Dispatchers can communicate with drivers and other active SCALAR platform users by using the Messaging module. You can send direct messages, create broadcast channels, and add attachments for reference.
Create a Message #
You can create conversations or broadcast messages based on the number of recipients.
- From the left navigation pane > click Messaging . The messaging page is displayed.
- In the Conversations pane, Click New. The message type list is displayed.
Message type | Description |
Conversation | Direct communication with a user |
Broadcast message | Broadcast a message to multiple users |
Conversation #
You can send direct messages to drivers and other users without adding multiple participants to a conversation.
- From the message type list, click Conversation. The Contacts pane is displayed.
- Select the required contact from the list. The message window for the selected contact is displayed.
- In the Type a message box, enter a message, and then click Send . The message is sent and a conversation history is created.
Broadcast Message #
You can use the Broadcast message function to send a common message to multiple contacts.
- From the message type list, click Broadcast message. The Broadcast message page is displayed.
- Enter information in the various sections: Contacts, Message body, and Attachments, and then click Send. The message is broadcast.
Contacts #
You can add selective or all the available contacts that are active.
- In the Contacts section > click Added contacts. The Add contacts page is displayed.
- To select the required contacts from the available list, click Add . The selected contacts are added to the right pane.
- To add all the contacts available, click Add all in the available pane.
- To remove the added contacts, from the right pane, click Remove next to the contact name.
- Click Remove all to remove all the added contacts.
- Click Save. The required contacts are added to the contacts section.
Message body #
In the Message body section, in the Type a message box, enter the required message.
Attachments #
You can enter the required broadcast message.
You can attach images and PDF file for the reference of the recipients.
- In the Attachments section > click Add attachment, and then select Image or PDF from the attachment type list. The File explorer window is displayed.
- Select the required file, and then click Open. The attachment is added.
- To remove all the files added, click Remove all.
- You can attach multiple image files in one broadcast message. However, you can attach only one PDF file.
- You can attach either of the file formats in one message, for example, if you add an image file, the PDF option is unavailable.
- Click Send. The message is broadcast and a broadcast channel is created.
View Messages #
You can view both direct conversations and broadcast messages on the Conversations pane.
In the Messaging module > on the Conversations pane, select the required message from the list. The message window is displayed.
Manage Messages in a Conversation #
In a message window, you can search for message keywords, recall messages, add favorites, and mark a conversation as unread.
In the Messaging module > on the Conversations pane, select the required contact from the list. The message window is displayed.
Add to Favorites #
You can mark important messages as favorites for ease of search.
- In the message window, hover over a message. The Ellipsis is displayed next to the text message.
- Click Ellipsis , and then click Add to favorites from the list. The selected message is starred.
To view all messages marked as ‘Favorite’, in a message window, click Overflow menu , and then click Favorite messages from the list. All the starred messages are displayed on the Favorite messages pane.
Remove from Favorites #
If a message is not important anymore, you can remove it from favorites.
Hover over a starred message, click Ellipsis , and then click Remove from favorites from the list. The message is removed from favorites.
Mark as Unread #
If you do not want to notify the sender that you have read the latest message, you can mark a conversation as unread.
In the message window, click Overflow menu , and then click Set unread from the list. The conversation is marked as unread.
A red dot is displayed on the messages marked as unread.
Search a Message #
You can search for specific messages in a conversation by searching a keyword.
- In the message window, click Search . The Search pane is displayed.
- In the Search box, enter a keyword to initiate the search. The messages matching the search criteria are displayed.
NOTE:
Enter at least three characters to initiate a search operation.
Recall Message #
Sent messages can be recalled to avoid miscommunication.
- In the message window, hover over a message. The Ellipsis is displayed next to the message.
- Click Ellipsis , and then click Recall message from the list. The recalled message is no longer displayed in the conversation history.