Bug 32403 - On demand messaging, especially via SMS and phone
Summary: On demand messaging, especially via SMS and phone
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Notices (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low new feature (vote)
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
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Keywords:
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Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-12-05 14:03 UTC by Christofer Zorn
Modified: 2022-12-06 22:40 UTC (History)
0 users

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Description Christofer Zorn 2022-12-05 14:03:45 UTC
We are a library that relies on both email messaging (through Koha) along with SMS and Phone messaging (through Twilio). We are very happy with the messaging features involved in Koha, but for me, there is something missing that could be improved.

With the right system permissions, we'd like to see the ability to generate on demand messages to specific patrons, or even tailored messages to groups. While I understand that this isn't specifically what Koha is meant for, there are wider benefits to this that I think warrant a discussion.

This is a means of interacting with a patron. While individual email is normally an option, in a mid to larger sized system where multiple staff can reply to a communal message, Koha has a tracking mechanism that would allow staff to see what information was sent to a patron by looking at the Notice tab.

This could also morph into a marketing aspect of Koha where we could leverage the history and make this similar to Patron Point.

Symphony has an on demand message sending tool, however from what I remember it was spotty.

The tweak would be creating an interface that allowed inputting of information into the messaging table ...

Please let me know if this is possible. Our library has had the need for this a couple of times, where we could take one last stab at reaching out to expired patrons (beyond what Koha is already doing), or communicating back to a patron through SMS when leaving a voicemail isn't an option.

Thanks!

Chris
Comment 1 Katrin Fischer 2022-12-05 15:07:59 UTC
Hi Christofer, are you aware of the patron-emailer plugin? 
https://github.com/bywatersolutions/koha-plugin-patron-emailer

It allows to craft your own custom email to be sent based on reports, so to different groups of patrons like the expired accounts you mention.
Comment 2 Christofer Zorn 2022-12-05 21:29:36 UTC
For sure it allows me to send email addresses out, which I can also do from my Outlook. But I have no means of tracking custom SMS or Phone messages that go out. We had a patron the other day who only could be contacted through SMS and we have no means of sending out an SMS.
Comment 3 Katrin Fischer 2022-12-06 22:40:07 UTC
Thx for clarifying!