Message Center
COHO has a built in message centre allowing you to communicate with your tenants in one platform.
Navigation
You can navigate to the message centre by clicking the message icon at the top of your account:
Filtering & Search Options
You can use the search bar to search for a tenant or a property. You can also filter by different types of messages: general, maintenance, onboardings and viewings.
Types of Messages
General Messages: These are messages that have no specific subject.
Maintenance Messages: These are messages / conversations in regards to a reported maintenance issue. It is worth nothing that the entire message thread can also be viewed on the Maintenance panel. See also Maintenance.
Onboarding: These are messages / conversations in regards to an ongoing onboarding. It is worth nothing that the entire message thread can also be viewed on the Onboarding panel. See also Onboarding.
Viewing: These are messages in regards to an ongoing viewing. It is worth nothing that the entire message thread can also be viewed on the Tenant Find panel. See also Tenant Find.
Unread Messages: Here you can select to see all unread messages.
Archived: Here you can select to view all archived messages.
At the bottom of the left hand side menu, you can multi select messages for mass archiving.
Sending Messages
You can use the blue + button to send a new message.
Here, you can directly message one tenant, all tenants (or a selection of tenants) in one property or all tenants across the whole portfolio.
Medium
The Medium is how tenants will receive your message.
COHO Messenger: If the tenant has been invited to COHO and has access to their dashboard, they will receive the message via their My COHO dashboard.
Email: If the tenant does not have access to their dashboard, they will receive an email. Please ensure you have entered the correct email address under the tenants information. See also Tenant Summary & Information.
SMS: You can send sms messages to tenants. See also Your Account. Please ensure you have entered the correct mobile number under the tenants information. See also Tenant Summary & Information.
Message Templates
You can create and store your own message templates in the message center. These can be particularly useful for inspection letters or rent review letters for example.
Template Name: Here you enter a name for the template to help you identify the template when it is required.
Medium:
Any Medium: A mixed format that can be used for any message medium.
COHO Conversation: A template for COHO conversations only.
Email: A template for direct emails only.
SMS: A template for SMSs only.
Any Medium: Here you will get all the options of how the message will be sent as a COHO messenger message, email and/or SMS.
COHO Conversation: Here you will get all the options of how the message will be sent as a COHO messenger message only.
Email: Here you will get all the options of how the message will be sent as an email only.
If you’re sending a message to a tenant who has no access to their My COHO dashboard, you also get the option to CC in other email addresses as well as giving the tenant a ‘reply to’ email address. If no reply to email address is entered, the email will be sent from a no-reply email address.
Files: Files can be attached to messages by clicking on ‘Attach files’.
Allow replies: Tick box to allow replies to messages.
Group by house: Having this checked will allow all replies to the message to be seen by everyone in the property that the message has been received by. NB. Messages sent to all tenants across the portfolio will only be seen by the tenants the tenant shares the property with.
SMS
If you require sending a SMS to your tenants, first choose the 'SMS' option.
Click 'Next'
Message Template: Here you can set up message templates to use when sending a SMS.
Message: Here, you can enter the body of the SMS. You also have the option to 'Preview' the message before sending.
If you haven't already topped up your SMS credits, you can do that from this stage or this can be updated via the 'Your Account' panel.
Click 'Next'
Assignee: Here you can see who is assigned to the SMS and who'll receive notifications.
Click 'Send to X recipients'
Once a SMS has been sent, you can view the conversation in the Message Centre.
Have they seen your message?
When you have sent a message to a tenant, you can visually see if they have seen your message. It doesn’t work the other way so tenants can’t see when you have read their message.
Onboarding, Maintenance & Viewing Message Information
When looking at different types of messages, for example a maintenance related message, not only can you see the whole conversation but you can also see all the details of the maintenance issue on the right hand side. This works the same for onboarding and viewing related messages.
Converting a message to a Maintenance Issue
If a tenant were to send you a message that should have been raised as a maintenance issue through their dashboard, this can be automatically converted to a maintenance issue.
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