after the message is sent)
Viewing a recently Sent Bulk SMS / Text Message or Single SMS / Text Message
You can see all the Bulk SMS / Text Messages or Single Sends you or another user sends on the Contact’s Communications tab.
Receiving a reply from a recipient of a Bulk SMS / Text Message or a Single SMS / Text Message
You must send a text message to a customer before receiving replies. Customers texting from new numbers will not be recognized in your account.
If you send a text message (either Bulk SMS or Single Send) using your Dedicated Phone Line your recipient has the opportunity to reply directly to you from their phone. This reply will be automatically captured in AgencyRoot on your contact page as well as generate an email notifying you of the reply.
You will get an email notification that a recipient sent back a reply that will include a link back to the system.
Select Log In and you will be brought to the AgencyRoot Platform.
You will also see the recipient’s response on the Communication Feed as well as the Contact’s Communication tab.
Pricing & Guidelines
Texting from AgencyRoot Generic Line
Price: $0.10 (10 cents) per text
1 text means up to 160 characters
Any additional characters will incur extra text expense per 160 characters. e.g. a 200 character text counts as 2 messages ($0.20).
Dedicated Lines
Price: $10 Per Month / Per Dedicated Phone Line
You are not charged for each additional user that has access to the line.
Includes 200 Text Messages Per Month
Any additional Text Messages will be charged at $0.10 per Text
Text can include up to 160 characters
Any additional characters will incur extra text expense per 160 characters. e.g. a 200 character text counts as 2 messages (2 towards your 200 allocations, or $0.20 if your allocation has been exceeded for the month)
Example Bulk Text:
A text is sent to 40 customers. The text is 200 characters in length. Since the text is over 160 characters, each text counts as 2. The account is charged for 80 texts (either against the 200-text monthly allocation, or $8.00 if the 200 messages for the month have already been exceeded).