​@gurpreetsingh I noticed today that the checkbox to include opt-out messaging when sending outbound messages through the Web/Desktop RingCentral app to a single person has been removed. Was that intentional? From my understanding, we needed to ensure we used that messaging for all communications we sent to a client (at least initially). 

Do you have any additional updates you can talk about related to the SMS features? 

​@gurpreetsingh Do you have any updates on the current features that were set to be deployed around SMS/TCR? 

I’ve noticed the Opt-Out checkbox no longer appears on 1-to-1 messages in the RingCentral web/desktop app, only the mobile app. Is this as intended? It looks like you have to create a group message to have the option. 

Since we’re required to send out the opt-out information on initial text messages, this feature was helpful to remain compliant while not making it extremely inefficient to have someone copy/paste a template. 

​@gurpreetsingh I also noticed a new “Company Template” in the RingCentral App Today. I couldn’t find any documentation on how we’d set up administrative templates, but figured this would be an option for asking users to supply opt-out language. I didn’t see the same feature set in the Web/Desktop App yet. 

​@ByrneReese would you or someone at RingCentral have any thoughts on my above two posts? I’ve tried getting answers from RingCentral support and they’re unaware of such options. 

​@bt-chris.brown This is not a good solution for that. SMS opt-in and opt-out auto-reply messages are controlled by the system. I would not recommend sending your own, as you will just duplicate the messages that are sent for you automatically. 

My understanding is that the responses are controlled from your TCR application. 

​@ByrneReese All we’re looking to accomplish is to have a consistent “opt-out” message sent out to recipients when we initiate a text message to them for the first time so they know to reply STOP to discontinue receiving messages. From my understanding, that was required by TCR to remain compliant. I don’t see how this is automatically done from the TCR registration with RingCentral. I understand if a client were to text us “Start” they would get some messaging around how to opt-out, but in this situation we’re looking to standardize the initial communication so that we can include the compliant opt-out info. These communications are traditional 1-to-1 and have nothing to do with marketing. 

​@bt-chris.brown I am not sure this is what you are saying, but one thing I feel I should point out is based on my own misunderstanding early on. 

TCR applies to all communications between a business and consumer. TCR does not disambiguate between 1-on-1 communications between a business representative and a customer. So if you and I are corresponding with one another via SMS, me from my RingCentral phone number and you as one of its customers, if you text STOP to me, I am obligated not to text you again -- even if we are talking about what we both did last summer. You know? I thought I would share, because again, I thought TCR governed how I use SMS to market to you or sell to you. But it governs more than that. 

Let me take a step back and look at your request fresh. You are not talking about an auto-reply to a request to STOP, START, etc. You are looking for a way to inform the people you correspond with of their ability to unsubscribe if they want to. I think that is correct, but let me know if I got that wrong - otherwise, the rest of my advice below is likely to be wrong. :-/

Ok. So I see two ways to solve this problem: one is through the use of SMS templates. SMS templates allow you to write and share a message across your organization that you can easily insert into a text you intend to send to someone. This would not be automated, but would at least let you create a consistent message that could be sent to the people you correspond with. The downside being that it is not automated, and your employees would need to be trained to send this disclosure reliably. Ug.

Ideally we could automate this message using Workflow Builder. We don’t have a trigger for SMS sent - that seems like the ideal trigger. The workflow would work like this:

• At a frequency of once per month or even once per year, when you send an SMS to someone, the workflow would be triggered and send a second SMS shortly thereafter saying, “FYI - you are corresponding with INSERT NAME from COMPANY NAME. If you would like to no longer receive messages from them, you may send ‘STOP’ at any time.” The workflow would periodically send this disclosure based on the workflow’s frequency settings - in this way it would also work to remind users of their rights on a recurring basis. In this scenario, the following would be possible:
  • Byrne: “Hey Chris, I wanted to follow up regarding our phone call.”
  • Workflow Builder to Chris: “Disclaimer: you are corresponding with Byrne Reese from RingCentral. If you would like to no longer receive messages from Byrne, you may send ‘STOP’ at any time.”
  • Chris: “Oh hey Byrne. No problem. It was great speaking with you.”
  • Byrne: “Likewise. Let’s schedule a meeting to chat...”
• Alternatively, you could bind the same logic to the “SMS received” trigger. So the interaction would be slightly different, but it would still work to achieve the same results. In this mode though the following interaction would be more common. 
  • Byrne: “Hey Chris, I wanted to follow up regarding our phone call.”
  • Chris: “Oh hey Byrne. No problem. It was great speaking with you.”
  • Workflow Builder to Chris: “Disclaimer: you are corresponding with Byrne Reese from RingCentral. If you would like to no longer receive messages from Byrne, you may send ‘STOP’ at any time.”
  • Byrne: “Likewise. Let’s schedule a meeting to chat...”

You can see the only difference between the two would be the order in which the messages are sent. What do you think of these ideas?

​@ByrneReese Thank you for the follow-up and clarifying the need to discontinue texting if anyone opts out by saying STOP in the message. I understand that RingCentral does automate that piece by sending out a notice that they have successfully opted out and adding that number to a “block list” for the sender. You do have the correct understanding of my request here, we're just trying to make sure our users do provide the customer a notice on how to opt-out. In some of my previous posts, I did point out it seemed that the RingCentral mobile app did have a checkbox to include opt-out information, but that feature does not look to be available on the RingCentral Web/Desktop apps. At some point they did have that feature, but it looks to be unavailable now. That seems like it would have allowed us to easily comply with the regulations. I then saw the recommendations to try creating an SMS Template and give it to our users to manually add themselves (which would allow it to work on Web/Desktop/Mobile). I noticed recently through the RingCentral mobile app that there was a seemingly “new” feature for Company SMS Templates that would take the work off the end users. However, it just says to contact your Admin for SMS Templates and as an Admin, I don’t see where I can create those. I assume both options may prevent the need to use any workflows since these features appear to be almost available. I guess what I’m trying to get clarification on is around the features that look to be there and when they might be available. If we have to use workflows in the meantime, I can understand, but it seems like these new features may allow us to skip the workflows. 

​@bt-chris.brown If your role allows you to create templates, that option will be available to you in our Desktop application when you open the SMS templates dialog as shown in the screenshot below. 

​@ByrneReese Ah. That is super helpful. I see that now and was able to create a company template. This should get us what we need, I just couldn’t figure out how to create the Company Template and all I found online was around the user templates.