When you need to chat with the parent about their booking

Jun 17, 2026

Chatting with the parent about their booking

Overview

SOBS includes a built-in messaging thread that lets staff and parents exchange short messages tied to a specific interview booking. Either side can start the conversation, and the other party receives an email (or SMS, where no email is available) with a secure link back into SOBS to read the thread and reply.

Conversations are useful when a parent needs to query a time, confirm attendance, request a phone call instead, or when a teacher needs to follow up on a booking. The
complete thread is retained against the booking for future reference.

Starting a conversation from a booking (staff)

  1. Open the interview round and locate the booking using row #23
  2. Click the booking menu (out to the right) and choose the Conversation action.
  3. SOBS shows any previous messages for that booking at the top of the dialog, in chronological order.
  4. Enter your message in the box at the bottom. The To: line shows how the parent will be contacted — email if a valid address is on file, otherwise SMS,
    otherwise the message is recorded against the booking without being sent out (useful for keeping a note of a phone call).
  5. Tick No response required if you do not expect the parent to reply. This closes the conversation from the staff side.
  6. Click Save.

The parent receives an email (or SMS) containing your message and a one-time link. They do not need a SOBS login to respond — the link itself authenticates them for
that conversation only.

How a parent replies

When the parent clicks the link in their email or SMS they see the full conversation in chronological order, with their previous messages on the right and the staff member’s on the left. Earlier messages from the staff member are automatically marked as Seen once the parent opens the thread.

The parent types a reply in the message box and clicks Save. Their reply is emailed (or SMS’d) back to the relevant staff member with another link, and the
cycle continues until either party closes the conversation.

If a parent ticks No response required their reply closes the thread.

Reading and replying as staff

Staff can return to a conversation in two ways:

  • From the original booking on the interview round — the Conversation dialog shows all prior messages.
  • From the link in the parent’s reply email, which opens the same thread.

Either way the system marks prior parent messages as Seen once you open the thread.

Closing a conversation

Either party can close a conversation by ticking the No response required box before saving their final message. A closed conversation remains visible
against the booking but cannot be replied to. Each side decides independently when they have nothing more to add.

When there are no contact details

If the parent has neither a valid email address nor a mobile number on file, the dialog changes to Record a conversation with <parent name>. In this mode
nothing is sent out — the message is stored against the booking as a note. This is the recommended way to record the substance of a phone call or face-to-face exchange so it forms part of the audit trail.

Late-booking conversations

When a parent requests a booking after the round has closed, the late-booking flow uses the same conversation thread. The teacher is asked to suggest one or more time slots; the parent receives the list and selects one. Once the parent chooses a slot the booking is created automatically and the conversation is closed. This keeps the negotiation and the resulting booking together in one record.

Privacy and audit

  • The link sent in the email or SMS is a single conversation token. It only unlocks that one thread and cannot be used to access any other SOBS function.
  • Every message is timestamped with creation and seen times.
  • The complete thread is retained against the booking and is visible to staff with access to that interview round, so it forms part of the booking audit trail.