This guide explains what reaches a client by text, email or WhatsApp, how Joy's reply link works, and where the client's answer appears.
It does not cover working through the staff inbox; see How to reply to a client and tidy your inbox. To compose the original message, see How to send a message to a client.
What arrives by text
A short SMS contains the wording entered by the member of staff. When Allow reply is on, the text also ends with Reply here: followed by a unique link.
The whole SMS, including that link, has a 160-character budget. If it is too long, the client receives one short introductory text with a link to a mobile page headed Message from your care team. The full wording is on that page rather than being split across several texts.
A delivery status such as Sent to network means the network accepted the SMS. It is not proof that the handset received it.
What arrives by email
An email contains the chosen subject and message body, plus any attachments. If replies were enabled, it ends with Reply here: and the client's unique link.
Accepted by mail server means the mail server took the email. Joy cannot promise that it reached the client's inbox, because later bounces or spam filtering may not be visible.
What arrives by WhatsApp
Inside WhatsApp's 24-hour customer-service window, the client can receive the free-form message and reply in the WhatsApp chat.
That window starts when the client sends a WhatsApp message and lasts for 24 hours. Once it has closed, WhatsApp will not accept a new free-form message from staff. Joy must use an approved template to re-open contact. The generic template tells the client that they have a message from their care team and asks them to reply to continue. The full wording remains on the contact in Joy; after the client replies, staff can send free-form WhatsApp messages during the new 24-hour window.
Purpose-specific messages, such as some booking or check-in messages, may use their own approved WhatsApp template. WhatsApp is only offered when your organisation has it switched on.
Use the reply link
The client selects the unique link in the text or email.
A mobile page opens with Reply to your care team and the original message.
The client enters their words in Type your reply....
They select Send reply.
The page confirms Thank you and Your reply has been sent to your care team.
Opening the link is recorded by Joy. That records that the link was opened, not that the client read or understood every word.
An invalid link shows This reply link is invalid. If the client submits an empty reply, the page says Please enter a message.
What happens to the reply
Joy attaches the answer to the original outgoing contact, which identifies the client and keeps the reply on the correct conversation.
The answer then appears:
in the organisation's Messages conversation with that client;
as unread until a member of staff opens the thread;
in the reply block on the client's Outreach history.
The header and sidebar unread counts update from unseen replies. WhatsApp replies also appear under the separate WhatsApp header indicator.
Be careful with delivery and opening
Sent to network, Accepted by mail server and Sent to WhatsApp are provider acceptances, not confirmed receipt.
Delivered means a provider confirmed delivery to the device.
Read means the provider reported the message as read.
A reply-link opening is useful evidence of an open, but it is different from a provider Read receipt.
If there is no delivery, open or reply evidence, treat contact as unconfirmed and follow up another way when it matters.