Texting, fax and meetings
Can several people reply to texts from one number?
Yes. With a shared inbox, texts sent to your main business number appear for everyone who has access, and any of them can reply. Each customer has a single conversation thread, so the whole team sees the history and knows whether a message has already been answered. Access is assigned per number, so the sales line and the service line can have different people.
How a shared inbox works
A shared inbox attaches a texting number to a group of users instead of one person. When a customer texts, the message appears in the desktop and mobile apps of everyone in that group. Whoever replies does so from the business number, and the reply is visible to the rest of the group in the same thread.
This is different from a group text, where several people are all recipients of one message on their own phones. A shared inbox keeps the customer talking to one number and the team working from one history.
- One thread per customer number, shared by the group.
- Replies always come from the business number.
- Access can be given per number, so different teams handle different lines.
- Users can also have a direct number for one-to-one texting where that is wanted.
Avoiding double replies
The most common concern with team texting is two people answering the same message. Because the shared thread shows every reply, the second person can see that someone has already responded. For busy inboxes, agree on a simple rule during planning: for example, the front desk answers first and others step in only if a message is unanswered after a set time.
Setting it up
Shared texting is normally designed with your specialist as part of the plan: which numbers are text-enabled, who is in each group, and whether notifications go to everyone or only to the primary responder. In the admin portal, texting access is managed alongside the number's other settings. A 3CTel specialist can make this change for you.
Texting on any number requires business messaging registration first. If you add a new number for a team inbox, allow time for registration.
Related questions.
Can I see who on my team replied?
Yes. Each reply in a shared thread shows which user sent it, so managers can see who handled a conversation and staff can pick up where a colleague left off.
Can a text conversation be turned into a call?
Yes. From the thread, a user can call the customer from the same business number. The call and the text history stay associated with the same contact, which helps when a text exchange needs a quick voice follow-up.
Is there a limit to how many people can share an inbox?
Access is assigned per user, and the practical limit is how you want the work shared rather than a technical cap. Discuss the group size with your specialist so notifications are useful instead of noisy.
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