Managing Communications
Communication Plans can be used to communicate with customers using various channels such as Email, SMS, and push notifications through third-party integrations. Communications can be generated either due to a system one-off event, a scheduled event or directly by the user, and can be customised with the use of communication tags.
Multilingual communications are also supported, the communication is sent in the Contact’s preferred language and channel of communication.
Contact Segments need to be defined prior to configuring Communications (Contact > Segmentation)
The relevant third-party Communication Integrations must be enabled and successfully configured (via Platform > Integrations) prior to creating Communications
Communications are also configurable via Automations (Platform > Automations) on the occasion that an event is triggered
Configure Communication Templates to standardise frequently used communication contents
To view or create a Communication Plan navigate to CRM > Communication Plans using the main menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
When you create a Communication plan the Content (on the right) will change according to the method of integration you have selected.
Communications are sent according to the preferred language and method of communication set by each Contact.
Languages
A communication can be setup in multiple languages, switch between languages using the language button and type the contents.
The available languages can be configured via Settings > Platform > Languages.
The communication will be sent according to the Contact’s preferred language, which can be set either by the Contact using the consumer app, or via the back-end from the Contact screen.
If the contact’s preferred language is not specified in the communication plan, but the base language of the system (English) is specified, then the communication will be sent in English.
Communication Integrations
Select the integrator to be used for sending the communication, only one integrator can be selected per communication configuration.
The available integrations can be configured via Platform > Integrations, refer to the Integrations manual for further information.
The communication will be sent according to the Contact’s preferred marketing preferences, which can be set either by the Contact using the consumer app, or via the back-end from the Contact screen.
For Refer-a-friend email communications - If no Business integration is configured then email communication will be sent using Service Owner integration
For Refer-a-friend sms communications - Only sent using the Business integration
Overriding Contact Preferences
If you enable the toggle to ignore the Contact’s marketing preferences, then your communication will also reach those Contacts who have not set the communication channel you have chosen as their preferred form of communication. I.E. If a Contact has opted-out of email communications and you have enabled the override option for an email communication, then the Contact will receive the email regardless of their preference (assuming they have an email address set).
Content
Use the Content tab to create your message in multiple languages. For email communications, a rich text editor is available with options to insert images and add embedded links. Images can also be included for in-app push notifications.
Email tracking settings can be configured (via Settings > CRM) to monitor whether an email has been read or a link has been visited.
Tags
Tags can be used to create personalised Communications for customers, they are predefined and are replaced with actual values when a communication is sent. To use a tag enter a # in the message body and a drop-down list of available tags will be displayed for selection.
These are the generic tags available as a minimum for all types of communications. If the communication is being created via Platform > Automations then additional tags relevant to the event will also be available.
Tag | Contents |
|---|---|
#contact.name | Contact name as it appears in the system (e.g. first name, last name) |
#contact.code | Unique Contact code |
#contact.email | Contact’s email address |
#contact.phone_number | Contact’s telephone number |
#contact.referral_code | Contact’s referral code (for referring a friend) |
#contact.first_name | Contact’s first name |
#contact.middle_name | Contact’s middle name |
#contact.last_name | Contact’s last name |
#contact.balances | All Contact’s account(s) and wallet(s) balances Format: <account currency> Account <account number> balance <account balance>, Wallet <wallet number> balance <wallet balance> Example: EUR Account A123 balance 13.00, Wallet W500 balance 5.35 GBP Account A888 balance 55.80, Wallet W900 balance 4.90 |
#account.billing_address | Contact’s account billing address |
#account.balance | Contact’s primary account balance |
#wallet.balance | Contact’s (primary account) wallet balance |
#wallet.open_balance | Contact’s (primary account) wallet Open balance |
#wallet.commerce_balance | Contact’s (primary account) wallet Commerce balance |
Communication Templates
When creating a Communication Plan, if you select the Save as Template option you will be able to name and save the Communication as a template which can then be used for creating future Communications efficiently.
A template can be recalled via the Use existing template option. The available templates to select from are filtered based on your language and integrations selections.
Communication Templates can also be defined through Settings without the need to define a Communication Plan.
Other uses of Templates
A Communication template can also be used to email or print an Invoice or Order from the Contact screen Activity Feed.
Navigate to Contacts > My Contacts > locate and select a Contact > Activity Feed > select an invoice > …
Email to Contact - Email the invoice to the Contact’s current email address
Print - View a print preview of the invoice, save it as a pdf file, or print a copy
For both these options, you will be prompted to select the template to be used to display the content.
Ditto for Orders.
Editor Limitations
The communication editor provides the basic requirements expected of such a tool, however, these are some known (and not restricted to) limitations:
With the exception of communications created for in-app push notifications, images can only be inserted using a URL. Uploading an image by browsing your device is not an option.
If you want to insert content below an image, press Shift+Enter to move to a new line below the inserted image.
Inserting HTML code using the Source Code widget (<>) may not provide the desired result.
Tables cannot be inserted as content
Scheduler
Use the Scheduler tab to define when the Communication Plan will be executed:
just once - Set the one-off execution date and time
on repeated basis - Define the repeating time interval (Daily/Weekly/Monthly) to execute the Communication plan.
Recipients
Specify one or more Contact Segments for the Communication Plan, i.e. the Contacts who will receive the communication. At least one Segment must be selected in order to be able to Save a Communication Plan.
Segments are pre-defined via Contacts > Segmentation and must be configured prior to creating any Communication Plans.
Save
Once a Communication Plan has been saved, it will assume a Posted state and scheduled for delivery on the date and time you have selected. It’s possible to edit and re-use a communication plan without restrictions.
Save as Draft
The Save as Draft option indicates an incomplete Communication Plan, the system will allow you to save the Communication Plan in Draft state without defining the recipients or the scheduled date & time.
Delete
A communication plan can only be deleted when in Draft state, Posted communications cannot be removed.
Communications Settings
To configure Communication settings click on your logged-in user name in the top right-hand-corner of the screen > Settings > CRM > Communications.
Tracking Settings
Define the tracking settings that will be used to track emails and provide information on emails viewed and links visited. Tracking options can apply to All Communications or just to Communication Plans.
Communication Templates
Create communication templates without the need of creating a Communication Plan.
The configuration largely resembles that of Communication Plans with the exception of:
Entity - Used to select the type of transaction your communication will be related to, the Entity selected also determines the communication tags available for use
Channel - The communication channel is used instead of the integration.
Reference Material
You may also find it useful to refer to the following manuals for further reading in relation to Communications.
Segmentation
Create Contact Segments to group the recipients.
Automations
Send automatic communications when an event is triggered.
Integrations
Configure integrations for methods of communication.
General Settings
Select the system languages to allow multilingual communications.
https://crmdevelopment.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDv2/pages/1435795459/Generic+Settings#languages
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