Child Support Electronic Messaging (EM) 133-21022317

A customer is automatically subscribed to EM if they provide a valid mobile phone number (recorded in the Mobile field in the Individual Customer Details window) or email address.

EM will stop for customers if:

• their contact details are removed or made invalid
• they have an ’opt out’ SMS restriction registered on their account, or
• they are deceased

To check if the customer has unsubscribed to EM in Cuba, navigate to the Products and Services window and view the SMS status for:

• ‘Reminder’, and
• ‘General’

If a customer queries why they have received an SMS, explain:

• they will only receive EM relevant to their circumstances
• messages will not contain any personal information or hyperlinks to any website
• they cannot respond to the messages (SMS or email)
• they must tell Services Australia if they change their mobile phone number or email address. Customers can update their personal details via the Child Support online account or the Express Plus Child Support mobile app

To unsubscribe a customer, see the Opt out of SMS messaging table.

If a customer advises they received a message incorrectly, go to Table 2, Step 6.

To issue an SMS, Service Officers must have access to:

• Cuba (request access via ESS), and
• Pluto (request access via mySupport)

Note: SMS messages cannot be sent at this time to:

• Restricted Access Customers (RACs)
• customers using an overseas mobile number, or
• employers

If the customer has a FDV indicator or there is evidence to suggest FDV concerns, review the relevant notepad to determine if an SMS is appropriate. If unsure, consult a Service Support Officer (SSO) or Team Leader.

Where FDV has been indicated by the applicant or initiating party to the relevant process underway (for example, new registration, Objection, COA, change of care), Service Officers must not send an SMS to the other party until the initiating party or applicant’s FDV concerns have been discussed.

See Family and domestic violence for further information.

Where the applicant is the party that did not raise the FDV concerns, an SMS can be sent to both parties.

If the customer is being serviced by one of the following specialised areas, before contacting them, see:

• Personalised Services
• Debt Enforcement
• Incarcerated customers
• Deceased customers
• Employer withholding

Otherwise, go to Step 4.

See the Maximise contact by phone and ‘please contact’ letters table to apply the appropriate contact protocol depending on the customer’s circumstance and Services Australia’s business purpose.

To check for outbound correspondence in Pluto:

• navigate to the Customer Summary screen > select Outbound icon
• view the list of all outbound correspondence issued to the customer
• to refine the search results, key details for at least one of the following options:
• Letter Status
• Source
• Date Range
• select Search to view the list of filtered correspondence

To check for outbound correspondence in Cuba, navigate to the Letters List window. To refine the search results, select:

• Letter Status (sent), or
• Channel (SMS or email)

Check the history of the case and notepads for relevant information and complaints. Consider the appropriateness of sending an SMS based on the customer’s individual circumstances.

If the customer:

• has not previously contacted Child Support, make one phone contact attempt on all available numbers before sending an SMS, or
• has not responded to multiple messages in the last 14 days, consider an alternate method of contacting the customer

Note: the system limits SMS messages to 5 per day to a customer.

Messages available through desktop messaging include pre call advice, reminders to take action, confirmation of documents/information/receipt number and requests for information or contact.

Follow the guidelines for the SMS that is being sent as outlined in Resources. This includes completing any prior actions.

Note: only use SMS messages. Do not use myGov messages as although they are visible in Pluto, they are not yet approved.

From the Customer Summary screen in Pluto:

• select the Outbound icon
• view the Outbound Correspondence screen with the list of all outbound correspondence issued to the customer

To issue an SMS:

• select New desktop message to view the Generate Desktop Message pop up screen
• check the customer’s name and contact information displayed are correct
• ensure a mobile number is recorded in the Mobile field to send the SMS

If the customer’s contact information does not display correctly, or is unavailable, update the customer’s details in the Customer Summary screen.

