OTOBO / Znuny - Communication with SMS Templates

Customer Communication with SMS Templates

In today's fast-paced world, quick and effective communication is essential, especially for companies that want to offer excellent customer service. OTOBO, the leading open-source ticket system, recognizes this need and therefore offers an innovative solution: the use of SMS templates to optimize communication.

TIP

This feature will be integrated into upcoming OTOBO versions.

Why SMS Communication is Important for Your Business

An extraordinary incident, such as an email server failure, requires alternative communication channels. This is where SMS messages come into play. They guarantee reliable notification of your on-call service and ensure that customers without internet access can be reached. With OTOBO's cloud-based SMS service, you can master such challenges effortlessly.

SMS Templates

Before you can use the SMS service, it must be activated. This is done in the ../otobo-services/cloud-services module.

WARNING

This functionality will only be available from OTOBO version 11.

Create SMS Template

1. Navigate to Add SMS Template and fill in the necessary information.
2. Save your template by clicking Save.

Editing and Deleting SMS Templates

Edit existing templates by selecting them and adjusting the content. Confirm your changes with Save or Save and finish. To delete a template, select the trash can icon and confirm the action.

Important Settings for SMS Templates

When adding or editing an SMS template, important settings are available. These include:

• Type (e.g., reply, create, SMSOutbound), which defines the purpose of use.
• Name, which is displayed in the overview table.
• Template, the content of the message that is sent to the users.

WARNING

Please note that the maximum length for SMS messages is 918 characters. Messages over 160 characters will be divided into sections, which can affect readability. It is therefore recommended to keep messages short.

By implementing SMS templates in OTOBO, you not only improve efficiency in ticket management but also ensure that you can reach your customers and employees anytime, anywhere. Use this powerful feature to take your customer service to a new level.

SMS Communication via Queues

OTOBO stands out with its innovative implementation of SMS communication in your ticket management system. Through special editing options and variable settings that can be integrated into SMS messages, OTOBO increases the efficiency and personalization of communication.

WARNING

This functionality will only be available from OTOBO version 11.

Flash Messages and Message Validity

Flash messages offer a special way to attract immediate attention by being displayed directly without requiring any user action. At the same time, setting the validity of a message allows for precise control over its availability in the system and, if necessary, to temporarily deactivate specific SMS templates.

Commenting and Personalization

Each SMS template can be provided with a comment, which facilitates handling and selection for the team. This is enhanced by the ability to use SMS template variables. These OTOBO-specific tags allow messages to be automatically personalized with individual information, such as ticket numbers or queue names, thereby increasing the relevance and clarity of communication with the customer or team members.

Special Feature: SMS Templates ↔ Queues

An outstanding feature in OTOBO is the ability to link SMS templates directly with specific queues. This significantly simplifies the management of communication strategies and their implementation. Teams can react quickly to changes and ensure that relevant information always reaches the right people.

Easy Assignment of SMS Templates and Queues

OTOBO allows for an intuitive assignment of SMS templates to various queues with just a few clicks. The visualization of these assignments in the administration area provides a clear overview of all active communication channels.

Easy-to-Understand Assignment Procedure

The application of the assignment procedure is very simple: Select a template or queue, assign the desired elements to it, and confirm your selection. This allows for the establishment of effective and customized communication mechanisms in the system.

Precise Communication Channels through Filterable Overviews

For quick access to specific SMS templates or queues, OTOBO offers effective filter options. Users can instantly find and manage the desired elements by simply entering the name, which saves time and significantly increases work efficiency.

Conclusion

With OTOBO's advanced implementation of SMS templates and their assignment to queues, your company has a powerful tool at its disposal to improve customer communication, optimize processes, and increase the satisfaction of customers and team members. Use the sophisticated features of OTOBO to enhance your service quality and effectiveness in ticket management.

Assigning SMS Templates to Queues

The management of SMS templates and their logical assignment to queues in OTOBO was developed to improve the communication flow between your agents and customers while minimizing administrative effort. One of the most advanced features here is the ability to assign multiple SMS templates or queues simultaneously, which significantly increases flexibility and efficiency in handling these resources.

Simultaneous Assignments for Increased Effectiveness

This functionality allows multiple SMS templates to be seamlessly added to a variety of relevant queues – or vice versa. Imagine your team needs to share urgent messages across multiple departments. Instead of having to make each assignment individually, OTOBO allows for grouped selection and assignment, which saves time and improves the consistency of communication.

Direct Editing Options for Agile Management

Another feature of the assignment function is the direct editing option: by clicking on a specific SMS template or queue, you are taken seamlessly to the corresponding editing view. This simplifies the quick adjustment of SMS templates or queue parameters, enabling an agile response to new requirements or changes.

WARNING

It is important to note that although navigation and editing between SMS templates and queues are facilitated, there is no direct link back to the assignment screen. Agents should therefore be prepared to find their way back to the relationship screen via the main menu, which could slightly affect the workflow.

Managing Cloud Services

The integration of cloud services into OTOBO allows modern communication tools to be efficiently integrated into your service management processes. The flexibility and scalability of cloud services are an important factor for companies looking to future-proof their IT infrastructure.

Cloud service management screen [1]

Activating the SMS Cloud Service

To use cloud-based SMS notifications in OTOBO, the service must first be activated. This feature is provided to expand communication options with your customers and agents.

Activation is done in the following steps:

1. Select the Activate SMS Cloud Service button in the sidebar.
2. Fill in the mandatory fields in the configuration menu.
3. Confirm your entries by clicking Save.

Screen for adding a cloud service [1]

Configuring the SMS Cloud Service

For optimal use of the SMS service, some configurations are necessary. These settings include, among others:

• Phone Field for Agent and Customer: Determines from which data field the mobile number for sending messages is taken.
• Sender ID: Defines the sender of the SMS. It should not be longer than 11 characters.
• Allowed Role Members: Specifies which agents can receive SMS notifications.
• URL Shortening: Decides whether URLs in messages should be automatically shortened.
• Phone Blacklist: A list of numbers to which no SMS messages should be sent.

The integration of cloud services like the SMS cloud service into OTOBO represents a valuable extension of your ticket system and enables improved and more efficient communication with customers and employees. By configuring these services according to your individual requirements, you can further maximize the benefits of your OTOBO system.

Conclusion

The ability to assign and edit multiple SMS templates and queues simultaneously in OTOBO represents a significant optimization of the ticket management system. It not only improves the efficiency of administrators by reducing the need for repetitive tasks, but also ensures a consistent and dynamic flow of information. While the direct link back to the relationship screen is missing, the advantages of this feature clearly outweigh this. Agents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the navigation flow to get the maximum benefit from this powerful feature.