Sending Text Messages

Quickly send customized SMS Text messages to tenants, owners, and vendors. 

Text messaging is a convenient method of communication, and is included with all Pro and PM accounts of Rentec Direct property management software at no additional fee. 

Use the clickable links throughout the software on almost every page, tab, and report to compose your text message. As you become familiar with your software, hover over names, properties, blue and bold text to view and access clickable links. Explore the various options to decide how you prefer to create your messages. 

See details for sending text messages below.

Pro Tip: Use the Push Notification with Rentec Direct Mobile App ✨ to receive notice of text replies and maintenance requests directly to your mobile device.

System Notes: Establish a unique texting number for your account in one to two business days and activate text messaging. Click here to learn how to Setup Text Messaging

How to Send a Text Message

The following steps walk through how to create a text message.

In your Rentec Direct account: 

1. Access the list of contacts
   1. Click on Tenants or Owners
   2. To send a message to a vendor
      1. Click on Settings
      2. Under People click on Vendors & Payees
2. Right-click on the tenant, owner, or vendor
   
   Tip: Clicking directly on an email address will start a new message
3. Click on Messaging
4. Click on the chat bubbles to create a text message 
   
   Pro Tip: If you haven't activated text messaging for your account, a pop-up will help you get started. Enter your area code and Submit an Order to start using your texting within 24 business hours
   
   
5. Templates can be helpful with messages that are commonly used and for messages sent to groups.
   1. Use the dropdown to select an existing Template
   2. Click on +Add New to create and use a New Template
   3. Leave the default of No Template to compose your own message
      
      Notes:
      * Only Templates created for "Text" can be selected
      * Click here to learn more about Creating Email and Text Messaging Templates
6. The To field will auto-populate the mobile number from the individual's profile
7. To send to a group
   1. Click on Send to a Group
   2. Click in the To field to select one or more groups
   3. Click on whichever group/groups are to receive the message
8. Compose your message. If the message is being sent to a group, you can use the Data Fields feature in the toolbar to customize the message by automatically populating information from each tenant and property profile.
   
   Click here to learn more about Data Fields
9. Click on Send Message

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Managing Replies

Rentec Direct offers convenient solutions for storing all communications with tenants, vendors, and owners. When someone responds to a text sent from your Rentec Direct account, you will receive a notification, and the response will be saved in your Rentec Direct account. 

There are two notifications you may receive:

1. When someone replies to a text that you've sent, the message notification icon at the top of every page in the software will indicate that there's an unread message. 
   
   

   

2. Receive an alert on your mobile device when using the Rentec Direct Mobile App ✨ and have set notifications to push.

Viewing and Responding to Replies

Reply to texts received directly from the message. 

There are two ways to view messages that have been received:

1) In your Rentec Direct account: 

1. Click on the message notification icon (text bubble) at the top of the page
2. Click on View all messages
3. Click on the message 
4. Click on the Reply arrow

2) In your Rentec Direct account

1. Click on either:
   1. Tenants
   2. Owners
   3. Settings
      1. Under People, click on Vendors & Payees
2. Right-click on an individual line and select Messaging from the menu options
3. Click on the Message
4. Click on the Reply arrow

Text Message Considerations

• When sending SMS messages to a recipient group, the editor displays a character counter at the bottom to help you keep your message within the 160-character limit.
• When using data fields in a message, the actual data (such as a tenant's last name) may be longer than the placeholder %last_name%, so plan your message length accordingly.   
• If a Tenant attempts to call the "Text" phone number indicated, there is a message stating, "You have reached an unanswered extension...., we do not accept voice calls at this number. Please contact us at (your company number found by going to Settings>Your Contact Info will be provided)
• While outgoing texts are limited to text only, replies (incoming texts) can include video/images.