SMS Templates and Triggers are a powerful part of the OwnerRez messaging system that automates messaging, based on events or scheduled times, while also giving users the ability to maintain a personalized and branded look and feel.
- Create an SMS Template
- Delete, Disable, or Reenable an SMS Template
- Send SMS Messages to Guests
- View SMS Message Conversations
- How Do I Know If Someone Sent Me a Message?
- Where Can I See Messages Exchanged With Someone?
Create an SMS Template
Creating an SMS Template is very similar to creating an Email Template as the instructions are essentially the same.
Users can navigate to Settings > Messaging > Templates.
In the SMS tab, users can select the type of SMS Template that they want to create from the Create SMS Template drop-down list.
Users should note that if they want their email template to be automatically sent by a trigger, they MUST create a Booking email template as triggers are based on booking criteria only.
In the SMS template editor, users can select Field codes to customize their SMS message template for each property and each booking/guest by clicking on the field code icon or Insert Field, depending on the section of the booking SMS template.
Click on the Insert button to add the field code to your booking email template and the selected field code will be added to your booking SMS template.
When users want to see how their SMS template will appear to guests, they can click on Save, then choose Preview at the top of the screen.
Be sure to click on Save and Preview your changes.
Users can adjust and edit their booking SMS template and then preview it until their booking SMS template appears as desired.
Once you've written your SMS Template, users can use the Trigger feature to determine when it will be sent.
Customized SMS message templates created by OwnerRez users will only be sent automatically if the email message template has a corresponding trigger set.
Delete, Disable, or Reenable an SMS Template
It is possible to delete an SMS template, but it is a drastic choice. OwnerRez recommends that you disable it instead, as disabled SMS templates are not displayed or visible in the templates list and can be re-enabled. Once you delete an SMS template, you have to reconfigure it from scratch.
If an SMS template is associated with any triggers, you won't be able to disable or delete it, and the system will notify you of that limitation in the upper right corner of the app.
If your SMS template is not associated with any triggers, you can disable it by navigating to Settings > Messaging > Templates > the SMS tab, selecting the template you wish to disable > and clicking on the Disable button.
By default, disabled SMS templates are not displayed in the listing of all active templates. However, you can click on Show All to display all enabled and disabled SMS templates.
You can re-enable disabled SMS templates by selecting the template you wish to re-enable > and clicking on the Enable button.
You can delete SMS templates by navigating to Settings > Messaging > Templates > the SMS tab, selecting the template you wish to delete, and clicking on the Delete button.
You will be asked, "Are you sure you want to delete the 1 selected email template? This cannot be undone." Click OK.
Send SMS Messages to Guests
There are two ways to send SMS messages to a guest.
- From within their individual booking. Once in the booking, look at the top right under the Booking # and click on the “Conversation” menu item. This will take you to a page where you can type the message. If this is an Airbnb guest, you will have the choice of sending the message via the Airbnb messenger or through the OR SMS messaging feature. If you choose the SMS, you will notice the guest’s phone number is automatically selected. (If this is not an Airbnb guest, that option will be grayed out and is not available.) Just type your message and hit send. You can also attach a photo or other file (only 1 per message).
- Through the CRM tab. If this is the FIRST time you’ve sent an SMS message to this specific guest, go to CRM and select “Contacts.” From the list displayed, find the guest you wish to message and click on the “Pencil" icon to the left of the guest’s name. On the next screen, from the left hand menu, choose “Conversation.” If there is a phone number associated with that guest record, you will be taken to the screen where you can type your message.
View SMS Message Conversations
You can find all your SMS Messages, Incoming and Outgoing, under CRM > Inbox in the Main OwnerRez menu. This is in addition to seeing messages within a booking under the “Conversation” menu item.
How Do I Know If Someone Sent Me a Message?
1. You can watch the Inbox counters on the menu which will light up when new messages have arrived. This is the case for Airbnb, Vrbo and SMS messages.
2. There is a system alert for SMS Messages that will fire off an email anytime one comes in. This email will be sent to the main email address on your account. It will include the message itself and where it came from.
Note that you cannot reply to the SMS message by replying to the email - instead, you'll need to click on the included link to go to the OwnerRez inbox, and you can reply from there.
Where Can I See Messages Exchanged With Someone?
Within a specific Booking, go to the “Conversation” menu item in the upper, right, under the Booking #. In addition, you can use the CRM tab from the main OwnerRez menu (CRM > Inbox) to see folks you’ve messaged with – both SMS Messages and ones sent through Airbnb.