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Can Clients Call My Account SMS Number?

Manage SMS expectations with Zanda: clients can text back to your messages but cannot call the number. Include clear instructions in reminders and during intake.

Zanda SMS feature operates as a unique two-way chat that facilitates back and forth communication between you and your valuable clientele. The chat messages are delivered to your clients as SMS messages, and the clients can reply by sending a text/SMS message using their SMS app on their phones. 

In this article:

What happens if a client calls the number that sent them a text message?

The numbers Zanda sends SMS messages from in Australia and the UK are standard mobile numbers set up for text messaging. A client who calls one back will usually hear a recorded message such as "The mobile phone you are calling is switched off or not in a mobile service area. Please try again later."

Because these are standard mobile numbers, the mobile network decides what a caller actually hears—Zanda handles the text messaging side only. These numbers may also have been used by other businesses before, so once in a while a client who calls back reaches someone else's mobile rather than a recorded message.

If a client tells you they reached the wrong number when calling back, contact Zanda Support with the number they dialed and roughly when they called. In the meantime, the ideas below help clients call your practice number instead.

Can we change the number our SMS messages are sent from?

Zanda assigns SMS sending numbers automatically, and it does so for each client rather than for your practice as a whole. Accounts in Australia and the UK draw from a shared set of numbers, and each of your clients is given one from that set the first time you message them. That number then stays with the client for later messages, so different clients may see different sending numbers.

Dedicated SMS numbers, which give a practice its own sending number, are available in the countries where local regulations require them, including the USA and Canada. Everywhere else, the reliable way to get clients calling the right place is to publish your practice phone number in your messages, using the ideas below.

How can a practice manage their clients expectations and make it clear that the number is for SMS only?

Here are some ideas:

  • You can add the {BusinessPhone} merge field to your SMS reminder template and other SMS templates with brief instructions to clients to call this number for any queries. Please be mindful of the message character length to not increase your SMS costs.
  • It is also advisable to inform your clients during the intake process about the contact details they should use for communicating with your practice.
  • In addition, the cancellation and contact information can be added to your client portal home page and terms and conditions of use, in User Menu > Account Settings > Schedule > Client Portal > Access and Settings.

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