Utilize the Communicator on Scheduler App

In this article, we will walk through the steps of how to send, view, and respond to messages via the Communicator on the scheduler app.

Things to Know

• Inbound and outbound messages through the MyTime Communicator contribute to your SMS usage
• SMS costs are calculated per segment, not per message. Carriers treat each segment as a separate message for delivery and billing, so every segment is counted and charged individually. This billing method is determined by carriers and is not specific to MyTime.
• SMS Segment Calculation & Billing:

  • Segments per message are based on length and encoding

    • Encoding Standards 

    • GSM Encoding:

    • GSM-encoded messages (standard letters, numbers, and symbols) allow up to 160 characters per segment. 

    • If the message is longer than 160 characters, it will be split into concatenated segments of 153 characters each.

    • UCS-2 Encoding:

    • UCS-2 messages (special characters, emojis, or non-Latin alphabets) allow up to 70 characters per segment. 

    • If the message is longer than 70 characters, it will be split into concatenated segments of 67 characters each.
      

    • Even a single emoji forces UCS-2 encoding, reducing per-segment capacity and potentially doubling the number of segments.

    • Note: Concatenation headers are hidden data that let the recipient’s phone reassemble multiple segments into a single message.

  • Each recipient receives their own copy, so the number of segments per message is multiplied by the number of recipients to calculate billing. Example: A 2-segment message sent to 50 recipients counts as 100 billable segments. If each segment costs $0.02, the total cost would be 100 × $0.02 = $2.00.

  • Learn more about SMS segments & billing here.
• When using the communicator, please keep the following in mind:

  • Custom Guest App Installed: If the client has the custom guest app installed, the ghost text in the communicator window will display: "Messages will be sent via push notification."

  • Valid Phone Number and SMS Opt-In: If the client has a valid phone number on file and is opted in to receive transactional SMS, the ghost text will display: "Messages will be sent via SMS."

  • No Valid Phone Number but Valid Email Address: If the client does not have a valid phone number on file and is not opted in to receive SMS but has a valid email address and is opted in to receive transactional email, the ghost text will display: "Messages will be sent via email.

• Responses sent via Communicator after business hours will trigger an email notification to the owner.
• In Communicator, message colors help distinguish between automated and manual SMS activity:
  • Light grey (ghost text): Automated SMS messages and campaigns
  • Green text: Messages sent manually by a staff member

To utilize the Communicator on the Scheduler app, simply:

1. Login on the app
2. Select the Messages tab at the bottom of the screen                                                                                                               
3. Select an existing chat from the list or search for a client using the + icon on the top right
4. Compose a message or attach a file and send                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

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