Auto-responses
Send responses automatically when certain triggers or action happen.
Auto responses are text messages that can be configured to send automatically whenever any of the following actions happen:
- Someone calls for the first time
- Someone texts for the first time
- Someone reaches outside of office hours
- When you miss an incoming call
Setting up auto-responses
Someone calls or texts for the first time
In the main Avochato panel go to “Settings” > “Auto Responses” (under “Texting Automation”). Activate either of the following options to send a text message the first time someone calls or texts you.
- Auto-Reply to Incoming Phone Calls
- Auto-Reply to Incoming Text Messages
Write the text message in the fields under “Automatically respond with”. If the switch on the right side of the screen is green, this option is enabled.
Please note that both Auto-reply to Incoming Phone Calls and Auto-reply to Incoming Text Messages will trigger only once unless an “Auto-Reply Frequency” is set. Additionally, if a contact calls in for the first time, the automatic reply to their incoming text message will no longer be triggered and vice versa. In other words, only one of the two auto replies can be sent. Once one has been delivered, the other will be suppressed.
Someone calls or texts outside of business hours
Activate Auto-Reply when you are out of the Office option when you want a message to be automatically sent whenever your inbox receives a message outside office hours.
Please note that if the Auto-Reply when you are out of office option is enabled, it will take priority in sending out and prevent the first-time auto replies for both incoming calls and texts from being sent if the call or text comes in outside office hours.
When you miss an incoming call
Toggle this option ON if you want a customized SMS to be automatically sent whenever you miss an incoming phone call. Note that calls from blocked or muted contacts, dropped calls, or calls that are forwarded to IVR systems will not trigger an auto-reply. “Auto-Reply Frequency” does not apply to this feature and every missed call will trigger this auto-reply.
Please note that the incoming call must finish all rings or reach voicemail before Auto-Reply to Missed Phone Calls can be triggered.
If someone calls your Avochato number for the first time, the "Auto-Reply to Missed Phone Calls" message will be sent along with the "Auto-Reply to Incoming Phone Calls" if both options are turned ON. Additionally, if the call comes in outside your office hours, this message will also be sent alongside the "Auto-Reply When You Are Out of Office" message if it is also ON.
Additional options
Auto-Reply Frequency
Set how often auto-replies under “When Someone Contacts You for the First Time” can be triggered within a single conversation.
When this setting is enabled, each Auto-Reply or Out-of-Office message will only be sent once during the selected time interval. The higher the number, the more hours must pass before another incoming call or text can trigger the auto-response again.
When disabled, Avochato will limit both Auto-Reply and Out-of-Office messages to only one send per conversation, regardless of time.
Note that if you enable Auto-Reply Frequency and set it’s interval to 0 hours since last message, it will make it so that each incoming call and text will be treated as “first time”.
Auto-response Time Delay
Add a delay (in seconds) to create a window of time during which you can edit or cancel messages before they are sent.
Setting the delay to 0 will send the auto-reply immediately. If set to a value greater than 0, auto-replies will appear as shown in the screenshot below, with options to edit or cancel the message before it’s delivered.
