A customer asks for help
A text to the service line appears in the inbox for everyone with access to that number.
- Customer texts the service line
- Waits in Unassigned
- Agent selects Assign to me
- Reply from the service line
Service
Customer service by text, worked as a team.
Give customers one service number to text. Your team answers from a shared inbox in Salesforce, takes ownership of conversations, and keeps customers updated as their cases move.
- No credit card required
- Listed on Salesforce AgentExchange
- Then $120 per user per year
- Runs on your own Twilio account
How do service teams use SMS in Salesforce? With ConnectSMS, customers text your service line and the conversation appears in a shared inbox for everyone with access to that number. Agents assign conversations to themselves, reply from the same number, and send case updates by hand or from a Flow, and the whole history stays in Salesforce.
Sarah Chen
Mobile · +1 (212) 555-0147
Text messages · Updated just now
Today
Hi Sarah, thanks for contacting WorkBridge Solutions. Your case number is 00001042. Reply here with any details.
Thanks. It started after the update last night. The screen stays blank.
Recreated from the ConnectSMS interface with sample data.
The day-to-day workflow
From first text to closed conversation.
The service line works like a shared queue: new conversations wait in Unassigned, an agent takes one, and the status tells everyone where it stands.
Case updates
When a case changes status, a Flow texts the customer from the service line, so their answer comes back to the team.
- Case status changes
- Flow sends the update
- Customer replies
- Agent picks it up in the inbox
Closing the loop
Close the conversation when the customer is sorted. If they text again, it reopens on its own.
- Issue resolved
- Agent closes the conversation
- Customer texts again
- Conversation reopens
Handoffs between shifts
Nothing lives on one agent's phone, so the next shift starts with the full history.
- Agent's shift ends
- Unassign
- Teammate assigns it to themselves
- Same number, same history
Shared inbox
Everything the next agent needs to pick it up.
The ConnectSMS Inbox shows every conversation on the numbers an agent can view, with the customer's record and the conversation's state one click away.
Animation: in the ConnectSMS Inbox, a new text from Sarah Chen, "Perfect, thank you. Should I bring anything?", moves the conversation to the top of the list with an unread badge. Alex Kim opens it, selects Assign and then Assign to me, and replies "Just your ID. See you tomorrow." from the Support line, the number the customer texted. The reply's status changes from Queued to Sent to Delivered.
Recreated from the ConnectSMS interface with sample data.
Views that match the queue
All, Mine, Unassigned and Unread, filtered by business number and status, with search by name, number or latest message.
Context in the details panel
The Contact with a link to the record, plus business number, status, assignee, read state, opt-out state and reply access.
Ownership everyone can see
Agents assign conversations to themselves, and read state is shared, so a message one agent has read is read for the team.
On the Case
Text the customer from the case they're asking about.
Add the ConnectSMS Text Messages component to your Case page and agents can text the case contact without copying a number. Agents who prefer the inbox see the same conversation there.
- Cases text the case contact's Mobile, then Phone, out of the box
- The component shows the full history with that phone number, on the case page
- Templates on Cases reach the contact through the lookup, such as
{!Case.Contact.FirstName|there} - If the contact has opted out, the composer says so and won't send
Features that matter
What service teams rely on.
One inbox per team
Conversations on every number an agent can view, with All, Mine, Unassigned and Unread views, a status filter and search by name, number or latest message.
Ownership and status
Agents assign conversations to themselves, unassign them, and close or reopen them. Read state is shared across the team.
Replies from the same number
Every reply goes out from the number the customer texted. People without Send access to that number can read but not reply.
Case updates from Flow
A record-triggered Flow on Case calls Send Text Message when the status changes, from the service line and with the same checks as an agent's text.
Quick replies
Common answers saved as templates that work on any record, so agents stay consistent and fast.
Opt-outs in view
The details panel shows whether the customer opted out, and the composer won't send to them. The customer can reply START to receive texts again.
Example messages
Service texts customers can act on.
Give the case number, say what happens next, and invite a reply. On a Case, reach the customer's name through the contact lookup.
