Use this guide when a customer has already contacted your team and you need to answer from the Inbox.

You will learn how to open the right conversation, read the full history, choose text or email or a call, and send a clear reply your customer can trust.

What you will accomplish

• Open the correct customer conversation.
• Read recent texts, emails, and calls before you reply.
• Choose the channel that fits the customer's question.
• Send a reply that matches what your team can actually do next.

Before you start

• Make sure you are on the Inbox page.
• Confirm the customer name, email, or phone number before you reply.
• Read the latest message and at least a few earlier messages so you understand the full request.
• If the customer mentions a car, invoice, appointment, or contract, open that record in another tab if you need to verify details.
• If another teammate is already handling the message, coordinate before sending a second reply.
• If Text or Email is gray, review Configure communication settings for Inbox first.

Open the conversation

1. Open Inbox

   Go to Inbox from the dashboard sidebar.

   The left side shows the conversation list. Each row includes the customer name or phone number, the most recent activity, and channel labels such as Text, Email, or Call.

2. Find the customer

   Scroll the list or type in Search to find the customer you need.

   You can search by name, company, email, or phone number.

3. Select the customer

   Click the customer conversation you want to answer.

   The timeline opens on the right. The customer name and contact information appear at the top.

4. Check that you selected the right person

   Look at the name, email, and phone number at the top of the conversation.

   This matters because some customers may have similar names or more than one car. Taking a few seconds to confirm the person prevents private information from going to the wrong customer.

Expected result: You see the customer's full message history on the right side of the screen.

Review the timeline before replying

The timeline can include several types of activity.

• SMS means a text message.
• EMAIL means an email message.
• INBOUND or OUTBOUND call entries show phone activity.
• Image attachments may appear under text messages.
• Call entries may include a Transcript button when a recording or voicemail transcript is available.

Use the filter buttons near the top of the conversation when you want to focus on one type of activity:

• Texts
• Emails
• Calls

Click the same filter again to return to the full timeline.

Choose the best way to reply

Choose the channel based on what the customer needs.

1. Use Text for quick updates

   Click Text when your answer is short and time-sensitive.

   Good text examples:

   • "Your car is ready at the front entrance."
   • "We received the photo. We will review it now."
   • "Your appointment is confirmed for 10 AM."
2. Use Email for longer or more formal replies

   Click Email when your message needs a subject line, more detail, or a record that is easier to search later.

   Good email examples:

   • A service estimate explanation.
   • A billing question.
   • A recap after a phone call.
   • A message with several next steps.
3. Use Call when a live conversation is better

   Click Call when the customer needs a faster back-and-forth conversation or when the topic may be confusing by text.

   After a call, add a short written follow-up if the customer or your team needs a record of what was decided.

For step-by-step channel instructions, see Send a text message from Inbox or Send an email from Inbox.

Write a clear reply

Before you send, make the reply easy for the customer to understand.

• Use the customer's name when it feels natural.
• Answer the question directly in the first sentence.
• Include dates, times, vehicle names, and next steps when they matter.
• Avoid internal shorthand the customer may not understand.
• If you are not sure, say what you are checking and when you will follow up.

Mark a conversation for follow-up

Sometimes you read a message but cannot finish the reply right away.

1. Open the conversation menu

   In the conversation list, open the menu on the customer row you need to flag.

2. Choose Mark unread

   Click Mark unread.

   This helps the next staff member see that the conversation still needs attention.

Expected result: The conversation stays visible as needing follow-up for your team.

Use AI only as a starting point

If Suggest with AI appears, you can use it to draft a possible response. Always read the suggestion before using it.

AI can help with wording, but your team is still responsible for checking that the details are correct.

For step-by-step instructions, see Use AI-suggested replies in Inbox.

What success looks like

After you respond:

• The reply appears in the conversation timeline.
• The message uses the correct channel: text, email, or call.
• The customer can understand the answer without needing another explanation.
• Any promised follow-up is clear to your team.

Common mistakes to avoid

Troubleshooting

What to do next

If you need exact steps for one channel, continue with Send a text message from Inbox or Send an email from Inbox.

If the customer called instead of texting, review Review calls and transcripts.