Workflow: How to send a text to customers on a ticket that originated in a non-SMS channel

<p>On tickets where the origin channel is not a text message, for example, a voicemail or a phone call, the system sends public comments via email instead of a text message.</p><p>This recipe explains how to create a workflow with a custom ticket field and a <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408885601178-Automating-SMS-support-with-ticket-triggers-that-send-texts#topic_ysr_4nf_fdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Text trigger</a> to automate a short message service (SMS) reply to end users instead of an email notification.</p><p>The workflow includes these steps:</p><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: right;">
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</script><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01GBW9JPFSEBWT8P739HSJ3KTW">Step 1: Create the custom checkbox ticket field</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Create a new custom ticket field and place it on ticket forms to indicate when you’ll send a text message to the requester.</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e056df96d8b484bd7208262373db192d6">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794#topic_ubz_ynk_xj" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a checkbox ticket field</a> and name it <strong>Send text</strong>. Under the <strong>Permissions</strong> section, select <strong>Agents can edit</strong>.<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/8160012207002" alt="Checkbox Ticket Field">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eb2716d5819c2bcf021a8fa14affbfd39">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408846520858-Creating-ticket-forms-to-support-multiple-request-types-Professional-Add-on-and-Enterprise-#topic_h4l_mkp_knb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Add the created checkbox</a> to all the ticket forms agents use to talk to customers<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/8159996624794" alt="Add Checkbox to Ticket Forms">
</li>
</ol>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01GBW9JV3GRV9XY3XGNV489B0W">Step 2: Create the new trigger</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>This trigger fires when an agent updates the ticket with a public comment and selects the Send text checkbox in the custom field. This sends the text message to the requester.</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="eda253365e6f380505835bf607c953c67">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408886797466-Creating-ticket-triggers-for-automatic-ticket-updates-and-notifications#topic_qfk_s23_vsb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a new trigger</a> that sends text messages if the <strong>Send text</strong> field is checked</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee409de1b08cc4d6f37e9cb321df807b3">Under <strong>Meet ALL of the following conditions</strong>, add the following conditions. Add <strong>Ticket details &gt; Current user</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>(agent)</strong>. Add <strong>Object</strong> &gt; <strong>Ticket &gt; Send text</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Checked</strong>. Add <strong>Object</strong> &gt; <strong>Ticket &gt; Comment</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Public</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e7599432398cfce3cc16beabf59f5faff">
<p>Under <strong>Meet ANY of the following conditions</strong>, add the following conditions. Add <strong>Object</strong> &gt; <strong>Ticket &gt; Ticket</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Created</strong>. Add <strong>Object</strong> &gt; <strong>Ticket &gt; Ticket</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Updated</strong>. <br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/10569900656154" alt="Trigger conditions to send a text.png" width="1970" height="1288"></p>
<div class="p"><div class="note important">
<span class="importanttitle">Important:</span> If you already have a trigger to <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408882005402-Using-text-notifications-with-triggers-Recipes-and-tips#topic_arl_s33_xhb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">start a conversation with proactive outbound texts</a>, don't use the condition <strong>Ticket</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Created</strong> because this causes a duplicate SMS notification.</div></div>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e98af61bdd719ca91fe8b98326947696a">Under <strong>Actions</strong>, add the following actions. Add <strong>Notify by &gt; User text</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Ticket &gt; (requester)</strong>, <strong>From</strong> <strong>|</strong> Your phone number, and <strong>Body</strong> <strong>|</strong> <code>{{ticket.latest_comment}}</code>. Add <strong>Object</strong> &gt; <strong>Ticket &gt; Send text</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Unchecked</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8fdd5a27de943a56623eb645cbabe664">Click <strong>Create trigger<img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/8574918717466" alt="Trigger actions to send a text to customers.png"></strong>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="p"><div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> To send an SMS only when the checkbox is selected, you must review all triggers that send email, and add this condition: <strong>Ticket &gt; Send Text</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>|</strong> <strong>Unchecked</strong>. If the agent selects the checkbox, the system sends the SMS. If the agent deselects the box, the system sends an email.<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/9147156670746" alt="Triggers_-_Business_rules_-_Objects_and_rules_-_Zendesk_Admin_Center.png">
</div></div>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="01J9N85BNN0A9BTRCXB3TFEZK0">Step 3: Train your agents</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Agents select the Send text field in the ticketing interface to send SMS messages.</p>
<p class="wysiwyg-text-align-center"><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856386866330" alt="Send Text Ticket Field"></p>
<p>For this workflow to function as expected, the customer's profile requires an SMS-compatible Direct line. See <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408821302810-Understanding-how-Talk-calls-become-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Understanding how Voice (formerly Talk) calls become tickets</a>.</p>
<p>If the recipient replies to the SMS trigger notification, the system creates a separate SMS ticket because the ticket creation channel switches from email to SMS. <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408882445594-Merging-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Merge</a> the two tickets.</p>
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