SMS

Every mobile phone receives SMS, whether or not the customer uses WhatsApp or has a data connection. The agent sends and receives SMS as another channel on the same conversation, with the same knowledge, limits and customer record it uses everywhere else. SMS reaches customers without WhatsApp, works as a fallback when a WhatsApp message is not delivered, and carries one-time passcodes when a customer's identity needs to be confirmed.

When SMS is the right channel

One agent, one record

A customer can reply to an SMS in their own words, and the agent answers as it would on any channel: it understands the reply, looks up what it needs and completes the task. SMS messages are written to the same customer record as calls, WhatsApp and email, and grouped into the same issue when they concern the same thing.

A customer who received a WhatsApp reminder yesterday and replies to an SMS today is not starting again. See The customer record.

Moving between channels is configured during implementation, as a sequence you define: for example, WhatsApp first, then SMS if the message is not delivered, then a call if there is no reply.

Sender names in the UAE and Saudi Arabia

In both countries, the name that appears as the sender of a business SMS must be registered before it can be used, and registration is tied to your organisation.

Registration takes time and needs your trade licence and supporting documents, so it is started early in implementation, alongside WhatsApp verification. Messages are sent through Telonic's SMS provider by default, or through your own provider if you prefer. Your organisation registers its sender name with the telecoms regulator, and we help you through it.

One-time passcodes for identity checks

A one-time passcode is a short code sent to the phone number on the customer's record, which they read back to confirm they hold that phone. It is one of the identity checks you can set for your deployment, alongside knowledge checks, such as a booking reference with a date of birth, and a signed-in session on your website or app.

The agent sends the code by SMS or WhatsApp, checks the answer, and only then shares account details or takes the action. The code is valid once and for a short time. See Signed-in customers and Matching contacts to customers.

Opt-outs on SMS

Customers opt out of SMS by replying with a word such as "STOP", or by asking in their own words, in Arabic, English or another language the agent works in. The agent records the opt-out against the customer and applies it before any further message, on the channels and message types you define. The same consent record covers SMS and WhatsApp, so your rules are applied the same way on both. In the UAE, customers can also block promotional senders through their mobile operator.

See Opt-in, opt-out and consent and Contact rules for outbound messages and calls.

How much fits in one message

SMS is a short format, and Arabic takes more room than English. This is how SMS works on every network, not a Telonic setting.

Arabic uses a different encoding (the way characters are turned into data for sending), which uses more space per character, so fewer characters fit in each message part. A single Arabic word in an English message switches the whole message to that encoding. The agent writes SMS replies to suit the channel: short, with the reference, date or amount first.

The technical detail

• Sender types. A sender name (your brand, instead of a number) is used for messages the customer is not expected to answer, such as passcodes. Two-way conversations need a number that can receive replies.
• Delivery status. Where the network reports it, the agent records whether each SMS was delivered, so a sequence can move to the next step.
• Links. Links in SMS may need to be registered with the sender name in Saudi Arabia, and shortened links from public services are commonly blocked. Links are agreed during implementation.
• Where it is processed. Once an SMS reaches your deployment, all processing for your deployment runs in the region you choose, unless you explicitly choose a language model provider outside it. Mobile networks carry SMS under their own terms.

In practice

Rimal Air, an airline based in Jeddah, uses the agent for schedule changes on its domestic network.

1. Flight RA 214 is retimed. The agent sends an approved WhatsApp template to every affected passenger who has agreed to updates.
2. Samir's WhatsApp message is not delivered. Following the airline's sequence, the agent sends an SMS under the airline's registered sender name.
3. Samir replies by SMS asking to move to the evening flight. The agent checks his fare rules, confirms the change is permitted, and asks him to reply YES.
4. He does. The agent rebooks him and sends the new booking details by SMS, in short messages.
5. At the airport, he calls the contact centre about his baggage. The person who answers sees the schedule change, the SMS thread and the rebooking in one issue.

What your team controls

• When SMS is used: as a fallback, for customers without WhatsApp, for passcodes, or by preference.
• The order of channels in each sequence, and how long to wait between steps.
• The sender names used for each type of message.
• Consent rules, opt-out scope and sending hours for SMS.
• The identity checks used for each type of request.

SMS is part of your messaging package, which covers WhatsApp, SMS and email in one pool, priced per conversation. See How pricing works.

Related

• WhatsApp: overviewChannels
• Contact rules for outbound messages and callsLegal and compliance
• Matching contacts to customersCustomer record
• Web and app: signed-in customersChannels
• How pricing worksCommercial

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