Case · acknowledgment
We've got your request
As written
Hi {!Case.Contact.FirstName|there}, thanks for contacting WorkBridge Solutions. Your case number is {!Case.CaseNumber}. Reply here with any details.
What the customer receives
Hi Sarah, thanks for contacting WorkBridge Solutions. Your case number is 00001042. Reply here with any details.
Case · waiting on customer
Friendly nudge
As written
Hi {!Case.Contact.FirstName|there}, just checking in on case {!Case.CaseNumber}. Did the reset fix the problem? Reply here and let us know.
What the customer receives
Hi Sarah, just checking in on case 00001042. Did the reset fix the problem? Reply here and let us know.
Case · resolved (Flow)
Case closed
As written
Hi {!Case.Contact.FirstName|there}, case {!Case.CaseNumber} is now resolved. If anything still isn't right, just reply to this text.
What the customer receives
Hi Sarah, case 00001042 is now resolved. If anything still isn't right, just reply to this text.
Sent by a record-triggered Flow when the case closes. A reply reopens the conversation for the team.
Quick reply · any record
Asking for details
As written
Thanks, that helps. Could you send the model number from the label on the back? {!$User.FirstName}, {!$Organization.Name}
What the customer receives
Thanks, that helps. Could you send the model number from the label on the back? Alex, WorkBridge Solutions
Ask customers to answer in their own words. YES and START opt people back in, and STOP, CANCEL, END and QUIT opt them out, so a prompt like Reply CANCEL to close your case would stop all texts to that number.
Setup notes
What your admin sets up for service.
One service line, a public group for the team, and the inbox where agents already work.
Permission sets
Match them to the roles on your team.
- ConnectSMS User for agents: sending, reading, templates and the inbox
- ConnectSMS Automation for the user that runs case-update flows
- ConnectSMS Admin for whoever manages numbers, access, policies and opt-outs
Numbers
Access is granted per business number.
- A service line with Can send for a service public group
- Can view for supervisors or other teams who should read but not reply
- Mark the service line Available to automation if flows send case updates from it
The inbox
Place it where agents spend their day.
- Add the ConnectSMS Inbox as a tab, on an app or Home page, or in the utility bar
- Notifications go to the assignee, or to the last person who texted from the conversation
- Notifications don't include message content
Cases
Cases are set up for texting out of the box.
- Add ConnectSMS Text Messages to the Case page in Lightning App Builder
- Cases use the contact's Mobile, then Phone, unless your admin changes it in Recipients
- Turn on quiet hours if case-update flows can fire overnight
FAQ
Service texting: common questions
Can a supervisor assign conversations to agents?
Not from the inbox. Assignment is self-service: anyone who can reply selects Assign to me, and Unassign hands the conversation back. The Mine and Unassigned views show what's owned and what's still waiting, so a supervisor can see the queue at a glance.
Which number does the customer see when an agent replies?
Always the number the customer texted. ConnectSMS sends every reply from the conversation's business number and never switches numbers. People who only have Can view on that number can read the conversation, and the details panel shows their reply access as View only.
What happens when a customer texts after a conversation is closed?
The conversation reopens automatically. Any new inbound or outbound message on a closed conversation sets it back to Open, so it shows up again in the Open view for the team.
Do agents get notified about new texts?
Yes. ConnectSMS sends a Salesforce notification, ConnectSMS Message, to the person the conversation is assigned to, or to the last person who texted from it if nobody is assigned. The notification names the phone number and business number but doesn't include the message text.
Keep exploring
Notifications
Automated order, case and invoice updates triggered by Salesforce.
The shared inbox
Views, assignment, details panel and notifications in depth.
Handling SMS opt-outs
STOP, START and what your team still has to handle by hand.
Try it now: every feature, free for 14 days
Put every customer text where your team already works.
Install ConnectSMS from AgentExchange, connect your Twilio account and give your team the numbers they should text from.
- No credit card required
- Listed on Salesforce AgentExchange
- Then $120 per user per year
- Runs on your own Twilio account
ConnectSMS is published by WorkBridge Solutions. Twilio bills your Twilio account directly for messaging, including during the trial.