What is a Texting Number?
The ability to add a texting 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 text messages to customers come from.
Setting your texting number gives your customers the ability to reply to your automated and direct messages! Their responses will go straight to the Customer Inbox. If your customer calls that number, it will forward to the business number you have set in your company settings.
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 send and receive customer communications via text. After your registration is approved, you will be able to send important job-related communications like invoices and estimates through text and receive customer replies directly in your HCP account.
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 and click 'Register my business' on the Text Messages settings page.
You’ll then see instructions on how to prepare for registration. We recommend having your CP-575 letter on hand prior to beginning. Once you’re ready, click the 'Begin registration' button to proceed.
You will then be prompted to select your business structure. If you have any questions, please consult the Help Articles linked in the registration flow, or reach out via the Blue Chat Bubble.
Set Up a Texting Number
Your texting number is the number your manual and 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 Texting Number > Enter your area code > click the arrow > Save Number.
📌 Note: Remember that once you've selected a number, it cannot be changed.
Your texting 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 your texting number. This number is what customers will see when they receive notifications from you or your business. When a customer responds to a text notification, the response will be sent to the Customer Inbox within the Housecall Pro mobile and web applications.
Once a number is selected, the Scheduled, On my way, and Finish job messages can be edited.
To customize your SMS notifications:
Go to your Account Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your HCP account, and select Text Messages from the menu on the left.
Click the pencil 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.
📌 Note: 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.
📌 Note: 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.