Select message options:

• from the Group dropdown menu, select the relevant contact group:
• Payment information
• Provide/request information
• Request for contact
• from the Type dropdown menu, select the SMS template to send
• where a Pre call alert SMS notification has been selected, the contact time dropdown menu will display. The timeframe selected will display in the SMS. Select either:
• ‘In the next hour’, or
• ‘Today’

Note: aim to call the customer within 10-25 minutes as contact should generally be within the next hour.

Message templates that require a response date will display a By date field. To record the response due by date:

• manually record the date in the field, or
• use the calendar icon to select the date

The most recent message sent to the customer will display in the Last message sent field. If no previous messages have been sent, nothing will display.

View message preview:

• select Preview Message to view the message details in a separate window
• confirm the message details are correct, and
• close the message preview

To send new desktop message:

• check all information is correct
• select Send
• when the confirmation message displays, select either Send or Cancel to action the information message

Only send one desktop message to the same customer in a one hour timeframe. If a message has already been issued to the customer within the last hour, an information message will display requiring confirmation to send the message.

Select either Cancel or Send to action the information message. Refresh the Outbound Correspondence screen to view the message.

SMS will be sent instantly between 8:00am to 8:00pm (recipient local time) including weekends and national public holidays. SMS triggered outside the SMS window will be held and sent on the next day.

The sender of the SMS will appear as ‘Child Supp’ to the customer.

Note: if an SMS has been sent to the wrong customer, Service Officers must call them to advise that an SMS has been sent to them in error and apologise to the customer for any inconvenience caused.

In Pluto, all sent messages display in the Outbound Correspondence list. The Status will display as either:

• Sent to open text, if the message has been sent to the customer, or
• Communication sent, if the message is viewable in the Cuba letter list and the status in Pluto status is updated to reflect this

Select the message line to view the sent message in a new window.

In Cuba, sent SMS messages are available to view in the Cuba letter list. Search by:

• Letter status > Sent, or
• Channel type > SMS

Select an entry to view the details of the message.

Note: allow a few minutes for this to appear in Cuba after message status in Pluto is ‘sent to open text’. Do not resend.

If an error occurs at the SMS delivery or Email Exchange after a message is deemed as Sent, a bounce back will be created the next day and the status will be updated:

• Pluto will display Bounce Back (BB) in the outbound correspondence message status
• Cuba letters list message will display with an Error status

Note: check the mobile number is correct. If the number is not valid, select the ‘Invalid’ tick box in the Individual Customer Details window in Cuba.

If Service Officers attempt to send an SMS to a customer who has opted out of SMS, the message ‘Customer has an SMS opt out recorded’ will display in red. To prevent an SMS being sent, the Preview and Send buttons are disabled.

If Service Officers attempt to send more than one desktop message to the same customer within an hour, the message ‘A desktop message has already been sent to this customer in the last hour. Are you sure you want to send another one?’ will display, requiring confirmation to send the message.

If 5 messages have already been sent to the customer in a day, when attempting to send a new message, the message ‘This customer has already received 5 desktop messages today’ will display. Service Officers are unable to continue.

If the customer contacts advising they have received an SMS message that is not relevant to them, note the:

• content of the SMS, and
• mobile number address that received the message

Is the person calling a current Child Support customer?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

Check the mobile number is correct on their customer record. If incorrect, update the details. Ask the customer for the content of the message and the time it was received.

Go to the Products and Services window in Cuba. Check the Status for both ‘Reminder’ and ‘General’ SMS.

If the customer:

• is not subscribed to EM, or the message is not relevant to them, apologise for the inconvenience
• wants to unsubscribe, action this request. See the Opt out of SMS messaging table
• is subscribed for EM, but the case notes indicate a different SMS was intended and the wrong message was sent, apologise and explain the correct reason for the contact

If the mobile number belongs to the customer who called but the message was clearly not intended for them, escalate to the Specialised Assessment Services (SAS) Team and include the:

• relevant number
• message content, and
• the time it was received

The SAS Team will:

• determine who the message was intended for
• inform the Service Officer to:
• report the incident, and
• remove the number of the person who contacted, from another customer’s record

Procedure ends here.

