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Sending email and SMS messages to a contact

Chris Horroll
Chris Horroll
  • Updated

With SMS text messaging enabled by default, you can send an email or SMS text message to any contact in your database, straight from their contact record, as long as their email address or mobile number is saved on the record. Emails and SMS messages you send are recorded on the contact's Timeline.

Adding an email address and SMS to a contact

Before you can email or text a contact, add the details to their record and choose those delivery methods.

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Contact on the side menu
  4. In the Contact top tab, within the First Person section, complete the Telephone and E-Mail details
    1. Click the + at the end of each field to add additional contact details, if necessary
    2. You can repeat the above steps for an optional Second Person if required
  5. Within the Account Delivery Method section, as a minimum, tick Email and SMS
  6. Click Save to confirm your changes

Sending an email

Send an ad hoc email to the contact from their record. You can also start from an email template - see Sending a templated email.

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Overview on the side menu
  4. Click the @ symbol below the name of the contact
  5. An email window will open. If the contact has more than one e-mail address, hover over their name and click Choose email address
  6. Tick the email address(es) that you want the email to be sent to, then click Select
  7. In the CC field, type the names of any other contacts who you want to include in this email
  8. Edit the Subject of the email, if needed (by default, the template name will be set as the Subject)
  9. Amend the content of the email by clicking inside any of the blue boxes that appear when you hover over the email body. Type in any additional text you want to add
  10. Add any Attachments needed either by selecting Browse your Computer and selecting attachments directly from your desktop, or, by selecting Browse Alto and attaching documents stored on the tenancy record (if applicable)
  11. Click Send

Any emails that are sent will be recorded in the contacts Timeline. 

 Note

  • If you use merge codes (for example #contact_name#), they stay visible as text while you edit - this is expected. They populate with real details only when the email is sent. For the full list see List of merge codes for email templates
  • At the bottom of the email window you'll see a thumbs up or thumbs down icon. This shows whether the contact has consented to receiving marketing and to property matching

Sending an SMS message

Send a text message to the contact from their record.

 Note

SMS is an additional charge and can only be used once a direct debit form has been signed. Once signed, anyone in the agency can use SMS

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Overview on the side menu
  4. Click the speech bubble symbol below the name of the contact
  5. An SMS Message window will open. If there is more than one mobile number, select or deselect the relevant ones
  6. Type your Message
  7. Click Send 

Any messages that are sent will be recorded in the contacts Timeline.

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