PPS has the ability to send SMS messages to clients in the following ways:
- In the form of automatically scheduled Confirmations, Reminders, and Follow-Ups. Details on setting these up can be found here:
- On an individual basis via Activities > New SMS Text Message.
- Via the PPS Mail Merge facility which can send bulk-correspondence to clients.
In order to begin sending SMS you'll need an account with our third-party SMS messaging provider. The below process explains how to set this SMS account up.
Section 1 - Creating your SMS Account
a. To begin go to Tools > System Set Up > SMS Message Account Settings. You will be prompted with a pop up message stating that you need an internet connection before you proceed with creation of your SMS account. Ensure the connection is in place before continuing.
b. The SMS Accounts Details screen will now appear. You simply need to fill in the form on screen.
Your Boom SMS Account ID will be pre-entered (this is based on your PPS account number) and cannot be changed. You will need to type in a password, and just below this area you will need to fill in as many contact details as you can regarding your company contact details as these will be used to create your Boom SMS account.
c. Your 'SMS Message ID' is the name of the SMS Sender. When a client receives a text message from you, instead of it appearing as "07800123456" it will appear as "My Practice", for example, so that your clients know who has sent the text message.
d. Choose to send Via 'Direct Posting' only here which essentially means that as long as you have an active internet connection, the text message will send instantly (this is the preferred method, especially if you are planning to send out mail shots to your clients.) You can optionally tick to receive your sent messages status sent via the e-mail address you have provided as well.
e. Once you have entered your details you can complete the process by clicking Create Your Account.
Please Note: If you have more than one PPS system you can set up the Boom SMS account in one system and use the same settings in your other PPS systems. Please contact the PPS Support team on support@rushcliff.com for assistance in setting multiple systems up with the same SMS settings.
Section 2 - Purchasing SMS credits
To begin sending SMS messages from your PPS system you will need to purchase SMS credits. You can do so by contacting our sales team on sales@rushcliff.com stating the number of credits you would like and your PPS registration number and they can be added to your account. SMS credits are purchased in bundles and average at 6p+ VAT each.
Tip: If you have multiple systems using one SMS account please check the SMS account ID being used in your system and request that the credits are added to the correct SMS account. Navigate to Tools > System Set Up > SMS Account Settings in the system that you want the credits adding to and check the Account ID. Quote this Account ID when contacting the Sales Team to purchase your SMS credits.
Section 3 - Sending a Test SMS Message
To ensure your SMS system is up and running you may want to send a test SMS to yourself. You can do this via Activities > New SMS Text Message.
If you have a test client on the system or one you'd like to associate this to then select them here. Alternatively, choose None beside "This SMS is for" to send a message that will not be recorded under any client.
Enter the mobile number if none is already present and enter the body of the message in the Message field. Once done Choose Send SMS.
Section 4 - Making changes from your Boom SMS account
You can access your Boom SMS account by going to their website. You can log in with the Account ID and Password found within PPS.
There are certain changes to your Boom account that can only be made directly in the Boom SMS account:
a. Multi-Part Messaging
All SMS messages sent from PPS are limited to the standard of 160 characters. You can enable multi-part messaging which will allow you to send longer messages but each 160 characters will incur a charge of 1 credit. To enable multi-part messaging you will need to log into your Boom SMS account at http://boom-sms.co.uk using the details set up under Tools > System Set Up > SMS Message Account Settings.
b. Updating your SMS Message Identifier
If you want to update your SMS Message ID, the message identifier, this needs to be done through Boom SMS.
Log into your Boom SMS account with your Account ID and password and navigate to Edit Settings where you can update your SMS Identifier.