Ask for the notifying person’s:

• name
• contact details, including their mobile number
• content of the message, and
• the time it was received

Check whether they are a customer representative. If they are, explain the purpose of the message. If they have no Child Support relationship, apologise for any inconvenience and advise that Services Australia will investigate to have their number removed from a customer’s record.

Escalate this number, together with the content of the message and the time it was received to the Specialised Assessment Services (SAS) Team and include the:

• relevant number
• message content, and
• the time it was received

The SAS Team will:

• determine who the message was intended for
• tell the Service Officer to:
• report the incident, and
• remove the number of the person who contacted, from another customer’s record

Procedure ends here.

Integrated Service Officers can use Centrelink electronic messaging to send an SMS to inform the customer of a:

• Pre call notification
• Claim Finalised – Grant, and
• Claim Finalised - Reject

The sender will show as ‘CENTRELINK’.

From Customer First:

• select Workspace > Customer Communication > Desktop Messaging:
• to view the customer's name, contact details and DEMC message history
• select Create EM
• highlight message in the Document Description list, select Next
• select text option from dropdown list
• select Preview EM to view the message. Check the text is correct:
• if correct, select Send Electronic Message
• if incorrect or not to be sent, select Cancel

The Electronic Message Communication History displays a message advising an 'Electronic Message has been queued'.

The message also displays on the Customer Details screen > Communication History tab.

For available messages and how to subscribe a customer, see Centrelink letters online and Electronic Messaging.

Use Pluto when the:

• initiating work item is a ‘SCT Disagreed Referral Intray’, or
• customer being contacted is not a current Centrelink customer

Use Customer First when the:

• initiating work item is a Centrelink work type
• customer being contacted is not a Child Support mutual customer
• customer’s main issue is Claim progression. For example, for urgent escalations from Centrelink
• the contact is to progress SME related work items. Use the ARO/SME SMS text

The pre call notifications most relevant for Integrated Service Officers are:

• CLK pre call notification message:
• ‘A Services Australia Service Officer will call you today from a private number. Please answer this call. Do not reply by SMS.’
• CLK pre call notification - ARO/SME only message:
• ‘We will call this number in the next 2 hours to discuss the decision you want reviewed. Calls may show as a private number. Please answer. Do not reply by SMS.’

It is important that the call is made within the timeframe stated in the SMS. Service Officer who are unable to call within this timeframe due to unforeseen circumstances, must speak to their Team Leader immediately so the outbound call can be made by another Service Officer.

Integrated Service Officers can send claim outcome messages to inform the customer that their claim has been granted or rejected.

The Claim Finalised – Grant message reads, ‘Your claim for [PAYMENT TYPE] has been completed. We will contact you with the outcome. Do not reply by SMS.’

Send this message when:

• a new claim is finalised with the outcome of ‘Grant’
• the CCM is not available, and
• the customer receives their correspondence via surface mail

Claims lodged where the CCM is available will be sent a grant message automatically, and customers who receive their mail online will receive the grant letter in real time. Sending this SMS will reduce the instances of customers contacting to enquire about claim outcomes while mail advice is in transit.

The Claim Finalised – Reject message reads, ‘We tried to contact you to discuss the outcome of your recent claim for [PAYMENT TYPE]. Please call us on [PHONE NUMBER*]. Do not reply by SMS.’

Send this message when:

• a new claim is finalised with the outcome of ‘Reject’
• phone contact has been unsuccessful, and
• the CCM is not available

Claims lodged where the CCM is available will be sent a message automatically. Sending this SMS will prompt the customer to contact Services Australia to:

• ask why the claim was rejected
• discuss their options to provide additional information/evidence as required for their claim to be granted, or
• test their eligibility for an alternative claim type