Two-way messaging with clients | Help Center

Sidebar: Messages.

Each client has one conversation holding everything either side has sent. Everyone on your team who can see Messages sees the same history. Messages on one person's phone are invisible to whoever is on shift tomorrow.

To see Messages you need the View messages permission. To send, you need Send messages. Employees have both by default.

Starting a conversation

Press New Conversation.
Search for the client by name, email or phone.
Pick them, then type your message.

To find an existing conversation, use Search conversations... at the top of the list.

Choosing how it goes out

The channel button next to the message box has three choices:

In-App — appears in the client's portal. Free, no limit, no consent needed.
SMS — a text to their phone. Needs their consent and uses your text allowance.
Both — portal and text together, for something that cannot wait.

Default to In-App. Use SMS for time-critical things: a pet ready early, a delay, something that needs an answer today.

What you might see after sending:

"Delivered to portal only" — you chose Both, but the client has not agreed to texts. The portal message still went.
"Delivered to portal — text not sent" — your texts and credits are used up. Buy a pack to resume texts.
"Client has no phone number" — add a phone number to their profile first.
With SMS alone, a client who has not agreed to texts gets nothing. Use In-App or Both.

Photos

Press Attach Image to add photos. Up to 10 images, 5 MB each. A photo sent by text uses 3 text credits.

A picture of a dog mid-groom is the cheapest goodwill a pet business can buy.

Quick Replies and the emoji button help you answer common questions fast.

Replies come back to the same thread

Texts come from Alaga's number, (844) 979-1388. When a client texts back, the reply lands in their conversation in Messages. Portal replies land there too. There is no second inbox.

When a client replies in the portal, your business email also gets a notice.

A text from a number that is not on any client's profile is not saved. If a phone number is used by clients at more than one business on Alaga, the reply goes to the business with that client's most recent appointment.

Text consent

You cannot text a client who has not agreed to texts. There is no override. A client who replies STOP is opted out until they reply START, and only they can do that. See Text messages: consent, compliance and what gets sent.

If Messages is missing

Your role may not include View messages.
If your business restricts off-site access, Messages is hidden when you sign in away from the office.

What messaging is not

Not a marketing channel. An offer to fifty clients belongs in Marketing, which handles consent and unsubscribes.
Not a record of care. Notes about a pet belong on the pet's profile, where the next person will find them.
Not watched after hours. Clients will message at 11 pm. Tell them when you reply.

Good habits

Answer from Alaga, not your personal phone. A conversation that moves to someone's mobile is lost to the business.
Check it daily. An unanswered message is worse than no messaging at all.