How Do I Use the Message Center?

The Message Center is where your team talks in Clean Smarts. Use it for internal updates at a location, customer conversations, one-off group chats, and company-wide announcements. On the web portal the page is called Message Center; on the mobile app it appears as Messages.

Applies to: Users with a messaging module (Messaging (Cleaner), Messaging (Company), or Messaging (Customer)). What you can start, read, and reply to depends on your role and location access.

Before You Start

• Messaging modules control access. Internal location chats need Messaging (Cleaner) or Messaging (Company). Customer location chats need Messaging (Customer). Starting a new custom group requires Messaging (Company).
• Location access still matters. Location message boards only appear for sites the user can access. If someone cannot see a location thread, check their Location Access assignments first.
• Notifications are separate. Users receive message alerts only if their Notification Preferences include Messages - Internal or Messages - Customer, depending on the thread type.
• Languages can auto-translate. If participants use different languages, Clean Smarts may translate message text into each person's preferred language.

For the full module breakdown, see What does each of the user modules do?.

Open the Message Center

Web portal

1. In the left-hand menu, select Message Center.
2. Or press Ctrl/Cmd + K, search for Message Center, and open it.

The page shows your conversation list on the left and the active thread on the right.

Mobile app

1. Open the Clean Smarts mobile app.
2. Tap Messages in the bottom navigation.

If you do not see Messages, your role does not include a messaging module. Ask an administrator to review your permissions.

Understand the Conversation Types

Clean Smarts groups messages into a few thread types. The tabs you see depend on your modules.

On both apps, use the tabs to filter:

• All shows every thread you can access.
• Internal shows internal location boards and company announcements.
• Customer shows customer location boards.
• Groups shows custom group chats.

Send a Message on the Web Portal

1. Open Message Center.
2. Click Create New Message above the conversation list.
3. Choose the message type you need:
   • Group Message for a custom chat
   • Internal Location Message for staff at one site
   • Customer Location Message for customers at one site
   • All Hands Announcement for a company-wide post (admins only)
4. In To:, pick your recipients:
   • For a Group Message, select one or more users.
   • For a location message, select the location.
   • For All Hands, recipients are set automatically to all active company members.
5. Type your message in the composer at the bottom of the thread.
6. To attach a photo, click the paperclip icon, choose an image, then send.
7. Click the send button.

After the first message in a new thread is sent, Clean Smarts creates the conversation and opens it in your list.

Send a Message on the Mobile App

1. Open Messages.
2. Tap the conversation you want, or start a new one:
   • Tap the + button to start a custom group if you have Messaging (Company).
   • For location boards, open the location thread from the Internal, Customer, or All tab.
3. For a new custom group, tap Tap here to add users and select participants.
4. Type your message, attach a photo if needed, and send.

Custom groups can mix internal staff and customers. Only users with Messaging (Company) see the + button to start them.

Manage People in a Custom Group

Web portal

1. Open the group thread.
2. In the To: bar at the top, add or remove users from the tag list.
3. Changes save as you add or remove names.

You can also rename a custom group from the conversation list. Hover the group name and click the pencil icon, then save the new name.

Mobile app

1. Open the custom group.
2. Tap the To: row at the top of the thread.
3. Add or remove users from the participant list.

Forward a Location Message to the Other Audience

Location chats stay separate on purpose: internal staff threads and customer threads do not share the same board. When you want customers to see something your team posted internally—or the other way around—you can forward individual messages.

You need both Messaging (Company) (or Messaging (Cleaner) for internal access) and Messaging (Customer) to forward between internal and customer location threads.

Web portal

1. Open the internal or customer location thread.
2. Open the three-dot menu on the message you want to share.
3. Choose Forward to customer or Forward to internal.
4. Confirm the action.

Mobile app

1. Open the location thread.
2. Long-press or open the options on the message.
3. Tap Forward to customer or Forward to internal.

Forwarding copies that message into the matching location board for the other audience. It does not move everyone in the thread or change who has access to the location.

Post an All Hands Announcement

All Hands is the company-wide announcement channel. Every active user can read it, but only administrators with Manage Account can post.

Web portal

1. In Message Center, click Create New Message.
2. Select All Hands Announcement.
3. Type the announcement and send.

Non-administrators see the thread as read-only with the note This thread is for announcements only.

Mobile app

1. Open Messages.
2. Open Company Announcements from the Internal or All tab.
3. Post the announcement if you have Manage Account.

Other users can read announcements but cannot reply in that thread.

Tips and Troubleshooting

I do not see Message Center or Messages. Your role needs at least one messaging module. Review the user's role under Permissions or see How do I create and manage user roles?.

I cannot start a custom group. Only users with Messaging (Company) can create new group chats. Cleaners and customers can still participate in groups they are added to.

A location thread is missing. Confirm the user has access to that location. Location boards appear only for assigned locations.

I posted internally but the customer cannot see it. Internal and customer location chats are separate. Forward the message to the customer location thread, or post directly in the customer thread.

Someone is not getting message alerts. Open the user's Notification Preferences and confirm Messages - Internal or Messages - Customer is turned on for the channels they use (app, email, or text).

I need to remove a message. On the web portal, users with Manage Account can delete messages from the thread menu. The same permission applies on mobile.

A message appears in the wrong language. Check each participant's Language setting on their user profile. Automatic translation runs when sender and recipient languages differ.