Texting clients

Members can text clients from your firm's phone line, right from a matter, a lead, a contact, or the Communications page. The client sees your firm's number, replies come back into the same conversation, and every conversation is kept on the matter or lead it belongs to as a Text message log, so the whole team can follow it.

This page explains how to send a text, record a client's agreement to texts, how opt-outs and quiet hours work, how conversations are filed and read, what texting costs, and how your firm registers with the phone carriers. To set up the number itself, see Your firm's phone line.

Before you begin

• Your firm needs a phone line. Texts go out from the phone line number. An owner or administrator gets one under Settings > Firm > Communications. See Get a number.
• Carriers must approve your firm. Phone carriers require every business that texts to register first. Until your firm's registration is approved, texts cannot be sent. See Registration.
• The phone line must be a local number. A toll-free phone line cannot send texts yet, because carriers verify each toll-free number on its own. Calls work either way. See Get a number.
• Texting must be available to your firm. If it is not yet, the Send text message dialog says "Texting isn't available for your firm yet."
• US and Canadian numbers only. Texts go to US and Canadian mobile numbers.
• Your role decides what you can do. Sending a text needs Create access for communications. Filing, moving, and archiving a conversation need Update access. Recording a client's agreement to texts needs Update access for contacts. Owners can do all of it. See Roles and permissions.

Send a text

1. Open the place you want to text from:
   • a matter's Communications tab,
   • the Communications section on a lead's page,
   • the Communications tab on a contact's page, or
   • the Communications page in the sidebar (see The Communications page).
2. Click New, then choose Send text message. The Send text message dialog opens: "Texts go out from your firm's phone line."
3. In To, choose a number. The list shows the people on the record with a US or Canadian number, for example "Jane Doe, mobile (617) 555-0101". On a matter that is the matter's clients; on a lead, the lead's contact; on a contact page, that contact. To text a number that is not listed, choose Enter a number and type it in Mobile number; click Choose a contact to go back to the list.
4. When you text from a contact page or the Communications page, you can pick the Matter or lead the conversation belongs to. It is optional: leave it empty and the conversation waits unfiled on the Text message tab until someone files it.
5. Type your text in Message. A counter below it shows how long the text is and how many parts it will be sent in, for example "142 of 1,600 characters, 1 part".
6. Click Send (or press Cmd + Enter on Mac, Ctrl + Enter on Windows).

A confirmation reads "Text sent." The text joins the client's conversation, and the conversation's log on the matter or lead updates. See Text logs on the record.

Agreement to texts

Carriers require a client to agree before a business texts them first. Esqase keeps that agreement on the client's contact record, with how and when they agreed and who recorded it.

When you choose a contact who has not agreed yet, the Send text message dialog shows an Agreement to texts step instead of the message box: "Record how this client agreed to texts before the first one."

1. In How they agreed, choose Client agreed in writing, Client agreed by phone, or Client texted us first.
2. Click Confirm. A confirmation reads "Agreement recorded," and the message box appears.

A few rules:

• Replies need no separate agreement. When the client texted your firm first, you can reply to that conversation straight away.
• A client can withdraw. If a client withdrew their agreement, the step reads "This client withdrew their agreement to texts." Record a new agreement only when the client gives it again.
• You need permission to record it. Without Update access for contacts, the step reads "Ask a member who can edit contacts to record it."
• Typed numbers. A number that is not saved on a contact has nowhere to keep an agreement, so you cannot text it first: "Save this number on a contact to record their agreement." You can still reply when that number texts your firm.

Opt-out

Carriers require an easy way for clients to stop texts, and Esqase handles it for you.

• The opt-out line. The first text you send in a conversation the client did not start ends with "Reply STOP to opt out." Later texts in the same conversation do not repeat it. The section's ? opens Carrier rules for text messages. The line is always on; Settings > Firm > Communications > Text message shows it in the Opt-out line section for reference.
• STOP. A client who replies STOP (or STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT) gets no more texts from your firm on that number, from the phone line and from the concierge alike, until they reply START.
• What you see. An opted-out number shows "This number has opted out of texts from your firm." in the To list and in the conversation, and the message box is hidden. The client can still text you, and you will see their messages.

