Messages
This is where you actually talk to your potential customers. Think of it like texting, but for business - you can see their messages, write back, and even schedule stuff to send later.
The Main Screen
When you open a conversation, you’ll see the customer’s name at the top along with whether they found you on Yelp or Thumbtack. Pretty straightforward.
The main area is split into two parts - the actual chat on the left and customer info on the right (on your phone, you’ll only see the chat unless you tap “See details”).
Reading Messages
Messages work like any other chat app. Customer messages show up on the left in gray, yours are on the right in blue. If you see a message with a little clock icon and faded colors, that’s something scheduled to go out later.
If they sent pictures or files, you’ll see those right in the chat. Click to open them up.
Sending Messages
Most of the time you’ll just type and hit “Send”. But there are a few other options:
Send now: The regular send button does what you’d expect.
Send later: Click the little arrow next to Send and pick “Send scheduled”. You can write your message now but have it go out in a few hours or tomorrow morning. Super handy when someone messages you at 11pm but you don’t want to seem like you’re working that late.
Use a template: If you find yourself typing the same stuff over and over (like your pricing or availability), save it as a quick reply. There’s a save icon next to the text box. Later, hit the hand icon to pick from your saved messages.
Quick tip: In your templates, use #customer_display_name# and it’ll automatically put in their actual name. So “Hi #customer_display_name#” becomes “Hi Sarah” when it gets sent.
Customer Details
On the right side (or behind the “See details” button on mobile), you’ll see everything about this lead:
- Their phone and email (click to call or email directly)
- What kind of work they want done
- Where they’re located (click the address to see it on a map)
- Any pictures they attached
- All the survey answers they filled out
This stuff is gold - read it before you respond so you sound like you actually care about their project.
Useful Buttons
Show in Yelp: If it’s a Yelp lead, this opens their original message on Yelp’s website. Sometimes useful if you need to see something that didn’t sync over.
Fetch New Messages: For Thumbtack leads, this manually checks for new messages if something seems delayed.
Map: Click any address to see where they are. Good for figuring out if they’re in your service area or planning your route.
Scheduled Messages
When you schedule a message, it shows up in the chat right away but looks faded out with a clock icon. The customer doesn’t see it until it actually gets sent.
Want to cancel it? Just hover over the clock and click the X that appears.
Smart Features
The chat updates automatically when new messages come in, so you don’t need to refresh anything.
When you’re typing a long response, it shows the customer that you’re working on something (like “Verifying message received…”).
Some Things to Remember
Check their details first - Don’t ask questions they already answered in their original inquiry.
Use scheduling wisely - Write responses when you have time, but send them during business hours.
Save common responses - If you’re typing the same pricing info or availability message repeatedly, turn it into a quick reply.
Be personal - Use their name in messages. The #customer_display_name# thing makes this easy in templates.
That’s pretty much it. The whole point is to help you have better conversations with potential customers without spending all day glued to your phone.
Questions? Email support@nzleads.com