SMS History Log – Your Complete Conversation Record
OctopusPro’s SMS module does two things better than your phone ever could:
- Logs every text—sent or received—against the right booking or customer profile.
- Notifies staff instantly on web and mobile so no message is missed.
Together they give sales, dispatch and field teams the speed of SMS with the accountability of email.
Where to See SMS Activity
| View | Navigation | Best For |
| Recent SMS Report | Left Menu → Reports → History Log → Recent SMS | Deep search, filters, CSV export. |
| Top-Bar SMS Centre | Click SMS icon ( 🔔 next to Notifications ) | Reading & replying to incoming messages in real-time. |
| Dashboard Widget | Left Menu → Dashboard → SMS Messages box  |
At-a-glance list of the last 10 inbound texts with View / Reply shortcuts. |
Recent SMS Report (Full Audit)
Filters
- All / Outgoing / Incoming dropdown.
- Mobile number selector—type or scroll; great for multi-site clients.
- Dashboard switcher – All Dashboard vs My Dashboard to see company-wide traffic or just your own.
Columns Explained
| Column | Description | Click-Through |
| User Type | Customer • Contractor • Office Staff | – |
| From / To | Sender & recipient numbers | – |
| Receiver | If customer has a profile, name appears here. | Opens customer profile |
| Message | First 120 chars (hover to see full text) | incoming only: View conversation |
| Status | delivered · failed · queued | – |
| Send / Received Time | Local timestamps | – |
| Created By | Staff name or “System” for auto-reminders | – |
| Booking Link | Right-most column shows “booking” link if SMS relates to a job | Opens booking |
Tip: Click CSV in the toolbar to export filtered results for compliance or marketing analysis.
Real-Time SMS Centre (Top Bar)
- Unread badge turns orange on new inbound texts.
- List shows newest on top; click View to open the threaded conversation.
- Reply opens the SMS composer with canned-response snippets (if configured).
- “Mark all as Read” clears the badge count in one click.
Conversation Window
- Yellow bubbles = outbound (system or staff).
- Blue bubbles = inbound (customer / technician).
- Thread displays date separators so multi-day chats are easy to scan.
- View booking button jumps straight to the related job for status updates.
Dashboard Widget
- Shows last n inbound messages (default 10).
- New counter indicates unread; View All links to the SMS Centre.
- Each row has View / Reply shortcuts—perfect for reception staff.
Practical Use-Cases & Benefits
| Scenario | Workflow | Outcome |
| Deposit reminder | System sends auto-SMS; if customer replies “Paid”, dispatcher sees it immediately and marks booking confirmed. | Cuts phone calls, secures revenue. |
| Technician running late | Tech replies to reminder SMS; office receives alert in SMS Centre and updates customer in two taps. | Proactive service, fewer complaints. |
| Marketing opt-out compliance | Filter Report → Incoming → search “STOP” → bulk-label contacts. | GDPR / ACMA friendly. |
| Field audit | Export last month’s outgoing SMS for proof of service reminders. | Reduces liability in disputes. |
Best-Practice Tips
- Keep messages <160 chars so they stay in one part and cost less.
- Use merge tags ({{booking_id}}, {{deposit_link}}) for contextual automation.
- Enable push notifications in the mobile app to ensure on-site staff see replies instantly.
- Archive old numbers—use the number filter to find mobiles with zero booking links and clean your CRM.
- Respond within 15 minutes—industry studies show SMS engagement plummets after that window.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
| Can I block abusive numbers? | Yes—open the conversation > ⋮ > Block Number. Future texts are auto-archived. |
| Does the system support MMS? | Incoming MMS images are shown as thumbnails in the conversation (carrier-dependent); outgoing MMS is on the roadmap. |
| Who can delete SMS logs? | Only Admins with the “Delete SMS” privilege; deletions remain in the audit trail for transparency. |
Key Takeaways
- One log, every message—never lose track of a customer text again.
- Instant notifications keep teams responsive and customers reassured.
- Robust filters & exports satisfy compliance and optimisation needs.
Head to Reports → History Log → Recent SMS now and put your SMS communications on autopilot—with oversight.
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