This article covers frequently asked questions about sending and managing text messages.
For practices with Vello enabled only. See FAQs: Vello client engagement in Neo for more information.
SENDING SMS
There are several ways to send SMS messages from Neo, depending on the purpose of the message:
- Ad hoc messages: Click the Send SMS button on the client or patient Overview tabs. This method is great for sending SMS status updates for surgery, hospitalized patients, and boarding.
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Appointment reminders:
- To send an SMS appointment reminder to all clients with scheduled appointments for a specific day, click the SMS button from the Schedule tab.
- To send an SMS appointment reminder to a specific client, click on their appointment to display the popover card. Then click the Send SMS Appointment Reminder icon.
- Procedure updates: Click the Send SMS Appointment Reminder button from the Procedures tab to send SMS procedure reminders or updates.
- Reminders: Schedule automatic reminders to be sent by SMS when due. For example, set up an automatic SMS message reminder to remind clients to give flea, tick, and heartworm medication each month.
- For practices with Vello enabled only. See Send and receive SMS (text) messages with Vello for more information.
Neo will send messages from one of five different numbers. The number clients will see on received messages depends primarily on the pet owner's phone number.
- 1-213-263-4771 - Los Angeles, CA US
- 1-608-403-3078 - Adams, WI US
- 1-754-227-6660 - Deerfield Beach, FL US
- 1-207-209-2321 - Portland, ME US
- 1-812-202-4900 - Boonville, IN US
- 1-438-792-4134 - Montreal, Quebec CAN
Note: These numbers cannot be changed.
For practices with Vello enabled only. See FAQs: Vello client engagement in Neo for more information.
Simply click the SMS Appointment button on the Schedule tab to send an appointment reminder SMS message to all clients with an appointment scheduled on that day, regardless of the appointment’s status.
Click the appointment, so the appointment popover card displays. On the left side of the popover card, click the send SMS appointment reminder icon to send an SMS to the client.
Note: The Create Message button will be disabled if the client mobile number of record is invalid. You can review and update the client's mobile number on their Overview tab, as needed. Then try sending the SMS again.
If the SMS is on the Ready to Approve or the Outbox tabs of the SMS Manager, you can edit the message. Click the text of the message in the SMS Manager to edit.
MANAGING SMS
Sending SMS messages is included in the price of your Neo Subscription - at no additional charge!
You can view who has been sent an SMS message by going to Administration > SMS Manager.
No. Direct replies to SMS messages will not get back to you. Your outgoing SMS message should ask clients to call the practice if they have any questions.
For practices with Vello enabled only. See FAQs: Vello client engagement in Neo for more information.
Yes. If you would like to review SMS reminders before they are sent, go to Administration > Branch Settings and change the Send SMS Immediately option to No. This will hold SMS messages in the SMS Manager Ready to Approve tab (Administration > SMS Manager) for review by a manager before they are sent. Note that Send SMS Immediately applies only to client and patient messages.
- A red box around the Mobile No. box on the client Overview tab.
- Messaging under the Mobile No. box, "Please check this phone number. We noticed an error."
Note: This is the same error as when the mobile number is invalid. - An "Unknown" error in the SMS Manager when they try to send the client an SMS message in the future.
TROUBLESHOOTING
A mobile number must be at least nine digits to be considered valid. Any spaces or extra characters (dashes, parenthesis, etc.) saved with the mobile number will not impact the SMS from being sent.
The current character limit when sending an SMS message from Neo is 159 characters. If the form exceeds the character limit, the message will be sent in more than one text.
The __sms_appointment__ form is used to send appointment reminder SMS messages. It can be found and edited in Administration > Forms & Certificates > Reminder Reports. Remember to stay within the 159 character SMS limit when editing the form to ensure the information is not sent in more than one message.
The __sms_procedure__ form is used to send procedure reminder SMS messages or follow-ups. It can be found and edited in Administration > Forms & Certificates > Reminder Reports. Remember to stay within the 159 character SMS limit when editing the form to ensure the information is not sent in more than one message.
This depends on your practice settings and type of SMS message.
- Automatic reminder SMS messages will always send automatically without needing approval.
- Client and patient SMS messages will send automatically if the Send SMS Immediately drop-down list in Administration > Branch Settings is set to Yes. If set to No, the message must be approved before it can be sent.
- The following messages will always require approval before sending:
- Manual reminder SMS messages
- SMS messages from appointments
- SMS messages from procedures
- Mass SMS messages from reports
For more information on approving messages, see Manage SMS (text) messages.
- An SMS message that has been in the SMS Outbox for over 48 hours will be flagged as "outdated" to ensure the timeliness of the message being sent to the client.
- The client’s mobile number may be invalid or missing from the Mobile No. field on the Overview tab in the client record.
- The client may have unsubscribed from receiving messages by replying STOP.
- For SMS reminders not sending, there may not be an SMS form selected for that reminder type.
- Edit the reminder type and select a form for SMS.
When you attempt to send an SMS to a client that contains words forbidden (for example, CBD) by Neo's SMS provider, you will receive an error prompting you to update the message and try again. The error will display when you:
- Click Send from the Client SMS or Patient SMS buttons.
- Click Edit then Save Changes from an SMS in the SMS Manager.
For complete information about our SMS provider's message content guidelines, see Twilio SMS Guidelines, Use Case Restrictions section by clicking here.
Tip: Press CTRL (CMD) + F and enter "restrictions" to jump to the Use Case Restrictions section on the page.
SMS appointment reminders will not be created or sent for a client if one has been sent to that client/patient within 24 hours.