For those of you who may have missed our recent Webinar (Friday, April 13, 2018), for this week’s TrialWorks Tips, we’d like to share the topic that was most frequently asked about during the webinar:  SMS/Text Messaging.  As you know, you can now send text messages to any contact that has a valid cell phone number directly from TrialWorks without revealing your personal cell phone number, and the message is automatically filed to the Case Email Tab!  Below are some of the questions TrialWorks Users asked during the Webinar, and our responses:

Question: Can someone respond to the text? What happens? How does the message arrive?

Answer: Yes. When a contact replies to a TrialWorks User’s SMS, it is received by the User in the form of an email in the User’s Outlook Inbox.

Q: Can the TrialWorks User then respond to the Reply? If so, what happens?

A: Once the TrialWorks User clicks on the email Reply, the phone number is replaced with the Contact’s SaveAs, matched based on the phone number. The recipient again receives the User’s reply in the form of a text message.

Q: Can we receive texts from clients independently, or, do they need to be generated from within TrialWorks?

A: No, a TrialWorks User cannot receive a newly-generated text message from a client directly. Text messages must be originated in TrialWorks first. Hint for Best Practices: Establish a connection with your client at the beginning of the case by asking him/her for a cell phone number to send a Welcome text. This will establish that immediate connection, which can be used down the road by the client.

Q: Does a phone number have to be in a specific field in TrialWorks?

A: Yes. In order for the text messaging to work properly, a valid cell phone number must be entered in the Cell Phone field of a Contact Record. Hint for Best Practices: Remember that Client Contact records for older TrialWorks Users may not have used the cell phone number. Be sure to update your Contact records after you’ve upgraded to TrialWorks Version 11.

Q: Can I text multiple Contacts at the same time (e.g., Group Text)?

A: No. At this time, group text messages are not supported.

If you’re interested in learning more about using Text Messaging within TrialWorks, please contact Training at (305) 357-6500.