📱 A frequently asked question we get is 'Can a patient reply to an SMS sent with Peptalkr?' 📱
The short answer is no.
Long answer? Well, our SMS function is more like a notification service than a two-way channel of communication - a conscious decision we made to avoid any confusion (i.e patients trying to call or SMS the Peptalkr mobile number for alternative things), and because Cliniko has their own mobile numbers they send SMS from which may make things even more confusing.
Because of this, Peptalkr SMS are sent from a name/word rather than a mobile number. You can make this name/word anything you like 11 characters or less.
What if they try to reply?
People cannot reply to these SMS and they are notified of that when they open the SMS on a smart phone.
See an example here on Android:
An example you might know from your day-to-day life is when you get an SMS from a company letting you know about your flight itinerary or a driver arriving. It may not have a phone number, but it would instead have their business name. You won't be able to reply to them, but sometimes they include links or contact details. This is just like the Peptalkr SMS.
What we suggest
Include a method of reply in the SMS itself if you want to direct patients to reply (i.e. an email address, or a phone number).
How do people opt-out of SMS?
Even though you can't reply to Peptalkr SMS, we still include an opt-out link for all marketing SMS by default, and you can also include a cancellation link if you want patients to be able to cancel an appointment.
For more information, go to the Introduction to sending SMS article!
Please contact us if you have any further questions.