The Inbox is where your team reads customer messages, replies by text or email, reviews call history, and keeps each conversation connected to the right customer.

Use this section when a customer asks a question, sends a photo, replies to an email, calls your facility, or needs a follow-up from your team.

When your Inbox is used well, staff do not have to search through separate phones, email accounts, and notes to understand what happened.

What you will accomplish

• Understand what Inbox is for and when to use it.
• Know how the conversation list and timeline work together.
• Pick the right guide for texting, emailing, calling, or setup.
• Follow good habits that reduce missed messages and duplicate replies.

What you can do from Inbox

• Start a new conversation with an existing customer or a new phone number.
• Reply by Text when the message should be short and fast.
• Reply by Email when the answer needs a subject line, more detail, or a formal record.
• Use Call or Quick call when the customer needs a live conversation.
• Review the timeline filters Texts, Emails, and Calls when you want to focus on one type of activity.
• Use Suggest with AI to draft a possible reply when you want a starting point.
• Mark a conversation unread when someone still needs to follow up.
• Watch for the Live badge and teammate presence notes when more than one person uses Inbox.
• Spot Reschedule badges when a customer asks to move an appointment.

Start with the right guide

1. If Inbox is not set up yet

   Start with Configure communication settings for Inbox. Text, email, and call buttons depend on this setup.

2. If you need to begin a customer thread

   Use Start a new Inbox conversation.

3. If a customer already messaged you

   Use Respond to a conversation to review the timeline, choose the best channel, and reply carefully.

4. If you are sending a short update

   Use Send a text message from Inbox.

5. If you are sending a longer or more formal message

   Use Send an email from Inbox.

6. If you need call history, recordings, or transcripts

   Use Review calls and transcripts.

7. If you want help drafting a reply

   Use Use AI-suggested replies in Inbox.

8. If more than one person answers customers from Inbox

   Use Coordinate with your team in Inbox.

9. If a customer calls and you need to answer from the dashboard

   Use Handle incoming phone calls.

10. If you see a Reschedule badge on a conversation

    Use Respond to reschedule requests in Inbox.

How the Inbox is organized

The Inbox has two main areas.

• The conversation list is on the left. It shows each customer or phone number, the most recent activity, and channel labels such as Text, Email, or Call.
• The conversation timeline is on the right. It shows the selected customer's messages and calls in time order.
• The reply area is at the bottom of the conversation. This is where you choose Text or Email and write your reply.
• The Call button is near the top of the selected conversation when the customer has a usable phone number.
• The Search field and + button are above the conversation list. Use Search to find a thread. Use + to start a new conversation.

Choose the right channel

What unread counts mean

Unread conversations are ones your team may still need to review.

In the conversation list on the left, you may notice:

• A blue dot on the customer's circle when the conversation has unread activity.
• Bold text on the customer name when something new arrived.
• Small numbers on channel labels such as Text or Email when only that channel has unread messages.
• An orange Reschedule badge when the latest preview starts with Reschedule proposed: (see Respond to reschedule requests in Inbox).

The screenshot at the top of this page shows examples of unread conversations in the list (bold names and blue dots).

Open the conversation and read the latest message before replying or marking it handled.

Settings that must be ready

Helpful habits for your team

• Read the latest messages before you reply.
• Confirm the customer name and phone or email at the top of the conversation.
• Coordinate with teammates so two people do not send conflicting answers.
• Open the related car, invoice, or appointment record when the customer asks about specific work.

Quick links by job

Recommended path for your first week

1. Day 1 — Finish communication setup

   An admin should complete Configure communication settings for Inbox so Text, Email, and Call are available.

   Expected result: Staff open Inbox and see active channel buttons—not a message that Inbox is not configured yet.

2. Day 2 — Learn the layout

   Open Inbox, click a customer, and practice reading the timeline with Texts, Emails, and Calls filters.

   Expected result: Each teammate can find the conversation list, timeline, and reply area without help.

3. Day 3 — Practice replying

   Follow Respond to a conversation with a test customer or an internal teammate before messaging real customers.

   Expected result: At least one practice outbound text or email appears in the timeline with the correct channel.

4. Before busy days

   Share Coordinate with your team in Inbox so two people do not send different answers to the same customer.

   Expected result: Your team agrees on handoffs (Mark unread) and pauses when someone else is typing.

What success looks like

When Inbox is working well for your facility:

• Customers receive replies on the channel they used (text, email, or call follow-up).
• Every conversation stays on the correct customer record in Contacts.
• Staff can see who sent each outbound message and what still needs a reply.
• Reschedule requests are caught early thanks to Reschedule badges in the conversation list.

What to do next

If your Inbox is not set up yet, start with Configure communication settings for Inbox.

If the Inbox is ready and you need to contact a customer, continue with Start a new Inbox conversation.