Communication Center: Chat, SMS, and Calling

Recess gives you a full communication center to message clients, families, groups, and staff all in one place, alongside SMS and calling tools through Twilio. Here's everything you can do.

SMS and Calling

Recess gives you powerful calling and SMS tools through your Dashboard and Twilio, so you can stay connected with clients efficiently and professionally.

What We Offer

1. Local Numbers: Get a Recess number with a local area code (e.g., 650-XXX-XXXX) to connect with clients via messaging in your Recess dashboard through the Communication Center.
2. Call Forwarding: Forward calls from your new Recess number to an existing physical phone seamlessly, so you never miss a call.
3. Phone Number Transfers: Transfer your existing phone number from your current studio management system to Twilio while keeping service continuity.

Why Use Recess for SMS and Calling

• Seamless Communication: Schedule messages automatically and reach out to clients effortlessly from the Recess dashboard, saving time while keeping communication consistent.
• Enhanced Client Experience: Send timely updates, reminders, and promotions that build a stronger connection with your members.
• Professional Branding: Toll-free and local numbers give your studio a polished, trustworthy image.
• Security and Compliance: Twilio's infrastructure keeps your communications secure and compliant with U.S. regulations.

Getting Started

1. Fill Out the SMS Verification Form — All numbers require verification to comply with regulations. Submit the form to kick off the process. Link
2. Confirm Website Compliance — To get approved for a new phone number, your website needs a Privacy Policy. If you operate under a DBA, that needs to be listed in the privacy policy too. Email us if you need help setting one up.
3. Email Support — Send an email to support@recess.tv with the subject line "SMS Setup: [Your Studio Name]" and include:
   • Local Numbers: Your preferred area code.
   • Call Forwarding: The existing phone number to forward Recess calls to, and your current provider.
   • Phone Number Transfers: Proof of ownership and details of the number you're transferring from your current platform.
4. Setup Timelines:
   • Local Numbers: 2-3 weeks for certification and setup.
   • Call Forwarding: Configured within 1 week.
   • Phone Number Transfers: Up to 1 month, depending on your current provider.

The Chat Experience

The Communication Center gives you a unified chat window for messaging clients across email, SMS, and in-app, all from one view.

Unified Chat Window

The chat window shows you exactly who a message is going to or coming from, and how it was sent.

• Channel indicators: See whether a message was sent over email, SMS, or in-app, with distinct icons for each.
• Color coding: Client messages and your sent messages are visually distinct, so conversations are easy to follow at a glance.

• Full formatting for email: Email messages support a subject line and full HTML formatting, not just plain text.
• Message tools: Attachments, emojis, links, sending a product or package link, and the ability to send immediately or schedule a message for later.

• Templated replies: Save and reuse your own message templates, searchable from the chat window.

• Mark as favorite or archive: Keep important conversations handy or tuck away ones you're done with.

• View as client: See exactly what the client sees on their end of the conversation.

Message Status and Activity

You can see the full lifecycle of a message:

• Sent, delivered, and read status for app and email messages (SMS only shows sent, since read receipts aren't available for SMS).
• Alerts if a message didn't go through, whether from a bounce, a blocked number, or a delivery failure, so you know when to follow up another way.
• The ability to reschedule, cancel, delete, or copy a scheduled message.

Marketing, Family, and Group Messages in One Place

Marketing emails, family messages, and group messages all surface directly in a client's conversation thread, color coded so you can tell what kind of message it was. Clicking into a marketing email takes you straight to the Growth Suite for more detail.

Chat Channels

The left-hand panel organizes your conversations by type, with quick search:

• Favorites
• Groups — message specific audiences like class groups or program groups.
• Direct Messages — one-on-one conversations with clients, showing the most recent message and unread count.
• Family — messaging a family lets you choose whether to notify everyone in the family or just specific members, so you're not pinging people unnecessarily.
• Staff — internal staff conversations.

Client, Group, and Family Profiles

Alongside the chat window, you'll see a profile panel for whoever you're messaging, with relevant details for that client, group, or family front and center.

Staff Permissions

Set rules around which staff members can message which clients so you have control over who's communicating with whom.

Phone Calling

Full calling support directly from your computer, including:

• Call logs and voicemails, with text alongside each entry.
• Ringless voicemail drops, including the ability to build your own templates.
• Ringless voicemail as a step inside your automated sequences.

If you have any questions about using the Communication Center, feel free to reach out!