8. Deploy the SMS Inbox

Inbox Quickstart

  • Open your Inbox

    • A Green Dot will notify you of incoming messages
    • Select a conversation

  • Send pre-written Quick Replies to speed things up

  • Hover over a message → and pick the orange + Create Record icon to start a Record

  • Select a Form → and choose Create Blank (or pick a Shortcut)

  • (Optional) Click Auto-fill from message to populate your Fields → in the blink of an AI

  • Click Create when finished

  • Go to the related Dashboard and act on SMS-AI generated Records → ex. change status from Open to On Scene

Toolbar Features

Take a quick look at the Toolbar features → explained in the Filters & Actions section of this article

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SMS Setup

Setting up SMS with SwitchBase couldn't be easier — we do it for you!

That said, SMS implementation requires a bit of planning, so we'll need to learn a few things about your needs:

  • A. Target Audience → Who will benefit from SMS?

    • Patrons, guests, fans?
    • Staff?
    • VIP Guests?
    • Other?

  • B. Distribution → How do you want to share your SMS number?

    • Printed/posted?
    • Text number?
    • QR code?
    • NFC tag?

  • C. Venues → How many separate venues are you planning on?

  • D. Expected Volume → How many messages do you expect for:

    • Various Event types?
    • Ongoing operations?

What we'll do

SwitchBase will set your system up with Twilio — the popular, scalable, legally compliant, and reliable cloud-based platform for sending and receiving SMS messages. And we'll complete the following tasks:

  • A. Number Acquisition → SwitchBase will acquire the standard 10-digit long code number to be used by your organization

    • If you have numbers already in use for SMS, let us know!

  • B. Opt out → SwitchBase will provide a clear and legally compliant way for recipients to opt out → ex. by replying STOP

  • C. Training → We'll get your SMS Group trained, including the tips and tricks you'll need to get the most from your SMS experience

  • D. Support → SwitchBase will provide ongoing support, including training, troubleshooting, and assistance with compliance

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Activate, Share, Rename & Pin

Activate-Deactivate SMS

To turn your SMS service on and off:

  1. Open your Inbox

  2. Switch to Active → to start receiving messages

  3. Toggle to Inactive → and temporarily turn off SMS

Share your Inbox

SwitchBase sharing ensures that the Group assigned to your Inbox stays focused on the messages they need to see.

  1. To start sharing:

    • A. Click the Share Button, or

    • B. Click Settings (. . .) → and pick Share inbox

  2. Pick the Group(s) or Users you wish to Share your Inbox with:

    • A. Groups → ex. Guest Services, Housekeeping, Usher, etc.
    • B. Users → ex. Austin, Benji, etc.

  3. Set the *Permission level → ex. usually Member

  4. Click Save Changes

dive deeper into inbox Sharing

  • We've added a lot of SMS Sharing options to meet the security needs of a vast variety of venues
  • Complete instructions are found in our Share Inbox article
  • Learn about *Permission levels in our Set the Permission Level section

Rename Threads

To change the name of a thread so it can be referenced easily:

  1. Open the thread → and click the Rename Thread pencil

  2. Make your name change → and record it by:

    • A. Clicking the ✓ - or pressing Enter
    • B. Clicking X to start over

Pin & Reposition Inboxes

Pin your Primary Inbox to the top of your list for quicker access. Drag the Waffle icons to move your Inbox to the preferred spot.

To pin, unpin, and reposition:

  1. Hover over any Inbox to reveal its Pin → ex. Guest Services

  2. Click the Pin!

    • Pin as many Inboxes as you wish

  3. To reposition → click and drag the Waffle icon up or down

  4. To remove a Pin → just click it!

Show more / Show less

  1. Choose Show more → to display unpinned Inboxes

  2. Select Show less → to minimize the list

five tips

  1. Pinned Inboxes always appear in the order you set
  2. Unpinned Inboxes appear when a new message is sent to you
  3. The number of new messages appears in a bubble
  4. New, unpinned, and idle Inboxes float alphabetically below pinned messages
  5. Click Show More to view all of your Inboxes → and Show Less to view only Pinned and Active messages

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Create Records with AI Auto-fill

Turn inbound messages into actionable Records by:

  • Hovering over a message
  • Clicking the orange + Create Records icon

  • Selecting the Auto-fill from message icon → to instantly pre-fill Forms based on the conversation
  • Editing Fields as needed
  • Clicking Create

View Related Records

After you create a Record from a Thread, you can open and update it by:

  • A. Clicking the View related records button → to open a thumbnail of the Record

  • B. Selecting the View in sidebar option → to pop open the Record in a right-side panel

  • C. Picking the Page View option → to display the Record on a full page

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Filters, Actions & Settings

Your SMS Toolbar is divided into two sections:

A. Inbox & Thread Filters

Use filters to organize and simplify your Inbox:

  • A. Inbox → to display the active threads in a list

  • B. Starred threads → to star Threads to be remembered

  • C. Closed threads → to show your Closed or hidden threads

  • D. All threads → to show all new, starred, and hidden threads

  • E. Rename threads → to add a name or a descriptive title

B. Thread Archival Actions

Take actions to highlight, retire, or reorganize threads that have been fulfilled.

  • A. Mark as Unread → to archive for possible later action

  • B. Close / Reopen thread → to close threads to clear your list

  • C. Star thread → to mark key threads with a Star to spot and filter easily

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Quick Replies

To save time, pre-write and use Quick Replies. Open the Replies Library by clicking the Chevron, and pick from the list.

Manage your Quick Replies

To open your Quick Replies library:

  1. Click the Settings (. . .) menu

  2. Pick Edit inbox settings

  3. Review the parts of the Quick Replies Library:

Add a Quick Reply

To add a Reply:

  1. Click + Add Quick Reply

  2. Give your Reply a recognizable Quick Reply Name → ex. Sending Guest Services

  3. Enter your Quick Reply's text → ex. Thank you. We are sending a Guest Services representative to you

  4. Click Save Settings

Edit a Quick Reply

To reword your quick Replies:

  1. Click inside any of the text boxes

  2. Make your edits

  3. Click Save Settings

Delete a Quick Reply

To Delete a Reply:

  1. Click the Trash icon next to the Quick Reply you wish to delete

  2. Click Save Settings

Move Quick Replies Up or Down

You'll want to prioritize how your Quick Replies pop up in the list.

To adjust the order of your replies:

  1. Snag a Quick Reply by its Waffle icon

  2. Drag it up (or down) within your list

  1. Click Save Settings

Edit the Inactive Message

The Inactive Message is sent whenever the Inbox has been Paused or Deactivated → ex. a text message arrives after hours

To reword your Inactive Message:

  1. Click inside any of the text boxes

  2. Make your edits

  3. Click Save Settings

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Notifications

SwitchBase can ping your phone with notifications when:

  • A Record is created or updated (including via SMS AI)
  • A Chat (DM or Group) is sent

The settings for notifications are set to your Mobile Devices → iOS or Android

Visit our Mobile App article called Notifications → Enable, Pause & Customize to learn all about it

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8. Deploy the SMS Inbox