How it all works & frequently asked questions
Draw
Draw a zone on the map around the affected area.
Build
Build your list from the subscribers inside the zone.
Send
Send your message and watch replies come in.
It’s as easy as 1-2-3…
Load your subscribers
Bring your subscribers into Conversations however it suits you: enter them by hand, import a CSV, sync billing files nightly, or push them through the API. Addresses are geocoded automatically so every contact lands on the map. Add custom attributes like account IDs, feeder, PON equipment, and service tier, then use them later to target exactly the right people. Subscribers can also add themselves through a hosted sign-up link you can share on your website or social media.
Pick who gets the message
When something happens, whether it’s an outage, planned maintenance, or a construction project, draw the affected area right on the map or pick from zones you’ve already saved or imported. As you draw, Conversations shows you in real time how many subscribers are inside and how many have reachable numbers. You can also send to a single contact, a pasted list of account IDs, or a static or dynamic contact list built from unlimited filters.
Send your message
Write your text, or grab a preset you staged in advance with variables like the subscriber’s name and service address filled in automatically. Send it immediately, or schedule it for later. It works from a phone in the field just as well as from a desk. Replies land in your received messages where your team can respond, or let automated replies answer the common questions for you. Meanwhile, the embeddable outage widget keeps your website visitors in the loop without a single phone call.
FAQs
What is Conversations?
Conversations is a two-way SMS platform for customer care, built for broadband providers. Reach subscribers about outages, scheduled maintenance, billing, and usage, and let them text you right back. It combines a map-based zone builder, filtered contact lists, scheduled sends, message presets, two-way replies, and embeddable widgets so your members hear from you before they pick up the phone.
What can I use Conversations for?
Anything that’s easier as a text than a phone call or a letter, including:
- Outage alerts to everyone in the affected zone, with updates until service is back
- Scheduled maintenance notices so planned work never looks like an outage
- Billing and payments: reminders, past-due notices, and confirmations
- Usage alerts and proactive account check-ins
- Everyday customer care, with subscribers able to text back anytime
Who is Conversations for?
Anyone who serves subscribers across a geographic area and needs to reach them quickly: fiber and broadband providers, electric and telephone cooperatives, and municipal utilities. If your members have addresses and phone numbers, Conversations can put them on a map and into a list. It also runs entirely on its own, with no other CrowdFiber products required.
How do I get my subscriber data in?
However works best for you: create contacts manually, import a CSV, have billing files synced nightly, or use the API to push contacts in real time. Addresses are geocoded automatically, and you can add custom attributes like account IDs, feeder, and PON equipment for sharper targeting later.
How do subscribers opt in to receive texts?
You get a hosted sign-up link where subscribers enter their name, phone number, and address and consent to SMS notifications. Share it on your website, social media, or bill inserts. Opt-outs are automatic: anyone who replies STOP is unsubscribed immediately and can rejoin by replying START.
Is this compliant with SMS regulations?
Yes. Conversations is designed around A2P 10DLC, the carrier framework that keeps application-sent SMS verified and consensual. Messages send from a local 10-digit number, opt-in consent is collected properly, opt-out keywords are honored automatically, and you can append your opt-out language to any outgoing message with a toggle. During onboarding we walk you through the brand and campaign registration with the carriers.
Can subscribers text back?
Yes. Conversations is two-way and always listening. Replies to a mass text and unsolicited messages alike land in your received messages, where your team can read and respond one-on-one. You can get email notifications when a reply comes in, or use webhooks to push replies into Slack, Microsoft Teams, or your ticketing system.
Can I prepare messages ahead of time?
Yes. Message presets let you stage pre-approved templates with variables that fill in each subscriber’s name and service address automatically, so an outage notification is two clicks away when you need it. You can also schedule a message to go out at a set time later, which is handy for things like a planned maintenance window or a payment reminder. And scheduled welcome messages can greet new sign-ups automatically.
What about the common questions, like “is it fixed yet?”
Automated replies handle those for you. Set up keyword replies, business-hours and after-hours replies, or replies tied to specific dates and times, then rank them so the right one wins. A pre-staged “reply now” message can sit turned off until an outage starts, then answer every “any update?” text instantly.
What is the outage widget?
It’s a piece of your website that shows real-time outage information, embedded with a simple code snippet. Widgets are flexible: a quiet banner on your homepage that only appears when there’s a problem, or a full map of affected zones on a dedicated status page. Subscribers check status themselves instead of calling your office.
Does Conversations have an API?
Yes. The API has the same power as the user interface: create, update, and delete contacts, lists, zones, and messages programmatically. Everything stays in sync, so a message sent through the API shows up in that subscriber’s conversation history for your staff. Interactive Swagger documentation is built in.
How much does Conversations cost?
Plans vary based on your needs. Check out our pricing page, or request a demo and we’ll walk you through options and pricing for your organization.
Where can I learn more?
Our documentation site covers every feature in detail. Or read about the team behind Conversations.
Ready to see it in action?
Request a demo and we’ll show you around, answer questions, and talk pricing.