Pacey | Pacey Announcement Feature

Pacey | Pacey Announcement Feature

Overview

To ensure that businesses do not use WhatsApp for randomly spamming its users, WhatsApp does not allow businesses to send out just any arbitrary message to its users. They only allow a “Business Template Message” that they have approved, to be sent. This is why PaySpace only offers a few select template options for sending out structured messages to employees, namely, that the employee’s payslip for a period is ready and that Pacey is available as an ESS channel for new customers.

We have now included the ability to communicate a custom message to employees. The employee will be sent the following structured message to invite them to read the actual announcement, if they choose, by tapping on a “Read Announcement” button within WhatsApp, as per the following screenshot. 
      
      

Edition

Alert
This feature is available on the Master edition only.
Navigate > Bulk Actions

Custom Form Configuration for Announcements

To utilise this feature, customers need to create a custom form within PaySpace where they can capture the message that they wish employees to receive.

      Navigate > Configuration > Basic Settings > Custom Form Configuration.

Step 1: Select the "Categories" tab and click on the Add Icon.

Once you have advised the fields with the desired information, click on the Save button.

Info
Important!
      The Company Code field must have the code "pacey_announcement"


      
      
Step 2: Click on the “Fields” tab and select the newly added “Pacey Announcement” option in the Form Category dropdown list.

      

The following 3 fields need to be added: 
  1. Subject 
  2. Message 
  3. Expiry Date 
Start by adding the “Text” type field option.

          
           
Next, add the “Text Area” type field option.

            

Lastly, add the “Date” type field option.

      

Info
This optional field allows a user to indicate when a message should expire if the employee does not read it timeously. For example, a message announcing a particular company event that takes place on a date, may not be relevant if an employee only accesses the message after the event date. In this case, Pacey will let the employee know that the announcement has expired.

Capturing the Announcement on Company Level

      Navigate > Configuration > General Company > Custom Forms

Select the “Pacey Announcement” form from the left menu that you have just created. Complete the relevant fields as per the below example screenshot. The Effective Date indicates which message to send to the employees based on the current date that the Excel sheet is uploaded on the Bulk Actions screen below. The message with an effective date closest to the current date will be sent. You can build up a history of messages that have been sent for record purposes. 


      

Info
The maximum amount of characters that can be sent in a single message is 4096 (which includes the date and subject).

Sending the Announcement to Employees

Navigate to the “Bulk Actions” menu item, select the “Message Templates” option under the “Pacey” heading in the “Action Type” dropdown list. Download the empty excel bulk upload template and select the “Announcement” option as per the below screenshot.

      
      
       

Important Comment

Info
We suggest that you send a test announcement to one employee first to review that the message is received as expected and then upload it for the relevant employees.