Quiet hours

Esqase does not send texts late at night or early in the morning. Texts can go out from 9 AM to 8 PM Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 8 PM on Sunday, in your firm's time zone.

Some states set narrower hours for texts. When the client's contact record has an address, the stricter rule of the client's state and your firm's state applies. When it has none, your firm's state applies.

• A text you try to send outside these hours is not sent. The dialog tells you when you can send again, for example "Texts can't go out at this hour. You can send from 9:00 AM tomorrow." That time follows the same rule as sending, including the client's and your firm's states, so a text sent then goes through. Your message stays in the box, so you can send it then.
• There is no way to send anyway, and Esqase does not schedule the text for later.
• Calls are never limited by quiet hours. See Calling clients.

An owner or administrator can turn quiet hours off under Settings > Firm > Communications > Text message, in the Quiet hours section. The switch saves as soon as you change it ("Quiet hours turned off" or "Quiet hours turned on").

Conversations

Every conversation with a client number is one thread. Open it from the Text message tab of the Communications page, from a New text message notification, or with View on its log on a matter or lead.

The conversation shows:

• Filed to: the matter or lead it belongs to, as a link, or Not filed. Members with Update access see File (or Move, once it is filed). See File or move a conversation.
• The messages, oldest at the top. Your firm's texts show who sent them and whether they arrived: Sending, Sent, Delivered, Not delivered, or Failed. A text that did not arrive says why when the carrier reports it, for example "Failed: the number is not a mobile number".
• Pictures a client sends, shown as attachments. Click one to open it in a new tab. Once the conversation is filed to a matter or lead, its pictures are also saved to that record's documents. Your firm cannot send pictures yet.
• Notes that members added to the conversation's log. See Add a note.
• Reply, the message box, with the same counter, agreement step, and quiet hours rules as the Send text message dialog.

Opening a conversation marks it as read.

Archive a conversation

1. In the conversation, open More conversation actions (the ... button).
2. Choose Archive, then confirm. "It leaves the Text message list. A new text from this number starts a new conversation."

A confirmation reads "Conversation archived." The conversation's log stays on its matter or lead.

Text messages on the Communications page

The Text message tab on the Communications page lists your firm's open conversations, newest first. Each row shows the client's name or number, the last message (or Picture), the matter or lead it is filed to (or Not filed), the member it is assigned to (or Not assigned), and how many messages are unread.

• Use the filters at the top: All, Unread, Unfiled (conversations not filed to a matter or lead yet), and Mine (conversations assigned to you).
• Type in Search texts to find a conversation by the client's name, the matter's title, or part of the number.
• Click Load more at the bottom to see older conversations.
• Click a row to open the conversation.

Until your firm has texted anyone, the tab reads "No texts yet." If the list cannot load, it reads "We couldn't load texts."

File or move a conversation

A conversation from an unknown number, or one you started without picking a matter or lead, is not filed. File it so its log appears on the right record.

1. Open the conversation and click File (or Move, to change where it is filed).
2. In the File conversation dialog, pick the Matter or lead.
3. Click File. A confirmation reads "Conversation filed."

Filing starts a log on the matter or lead you picked with the whole conversation so far. When you move a conversation, the old record keeps its log as it was, and a new log continues on the new record.

Text logs on the record

Each conversation filed to a matter or lead appears in that record's Communications list as one Text message log, named "Text conversation with" and the client's name or number.

• The log updates with every message, sent and received, newest last. Texts that failed to send are left out.
• The log is read-only, because Esqase recorded it. Members can add notes to it, and notes stay at the end when new messages arrive. See Logs Esqase records for you.
• View on the log opens the live conversation, with its notes below the messages.
• On a very long conversation, the log keeps the newest messages under the line "Earlier messages are in the attached transcript.", and the whole conversation is saved as a document, "Text transcript" followed by the date, in the matter's or lead's documents. The document gets a new version as the conversation grows.

