If you or your customers are experiencing issues with Tekmessage, such as not receiving notifications, the problem can often be resolved by following a few simple steps. The most common causes are related to carrier blocks, incorrect account settings, or recent changes to your phone number or phone system.
Step 1: Check Customer and Employee Information
- Verify Phone Numbers: Make sure the correct phone number is entered for both the customer and the employee in their respective account settings.
- Customer-Facing Issues: If a customer isn't receiving messages, their mobile carrier may be blocking texts from Tekmetric. Have the customer text "START," "YES," and "UNSTOP" to the Tekmetric numbers to signal to their carrier that they wish to receive these messages.
Step 2: Check Your Shop’s Tekmessage Configuration
- 10DLC Registration: For all U.S. shops, your Tekmessage number must be registered for 10DLC (10-digit long code). Unregistered numbers are more likely to be blocked by mobile carriers.
- Dedicated Number: If you are on the Tekmetric Scale plan, you can sign up for a dedicated Tekmessage number, which provides a separate number for your shop's communications that may not be subject to the same carrier blocks.
Tekmessage FAQ
Why am I or my customers not receiving text messages?
- Carrier Blocking: The most frequent cause is a carrier blocking the messages. This can be resolved by having the customer text "START," "YES," and "UNSTOP" to the Tekmetric numbers.
- Incorrect Phone Number: Double-check that the correct phone numbers are entered in both the customer and employee profiles within Tekmetric.
- 10DLC Registration: Ensure your Tekmessage number is registered for 10DLC, which helps prevent messages from being flagged as spam by carriers.
Why is my Tekmessage Not Working?
Changes to your shop's phone system are a very common cause of Tekmessage issues.
- Change Phone Carriers: Your new carrier needs to properly authenticate and associate your number with their service. Sometimes, it can take up to 48 hours for messaging services to fully activate after a carrier switch.
- Port a Number: Porting a number (moving it from one provider to another) can cause temporary disruptions. The process requires a precise data match between the old and new providers, including personal information, account number, and any port-out PINs. Any mismatch, no matter how small, can cause the port to fail and disrupt service.
- Switch Phone Integrations: Using a new phone integration service or a different phone number can interfere with how Tekmetric's messaging system works.
NOTE: With any of these three issues Tekmetric might require an LOA (License of Agreement / Authorization) to verify that the number can be used with Tekmessage.
In these situations, the issue is often related to the phone service provider and not Tekmetric itself. We recommend:
- Contacting Your Carrier: Reach out to your new or old phone carrier to confirm that the number has been fully and successfully ported. Inquire about any known issues with SMS delivery.
- Verifying Information: Make sure all the information provided during the porting process (e.g., account number, address) was an exact match with what the old provider had on file.
Can I use Tekmessage with my existing landline number?
Yes! Tekmetric can host the texting portion of your existing landline number without affecting your phone calls. However, it is not recommended to use a wireless number for this. If you are using your business number with any third-party services, you may need to find a different number for those services, as Tekmetric will host the texting for that number.
How can I get more help with Tekmessage troubleshooting?
If you've followed these steps and are still experiencing issues, the quickest and most efficient way to get assistance is to contact Tekmetric's support team directly. You can do so by:
- Phone: Call Tekmetric Support at (832) 787-0900.
- Email: Send an email to support@tekmetric.com.
- In-app Chat: Use the chat feature within the Tekmetric app.