What is a Custom SMS Number?
The ability to add a Custom SMS Number is available on all plans once you complete the registration process.* It allows you to select a custom, randomly generated phone number within the area code you choose. This phone number will be the number that your automated text messages come from.
Setting your custom SMS number gives your customers the ability to reply to your automated messages! Their responses will go straight to the messages portion of your app. If your customer calls that number, it will forward to the business number you have set in your company settings.
*Pros must register for Text Messages to set up a Custom SMS number.
While your registration is under review, you can familiarize yourself with our SMS features in the Custom SMS Number collection of our Help Center.
Register for Text Messaging
Register for Text Messaging to receive customer replies to notifications and allow your customers to pay by text.
Click here to view a step-by-step walkthrough of Custom SMS registration.
To register for Text Messaging:
Go to your Account Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your HCP account.
Next, select 'Text Messages' from the Settings menu on the left.
Click the 'Register' button on the Text Messages settings page.
Select whether you have an EIN or if you primarily do business in Canada.
Confirm the populated info and enter additional information.
Submit your registration when you're ready - and that's it!
Video Tutorial: Register for Text Messaging
Set Up a Custom SMS Number
Your Custom SMS number is the number your automated texts will come from and gives you the ability to send your customers invoices and estimates via text.
Once approved, you will be prompted to select your Custom SMS Number > Enter your area code > Click the arrow > Save Number.
Remember that once you've selected a number, it cannot be changed.
Your custom SMS number has now been set!
To read more about the notifications your customers can receive, click here.
Customize SMS Notifications
Create and edit schedule, on my way, and finish job text notifications.
First, be sure to register and select a Custom SMS Number. This number is what customers will see when they receive job notifications. When a customer responds to a text notification, the response will be sent to the Housecall Pro mobile app.
Once a number is selected, the job scheduled, on my way, and finished messages can be edited.
To customize your SMS notifications:
Click the edit icon at the top of the message you want to edit.
Within the edit area, there are several options for smart variables that can be placed into the text notifications.
The smart variables should be used to place things such as customer name, invoice number, or job date and time into the message. When a notification is sent to a customer, the smart variable will determine the correct information for that particular job and send a text message to the customer with the appropriate information.
When typing the custom message into the edit text area, the smart variables will display a sample message on the right side of the page. This represents exactly what a customer will see when they receive the text notification.
Keep in mind that these messages will go to every customer and cannot be edited from job to job so you should not include a customer's actual name or any other specific information by typing it in.
You also have the option to include the photo of the employee going to the job in the on my way text message.
A picture must be uploaded to the employee's user profile to be shown.
Having trouble finding what you need?
For further assistance, please reach out to our Chat Support team
via the Blue Chat Bubble in your Housecall Pro account, or
contact our Phone Support team at (858) 842-5746.