How to have Smith.ai answer SMS/text messages to your business

Justin Maxwell Updated by Justin Maxwell

Context

Whether you're already a Smith.ai Chat customer or not, you need to meet your clients and potential leads where they want to meet you, or you're missing opportunities and making their life harder. Increasingly — and not just "millennials" — clients prefer to communicate by text/SMS. This presents a challenge for you as the business owner, because that means you might have to give out your cellphone number (TERRIBLE IDEA! DON'T DO IT!).

Instead, people can text you — and our Live Agents & AI Chatbot can respond to them, qualifying them, booking appointments, and more.

How to set it up

New Smith.ai Chat clients

  1. Sign up for a Live Chat account here, then continue to the next section

Existing Smith.ai Chat clients

  1. Once your account is set up and ready, activate the SMS channel in your channels
  2. Go to the SMS channel and select it
  3. Choose a number appropriate for publishing on your website or other marketing materials
    Note: If you want this number to be the same as your business number, you must have active Virtual Receptionist service with us and have ported your number to us. Otherwise, it's not technically possible. Contact us for more information.
    You can search by prefix or string, such as "213" or "LEGAL"
  4. You are now immediately ready to share this number publicly — Smith.ai will respond to it!

How to disconnect or change

To disconnect the SMS service (or to start over and choose another number), click the "Disconnect" button and confirm

How did we do?

How to Set Up Chat Call-Back Requests in Slack

Contact