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SMS Voice Troubleshooting

Messages can be sent from ProfitSystem for Communications Manager

If no messages can be sent

Try to send an SMS/Voice message from the Customer form using the Print, Email, and SMS button. If there is a problem, you should see an error message indicating the problem and solution.

Go to Help->About->System Info. Confirm that the SMS/Voice sent is not blank and under the quota, and the quota number is greater than zero. If not, contact BBL Customer Service to change your quota and re-update the license.

Check the Event Log (located at Setup->System Maintenance->Log) and look for a VOICESMS Type entry. It will show the results of the SMS send.

If triggered messages are not being sent

If using Automation, the CM (Communications Manager) program must be running for Automation SMS/Voice/Short code messages to be sent.

Confirm that the trigger is actually firing and CM can send a message

  1. Open the QUEUE table in Foxcmd and make a note of the last queued event.
  2. Try to perform the action that triggers the message in ProfitSystem.
  3. One or more new QUEUE record should be created when the automation trigger fires.
  4. Watch the CM program. It should see the new QUEUE entries and process them. The QUEUE entries get deleted as they are processed.
  5. Open the LOG table, SMSVOICE entries should be created as it's sending the SMS messages. The log entries would indicate which service is being used. Make sure it's the correct service. Take a quick look at the SMSVOICE log entry, sometimes an error is returned from the sending service that can be read in the results.

Problems with Message Delivery

ProfitSystem will always deliver your SMS messages to their destination, it's possible that the recipient's mobile phone carrier i.e. AT&T/Verizon may block the SMS message due to a number of factors related to the SMS message itself

If one SMS service is not working, switch to a different SMS service.

Overall Best Practices to Avoid SMS Messages Being Blocked by Receiving Carriers:

Keep your messages short and conversational, and avoid lengthy/marketing-heavy messages. This especially applies to your first-ever SMS message to someone.

The first-ever message to the prospect's number ideally should be a conversational introduction

like 'Hi [firstname]', if possible.

The initial 'Hi [firstname]' text increases the chances of subsequent messages being allowed through by the mobile carrier, especially if you plan on sending a link afterwards. And again - never use shortened links like bit.ly or tinyurl.

The Main Reasons an SMS Message Would be Blocked by a Recipient's Mobile Phone/Carrier:

  • The message contains a URL (especially a shortened link such as bit.ly or tinyurl)
  • If you're going to use a URL, it is worse if it is a repetitive URL(s), and worse still if it is a shortened link (such as bit.ly)
  • repetitive url example: https://example.com/pages/pages/page1
  • The same message has been sent repeatedly - without variation or personalization
  • workaround - use [fname] in your SMS template to personalize it automatically, or use the rep's first name in your auto-sms.
  • More than 200 SMS/day are sent per SMS number
  • workaround - call more, text less!
  • Long texts
  • 160+ characters is considered long by most carriers
  • The receiving mobile device blocks unknown SMS numbers as a rule
  • The same message is sent to the same number within 5-10 seconds of the first message