SMS - Two-Way Texting: How it Works and FAQs
What is SMS: Two-Way Texting
Liscio SMS offers the client convenience and rapid response texting does, but will keep it in Liscio for easier firm-side management and visibility, further strengthening our general communication platform/all in one place messaging. Here are some of the ways this can aid you in your business:
- Get off your personal phone - to save your sanity, and for compliance
- visibility across the firm to text conversations
- quick, convenient responses from your clients
- get an answer from your clients, even if they aren’t active in Liscio or on email
- all communication in one place
- get the full picture of communication with a client on their timeline
How does SMS: Two-Way Texting work?
Once your firm has enabled SMS: Two-Way Texting, any firm employee will have the ability to activate a line. That line will have a provisioned number which can be used to communicate with clients. You text the clients through the SMS page in Liscio, and the client receives the text in their chosen messaging app on their phone.
SMS messages will also be visible in both the Contact and Account Timelines, even if you weren't the one that sent it. This means that you and your team will have full visibility to SMS messages sent from Liscio.
What are some best practices when it comes to using SMS: Two-Way Texting?
As you begin using SMS: Two-Way Texting feature, we'd make the following recommendations.
- Liscio Messaging remains the most secure and private way to communicate with your clients. The SMS feature in Liscio does not add Liscio-level security to texting. If your clients are already using Liscio Messaging, we recommend continuing to use it for its encryption and security within the Liscio platform.
- SMS: Two-Way Texting is designed to reach clients who haven't fully transitioned to Liscio or to send tasks to clients who don't regularly check their Liscio notifications. It can also help with work-life balance by keeping all client communication in one place. Many firms have shared personal phone numbers with clients for emergencies, but clients might use them for non-emergencies too. We suggest giving clients your provisioned number for text communication. This way, notifications will appear in Liscio instead of your personal phone’s messaging app, reducing late-night texts to your personal phone while maintaining client communication within Liscio.
- Since SMS messages are visible on the Contact Timeline, be cautious when sending or receiving sensitive information, especially if your clients have Restricted Accounts. If a contact has both Restricted and Unrestricted Accounts, SMS messages will still be visible to anyone with access to the Contact page in Liscio (Admins, Employees, and Specialists assigned to any of the client's service teams). To maintain privacy, encourage clients to use Liscio Messaging for sensitive or private information instead of the SMS: Two-Way texting feature.
Can I use SMS: Two-Way Texting for shared Multi-Factor Authentication?
The feature can be used for MFA purposes. However, please note that many banks and other institutions have systems in place that recognize business lines, and if you provide the provisioned phone number for MFA purposes, it may not take on their end. We can't guarantee which companies will allow it to be used through our SMS: Two-Way Texting feature, but on our end, you're free and capable of doing so!
What are Text Notifications that clients opt in for when signing up?
You may notice the Text Notification check box next to a contact's phone number. This indicates that the contact has opted to receive Liscio's system text notifications from standard Liscio number.
Is SMS included with my license?
SMS has an additional monthly fee per line. $25/month/line for Core users. $15/month/line for Pro users. Similar to your personal lines, there are carrier fees related to these phone lines. The monthly fee covers the per line cost, plus the registration costs, plus the per messages fees. We’d love to include it for free, but think you’ll find this rate competitive with any other business texting solutions in the market.
Can we share one line?
We can’t support this until we have shared lines (coming soon!).
Will SMS be available online and through the mobile app?
Clients will receive a text message the same as a normal text. Firm users can send from the mobile app or from the web browser.
Do clients see texts in their Liscio as well?
No, client will receive a text message the same as a normal text. Only firm users will see any client text conversations in Liscio.
Can we use our own line for SMS?
Initially, users will be assigned a new line. We are looking into options to be able to transfer/convert your existing line. More on that to come soon!
Are there any firms that can't use the SMS feature?
Unfortunately, Sole Proprietors do not meet the necessary requirements for the SMS feature at this time. We are working on making this feature available to Sole Proprietors in the future!
Unavailable Lines
There will be times when no phone numbers with specific area codes, related to a firm's zip code, will be available. This is due to the amount of phone numbers Bandwidth actually purchases for customers to use. There is no idea of a waitlist with Bandwidth for additional numbers. The options in that situation are to offer a different area code close by or a refund.
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