SMS Definitions are the templates behind every automated text message TutorCruncher sends. You can edit the wording of any of them, so the messages your users receive sound like your company.
Navigate to System > Settings > Communication Settings > SMS Definitions before clicking ‘View’ on the row of the SMS Definition you would like to edit.
Previewing the ‘A Report was created for a Lesson’ SMS Definition.
Click the Edit button to make changes to the content of the SMS Definition. Here you can change the SMS Definition’s SMS text.
Editing the ‘Interview Invitation to Tutor’ SMS Definition.
Note: if the variable you are trying to call is not listed under the ‘Available Variables’ list, you won’t be able to use it in the SMS Definition’s body.
Using variables
When editing an SMS Definition, you will see words enclosed in curly brackets (also known as Moustache templates), for example:
{{ recipient_first_name }}These allow the system to retrieve information from the system to be placed in the SMS - the example here is for the name of the person receiving the SMS. Therefore, you will want to avoid changing or editing anything within these brackets, but you can move them around.
How long an SMS can be
A single SMS is 160 characters. If your message runs longer than that it will be sent as multiple messages, and you will be charged for each one. The thresholds are:
Up to 160 characters - 1 message
Up to 306 characters - 2 messages
Up to 459 characters - 3 messages
This continues in steps of roughly 153 characters, up to a maximum of 9 messages.
Note: some characters count as two rather than one. These are line breaks and the characters [ \ ] ^ { | } ~ €. A line break counting double is the most common reason a message that looks short enough is sent as two.
Remember that variables are replaced with real values when the SMS is sent, so a short-looking template can still go over the limit if it is fed a long value, for example:
{{ company_address }}Messages longer than 1377 characters will not be sent at all. These appear under Communications > Outbound SMSs with an error rather than being delivered.