Notifications, Discussions & Two-Way SMS
OctopusPro uses three delivery channels—push, email and SMS—to reach admins, fieldworkers and customers with time-critical updates. Push notifications hit mobile devices even when the app is closed.
1. How Different Roles Receive Notifications
| Role | Channel(s) | Example Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Admin & Fieldworker | Push (mobile app) • In-app inbox | New booking assigned; quote approved. |
| Customer (portal only) | Email & SMS | Booking confirmed, invoice issued. |
| Customer (branded app) | Push + Email + SMS | Technician on the way, status change. |
Benefit: Multi-channel redundancy lifts open rates above 90 % for time-sensitive messages—a benchmark set by leading customer-notification suites.
2. Viewing & Filtering
- Web: Click Notifications (bell icon) → All Notifications page.
- Mobile: Swipe down on the in-app inbox to refresh.
- Filters: Status (Active / Inactive) • User/Fieldworker • Date range • Tag (e.g. Invoice, Complaint).
3. Customising Preferences
- Path: Notifications ▸ Settings. Toggle each event on/off or change its channel mix (Push / Email / SMS).
- Use case: Turn off “Quote viewed” for admins who rely on daily digests but keep it for sales reps who need instant pings.
Discussions — Threaded Internal & Customer Chat
Think of Discussions as context-rich “comment threads” glued to each job, invoice or quote.
1. Delivery & Access
- Push on mobile, Inbox on web. Tapping a push takes you straight to the thread.
- Web path: All Discussions (chat icon) → thread list.
- Mobile: Menu ▸ Discussions.
2. Settings & Channels
- All Discussions ▸ Settings: Enable/disable discussion alerts per module (Quote, Booking, Inquiry, Invoice, Complaint) and choose delivery method (Push, Email, SMS).
- Field teams often mute Invoice discussions but keep Booking ones live to avoid on-site surprises.
3. Filtering
Status • Object type • User tag (Fieldworker, Success Agent) help large teams surface the right thread quickly.
SMS — Two-Way Texting for Time-Critical Work
OctopusPro integrates a two-way SMS gateway (built on the same pattern Twilio’s Conversations API recommends) so you can send, receive and log texts at scale.
1. How Messages Flow
- Incoming SMS → Push notification → All SMS centre.
- Outbound SMS can be sent automatically (reminders) or manually from any job, quote or discussion thread.
2. Reply & Full Conversation View
- All SMS ▸ View Conversation shows a complete audit trail, ideal for dispute resolution.
- Reply pops a quick-send window; the response is logged instantly.
3. Filters
Exactly the same filter bar as Notifications: Status • User • Date • Tag—keeping UX consistent.
Admin Flexibility & Edge Cases
| Scenario | How OctopusPro Handles It | Benefit |
| After-hours VIP job | Admin drags booking to 20:00 → Fieldworker gets push; customer sees SMS only | Keeps calendar clean; avoids exposing out-of-hours slots |
| Split shifts | Add 08:00-12:00 & 13:00-17:00 in Working Hours → auto-notifs respect breaks | No more lunch-time alerts |
| National holiday | Company blocks date → all auto-messages pause; manual SMS still allowed | Prevents false confirmations |
Quick-Start Examples
- Technician On-The-Way
Trigger: Fieldworker taps Start Travel → Customer push (& email) + Admin push.
Use case: Reduces “where are you?” calls. - Quote Discussion Escalation
Trigger: Customer replies with extra requirements → Sales manager tagged in thread → Push & inbox.
Use case: Keeps upsell opportunities inside the system. - SMS Failover
Trigger: Email bounces → OctopusPro auto-converts reminder to SMS.
Use case: Ensures compliance reminders still reach the client.
Key Benefits
- Higher First-Time Fix Rate: Techs get instant changes, mirroring industry averages of 10-15 % fewer revisits when mobile alerts are used.
- Customer Satisfaction: 75 % of consumers prefer proactive texts for service updates.
- Audit & Compliance: Full message log meets ISO-9001 traceability requirements.
For more information please visit Octopuspro user guide, and subscribe to our youtube channel.