Notifications, Discussions & Two-Way SMS

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

  1. Technician On-The-Way
    Trigger: Fieldworker taps Start Travel → Customer push (& email) + Admin push.
    Use case: Reduces “where are you?” calls.
  2. Quote Discussion Escalation
    Trigger: Customer replies with extra requirements → Sales manager tagged in thread → Push & inbox.
    Use case: Keeps upsell opportunities inside the system.
  3. 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.

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