With the Intercom integration you can directly connect Intercom with your Yodel account. You can read more about the features of the Intercom integration and how to set it up in this help article.
In this help article we will explain the Intercom text messaging feature in detail.
How to send an outbound text message via Intercom?
You can find the Intercom text messaging feature in 'Conversations'. Open a conversation and you should already see the Yodel.io Phone System window on the right-hand side under 'Related'. It should say: “Yodel.io Phone System, Send Message”
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Here you can send a text message to the contact that you currently have an open conversation with. Choose (1.) the phone number from which you want to send the text message from and then type (2.) in your message in the field below.
Then click on 'Send Message' and wait a few seconds. You should see the sent text message in your conversation as 'Outbound message'. It also shows from which phone number the text message was sent. The 'Outbound message' is displayed as an Intercom note since we do not want to send an email to the client.
You are only able to send the text message through the 'Yodel.io Phone System' window on the right-hand side. Sending a reply will not send any text messages.
If you do not have an active phone number in your Yodel account then the text messaging feature in Intercom will show an error message.
If your Intercom user and Yodel user have the exact same email address then you will also only see the numbers you have permissions for in the drop-down menu when selecting a number to send the text message from. You can check the permissions of your Yodel users here: Yodel Users. Click on a user's name to see their number permissions.
All numbers in your Yodel account will be shown to the Intercom user if they do not also have a Yodel user with the exact same email address.
If the user only has permissions for one number then it will show this one number but no drop-down menu will be displayed.
How does inbound text messaging work within Intercom?
An inbound text message will create a new conversation if there isn’t an already open one with the contact. You will see the text message as an 'Inbound message'.
It will also display from what number the message was sent and which number it is being sent to.
When someone sends you a text message and there is no contact created for the number, then Yodel will automatically create a new contact. The number will be displayed as the name of the contact.
When someone sends you a text message and there is an existing contact with this number, then it will show you the name of the contact.
If you don't have an open conversation with a client then: The incoming text message will create a new conversation.
If you have an open conversation with a client then: The text message will be posted in the existing open conversation.
If you have several open conversations with a client then: Yodel will pick one of the conversations and post the message there.
How to send an outbound text message without an existing conversation?
It is possible to send an outbound text message to a client without having an existing Intercom conversation with them. You can do this by going into a contact's profile and locating the 'Messaging URL' in the contact's details.
Click the 'Messaging URL' and you should get forwarded to another Yodel tab where you can send a text message. The contact's number is already filled in and you only have to select the number you want to send a message from at the top. Then write your text message and click on the send button.
Above the mentioned 'Messaging URL' in the Intercom contact profile, you can find a 'Calling URL'. When you click the 'Calling URL' it will open another Yodel tab where you can make an outbound call to the contact.
Finding sent text messages in a contact's profile.
You can also see the inbound and outbound text messages when looking at a contact's profile.
You will be able to see the text message conversation under 'Their messages and conversations'. However, to send a text message you will have to go to the conversation link as Yodel is unable to display the 'Yodel.io Phone System' window in the contact's profile.