Using Your Local Phone Number in Docket

Once your local phone number is approved and SMS capabilities are enabled, you can use it to communicate with customers and employees, send notifications, and manage conversations. This article explains how to use this feature effectively.

Checking Your Monthly Text Message Limit

1. Go to Account > Plan > Messages.
2. Review your:
   • Monthly text message limit.
   • Overage rate per additional message.
   • Character limit per message (160 characters).
3. Note: Texts exceeding 160 characters are split into multiple messages.

Sending Text Notifications

1. Employee Notifications:
   • Go to Account > Settings > Notifications > Employee Notifications.
   • Add phone numbers to notification fields (e.g., job or task assignments).
   • Notifications are sent automatically to employees based on their Docket profile.
2. Client Notifications:
   • Go to Account > Settings > Notifications > Client Notifications.
   • Enable notifications like Document Sent or On Our Way messages.
   • Customize the message content and use merge tags to auto-fill customer details.
3. “On Our Way” Notifications with Real-Time Tracking:
   • Enable ETA Messages in Account > Plan > Routing.
   • Adds a tracking link to “on our way” notifications for customer convenience.

Managing Text Conversations

1. Access Conversations:
   • Go to the Messages tab in your Docket account.
   • Unread messages are highlighted yellow; active conversations are blue.
2. Send New Texts:
   • Use the search bar to find contacts or click the + icon to start a new thread.
   • Send texts to:
     • Existing Contacts: Customers or employees listed in Docket.
     • Direct Numbers: Enter phone numbers not stored in your account.
3. Respond to Texts:
   • Type your message in the text box and click Send Text.
   • Ongoing text threads appear in the Messages section.
4. Enable Sound Notifications:
   • Click your name in the top left, select Preferences, and enable Sound for New Message to hear alerts for incoming texts.

Best Practices for Local Phone Numbers

1. Customer Communication:
   • Customers can call or text your local phone number.
   • Forwarded calls go to the phone number in the assigned employee’s profile.
2. Missed Calls:
   • Respond to missed calls using your main business phone line or text back via the Messages tab.
3. Notifications:
   • Review and enable customer and employee notifications to streamline communication.

Tips for Success

• Use merge tags in notifications to personalize messages.
• Turn on ETA Messages for real-time tracking links.
• Regularly review your text message usage and limits in Docket.