Duplicate Record Alert for SMS Imports

[BenG14]

Please develop a duplicate record alert for SMS imports.

Constant Contact only allows an SMS number to be associated with one email address. When importing a contact that already has an SMS number in the system (associated with another email address), a "failed import" error is generated.

And that's if you are lucky. I spent some time on chat support yesterday.... they recommended recreating my import/excel file with a new name and re-importing. For a moment, that seemed to work. No error message was generated. But after doublechecking the constituent record, I realized SMS info was still missing.

So best case scenario, the system generates a "failed import" error message, which is inaccurate because it's not a failed import; only SMS info is missing. Worst case scenario, the system does not generate an error message, and you are blissfully unaware that a constituent expecting to receive texts is in fact not receiving texts.

CRM systems generate an alert when duplicate records are suspected. It would be great if Constant Contact did the same.

In an ideal world, Constant Contact would reconsider their one email address per SMS number policy. Here's why... contact lists are typically based on a website form interaction (i.e. a constituent buys a product, registers for an event, etc.). At the point of each interaction he/she provides preferred contact information. A constituent might buy a product on a Monday providing a professional/work email address with personal phone number and register for an event on a Friday providing a personal email address and a personal phone number. Constant Contact's current policy, while well intentioned, does little to prevent SMS abuse and will not allow implementation of nuanced communication preferences.

This comes up more than one might think, especially in the nonprofit world. Our constituents engage with our organization in many ways (i.e. personal donor, corporate sponsor, volunteer, parent registering a child for programs, etc.). Constituents frequently provide multiple email address, and communication preferences are based on specific subject matter (i.e. a corporate sponsor prefers sponsorship communication to go to work email/cell and communication about his/her personal donation or child's program to go to personal email/cell).

If the policy cannot be changed, a duplicate record alert is the next best solution. It won't ensure a consistent SMS communication experience between work/personal email correspondence, but it will at least prompt a communication manager to double check that SMS record is added to appropriate lists (i.e. if work email has sms assigned it may not be on a parent distribution list... work email would need to be added to the parent distribution list or sms number would need to be reassigned to personal email address to ensure constituent receives communications as expected).

[William_A]

Hello @BenG14 ,

At this time, the ability to add duplicates of the SMS number is considered a glitch, not a function or feature. SMS numbers have to be considered unique for the sake of complying with permissions and regulations, similar to email addresses.

The SMS addition issue, as well as the request for clearer messaging on contacts errors, have both been tracked to your account. If and when there's an update on either, the devs will notify you directly. 

[BenG14]

Apologies for the delayed reply! While I understand the intention of Constant Contact's policy, I don't believe the policy helps comply with user/constituent permissions. Since my original post, I've had three more constituents reach out to me about not receiving SMS service. These were all people who have subscribed to various email lists with multiple email addresses and only one cell phone number, creating a scenario where SMS is limited to one email address/list. In order to fulfill the request to receive SMS across all lists (as expressed by constituent at point of opt in), I have to manipulate the email subscriptions, sometimes creating a scenario where one constituent has two email address on the same list when previously they had one email address on one list and another email address on another. If anything, the policy inhibits my ability to fulfill a constituent's expressed preference.

Clearer messaging will certainly help navigate what seems to be a dysfunctional policy.  We need to be able to address SMS expectations proactively with our constituents. The reactive conversations we've been having up until now have been pretty embarrassing.