A guide to DribX

When this matters. This matters when you want categories and AI-assisted routing to reflect how your team actually works. Start with the categories, then write the business context around those categories.

How to set it up. First define the conversation types you want separated. For a plumbing company, useful categories might be urgent_issue, quote_request, scheduling, billing_payment, and service_details. Then write the business context as a short job description for the workspace: “Business texting app for a plumbing company handling urgent plumbing issues, quote requests, appointment scheduling, billing or payment questions, and general service detail inquiries.”

Good example. This structure works because it gives DribX a clean map. “Business texting app” sets the channel. “Plumbing company” sets the industry. The category list tells it which intent buckets matter. The category guidance then explains the boundaries: “Classify the dominant plumbing intent. Questions about hours, weekend service, service area, capabilities, or what is included should be service_details. Concrete booked time slots should be scheduling.”

What happens afterward. When a customer sends an incoming message, DribX can compare the text against both the business context and the category boundaries. “Do you come on weekends?” can stay in service_details. “My appointment is Saturday at 10, can we move it?” can become scheduling. “Water is coming into my basement” can become urgent_issue.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid treating each category as a separate mini-description with no relationship to the others. The hard part is often not defining one category; it is explaining how to choose between two categories when a message could almost fit both.

When this matters. Assignments matter when several people share the inbox. The goal is ownership: one person knows they are responsible for the next reply.

How to set it up. Assign only the categories that have a clear owner. For example, urgent_issue may go to dispatch, billing_payment may go to administration, and quote_request may go to the person who prepares estimates. Leave broad categories unassigned if the right owner depends on the details.

Good example. A customer writes, “There is water coming through the basement ceiling.” If that lands in urgent_issue, assigning it to dispatch makes sense. A message like “Do you service my area?” may be better left unassigned unless one person always handles general service questions.

What happens afterward. The conversation appears with an owner when the category has a clear routing rule. Team members can still take, release, or reassign conversations manually when the situation calls for it.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid auto-assigning every category just because the option exists. Assignment works best when it reflects a real responsibility on your team.

When this matters. Saved replies help when the same answer is written many times, but they should still sound like your business.

How to set it up. Write replies for common situations: asking for photos, confirming an appointment window, requesting an address, explaining after-hours handling, or sending basic service information. A good saved reply should save time while still leaving room for the user to personalize the final message.

Good example. “Thanks. Could you send a photo of the area and the best phone number to reach you? We will review it and let you know the next step.”

What happens afterward. Team members can insert the reply, adjust details, and send faster without rewriting the same message from scratch. The saved reply becomes a starting point, not a script that must be sent unchanged.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid making saved replies so generic that customers feel nobody read their message. A good saved reply gives a useful starting point, not the final answer every time.

When this matters. Keywords are useful when a customer sends a very specific word and expects an immediate, predictable response.

How to set it up. Keep the supported keywords clear: HELP, AIDE, STOP, ARRET, and INFO. The text you configure should be the actual message sent back to the customer, not an instruction telling your team what the keyword means.

Good example. INFO could reply: “Horizon Plumbing handles leaks, sump pumps, water heaters, drain issues, and service appointments. Call 514-555-0100 or visit demo.dribx.com.”

What happens afterward. When a customer texts the keyword by itself, DribX can send the matching reply. STOP and ARRET are managed automatically as opt-out keywords, so further messages to that contact from that number will not be sent. The response should be clear and final.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid writing “Reply INFO for company details” inside the INFO response. The customer already replied INFO; now they need the actual details.

When this matters. Business hours help set expectations when customers text outside normal coverage or during a special closure.

How to set it up. Set your normal hours, then add closure replies for holidays, vacations, weather closures, or service interruptions. Keep the reply short and tell customers what happens next.

Good example. “Thanks for your message. We are closed today for a statutory holiday and will reply when we reopen tomorrow. If this is an emergency, call 514-555-0100.”

What happens afterward. Customers receive a consistent expectation instead of waiting without context. Your team still sees the conversation in the inbox and can reply normally when someone is available.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid promising an emergency response if nobody is monitoring the channel. Set the expectation your team can actually meet.

When this matters. This matters when you want customers to have a clear way to reach the on-call person after hours.

How to set it up. Choose a specific urgent keyword, such as URGENT, and make the after-hours reply tell customers when to use it. The keyword flow is separate from AI categorization: the customer sends the keyword, DribX sends an automatic reply to the customer, and DribX sends a message to the on-call person.

Good example. After hours, the customer receives: “We are currently closed. If this is an urgent plumbing issue, reply URGENT and the on-call technician will be notified.” If the customer replies URGENT, DribX confirms that the urgent request was received and sends the on-call alert.

What happens afterward. The on-call flow gives customers a deliberate escalation path instead of making every after-hours message urgent. The customer chooses the escalation by sending the keyword, and the on-call person receives the alert configured for that flow.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid using a vague keyword or hiding the instruction in a long reply. The customer should know exactly what to text if the situation is urgent.

When this matters. Group messages are useful for service notices, schedule changes, reminders, closures, or operational updates sent to contacts you already know.

How to set it up. Create a contact group, review the recipients, write one clear update, and send it. Keep the message specific enough that recipients understand why they are receiving it.

Good example. “Horizon Plumbing: spring sump pump inspection spots are available this week. Reply SPRING and we’ll send available times. Reply STOP to opt out.”

What happens afterward. The outgoing message is recorded as a group message. Replies come back as individual conversations, where your team can assign, categorize, and answer normally. This is useful when the first message is broad, but the follow-up needs to be personal.

Common mistake to avoid. Avoid treating group messages as a substitute for consent or a broadcast channel for unrelated promotions. They work best for useful updates to known contacts.