Send a customer SMS
Customer messaging is part of your subscription. Once your first site has a phone number set up, you can text customers about their job and they can text you back.
This transactional messaging is core to Openhood. It is not the Marketing module, which is a separate opt-in add-on.
One composer, every message
Every advisor-sent customer SMS goes through the same composer, wherever you open it from. You pick a template, the body fills in, you check the recipient, and you send.
- Open the composer from a repair order, a phone number, or the customer drawer.
- Tap a template pill to load ready copy, or type your own. Templates pull in details like the customer name, registration, and a status or approval link.
- Check the recipient. Australian mobiles show in local format, while the message routes to the correct stored number.
- Send. The exact message is recorded in the conversation and, when a repair order is in scope, in that order's activity.
Common transactional messages include arrival check-ins, status updates, quote approval links, ready-for-pickup, and inspection report links. When you mark a job ready for pickup, your workshop can either auto-send the pickup text or open the composer first for review. That choice is an owner setting.
Replies and grouping
When a customer texts back, Openhood works out where the reply belongs. It looks at the site number that received it, then the customer, then the active repair order or quote in that site.
When the match is confident, the reply joins the customer's conversation and the repair order chat. You see it labelled as an SMS from the customer, with a reply action right beside it.
Ungrouped SMS is a real queue
When Openhood is not sure which customer or job a reply belongs to, the message waits in an Ungrouped SMS lane above the inbox instead of being attached to the wrong job. You attach it to a repair order or dismiss it. A wrong automatic link is worse than a short wait.
Quote replies never apply themselves
A texted quote reply is read against the exact quote the customer was sent and staged for you to confirm. Nothing financial changes from customer text on its own. You confirm the decision.
Included allowance and overage
Transactional customer messaging is included with fair use in your base subscription. The included allowance is a set number of operational message segments per committed bay each month. Usage beyond that draws on your SMS credit ledger.
Setting up your site phone number does not use credits. Marketing and AI SMS messages are not part of the transactional allowance.
Where to see usage
Extra SMS usage and credit top-ups live in the owner Billing settings. Number setup, forwarding, and testing live in Communications settings.