Who receives client texts

Texts to the phone line go to people, never to the AI concierge.

• A text from a number that belongs to a contact with exactly one open matter is filed to that matter and assigned to its responsible attorney.
• A text from any other number goes to the fallback member chosen under Who answers (the firm owner until you choose). It waits unfiled on the Text message tab, except that a contact with only an open lead is filed to that lead.
• With One member routing, every conversation is assigned to that member.
• Later texts from the same number join the same conversation and keep its matter or lead.

See Who answers.

Notifications

When a client texts the phone line, the member the conversation is assigned to gets a New text message notification, titled "New text from" and the client's name or number. It never contains the message itself. Clicking it opens the conversation on the matter, on the lead, or on the Text message tab.

New text message arrives in the bell and as a desktop or phone alert by default, and not by email. Each member can change that under Settings > Notifications. See Notifications.

Credits

Texting uses Esqase credits from your firm's balance:

• Texts sent: 2 credits a part.
• Texts received: 1 credit a part.
• Pictures received: 5 credits each.

Long texts are sent in parts of up to 160 characters, or 70 when the text has emoji, and a text can be at most 1,600 characters and 10 parts. Sending needs at least 2 credits in the balance; texts from clients are always received, even when the balance is low. When the balance is too low to send, the dialog reads "Your firm needs more Esqase credits to send texts." and the firm owner sees Buy credits. See Usage.

Registration

Carriers approve every business that texts before its messages are delivered. Your firm registers once, and the registration covers both your concierge number and your phone line.

Go to Settings > Firm > Communications > Text message. Until your firm is approved, the page shows one message, "Carriers must approve your firm before texting", with the next step:

• Get a phone line number first. Your firm has no phone line yet. Click Open phone line.
• Register for texting. Click it to file the registration: your firm's legal business details, a contact person, and how your firm uses texts with sample messages. "Register once and both your numbers can text."
• Your registration is in review. "This usually takes a few days." Texts cannot be sent until carriers approve it.
• Fix registration. Carriers did not approve the registration as filed. Click it to correct the details and file again.
• Ask an owner or administrator to register your firm. Your role can view the page but not register.

While the registration is waiting, the Send text message dialog reads "Texting is waiting for carrier approval of your firm's registration." with View registration.

Staff texting registration

A registration your firm filed for the concierge says your firm only replies to people who text first. Members texting clients about their matters is different, so carriers need to know about it.

Once your firm is approved, Settings > Firm > Communications > Text message shows the Staff texting registration section with a badge: Covers staff texting or Concierge replies only.

1. Click Update registration. The registration opens with a description and sample messages that cover staff texting clients about their matters.
2. Check the details and file it.

Members whose role can view these settings but not change them see "Ask an owner or administrator to update the registration."

If a text won't send

Common questions

• Does the client see my personal number? No. Every text comes from your firm's phone line number.
• Can the concierge and my team text the same client? Yes, from different numbers. A client who replies STOP to either stops texts from both.
• Why is a conversation on the Texts tab and not on the matter? It is not filed. The number is unknown, or the contact has several open matters or none. Open it and click File.
• I moved a conversation, and the old matter still shows a log. That is expected. The old log keeps what was said while the conversation was filed there, and a new log continues on the new record.
• Can I send a picture? Not yet. Clients can send pictures to you.
• Can I schedule a text? No. Texts go out when you click Send, inside quiet hours.
• Do texts to my old office number reach Esqase? No. Forwarding an office line brings calls only. Ask clients to text your phone line number.
• What happens to conversations when a matter is archived or deleted? Archiving a matter archives its text conversations. Deleting a matter keeps its conversations but leaves them unfiled, so they wait on the Text message tab to be filed again; the matter's old logs go with the matter.
• Where do the pictures a client sent end up? In the conversation, and in the documents of the matter or lead the conversation is filed to: right away when it is already filed, or when someone files it. Each picture is saved to one record only, so moving the conversation later does not copy it again.

Related

• Your firm's phone line
• Calling clients
• The Communications page
• Logging communications
• Working with contacts
• Notifications