This article outlines the uses and differences between features that prevent your contacts from receiving communication from the Total Expert platform. In order from broadest to most specific actions, the categories are:

• Do Not Contact (DNC)
• Opt Out
  • Email (organization level)
  • Email (domain level)
  • Email (user level)
  • SMS
• Archive
• Silence
• Flagging OK to Email = False

Each of these is described in detail below.

Do Not Contact (DNC)

This mechanism best supports controlling communications for contacts across users.

For the contact record that DNC is applied to:

• This action CANNOT be undone in the platform.
• An organization-level opt out is applied to both email and SMS (see below).
  • Other contact records in the same organization with the same email address or phone number cannot be sent emails or texts.
• The contact record has the following fields set to false:
  • OK to Email
  • OK to Mail
  • OK to Call
• All outbound communication from the TE platform to the contact is ended.
  • Emails marked as "transactional" are still sent to keep the contact apprised of actual account activity.
• Their record is removed from the contact list (Leads & Contacts > Contacts).
  • If the contact record has been shared with or assigned to another user, the contact is also removed from the contact list of those user(s).
  • The contact is moved to the Do Not Contact List (Leads & Contacts > Do Not Contact List).
• The contact is still visible in loan records, the Activity Stream, and the Email Stats page, but will appear with an Archived label.
• All journeys are ended.
• The Daily Digest email no longer suggests them.
• No new print materials are sent.

For other contacts whose records have information that matches the record that DNC is applied to: 

• The organization-level opt out for both email and SMS is enforced.
• The contact record remains visible (unless that record is separately marked DNC).
• All outbound communication from the TE platform to the contact is ended.
  • Emails marked as "transactional" are still sent to keep the contact apprised of actual account activity.

If a new contact record is created where the email address or phone number matches the contact record marked DNC, the new contact's is automatically opted out of email or SMS, respectively.

Opt Out (Unsubscribe)

Email

Any type of email opt out actions cannot be undone in the platform.

Regardless of the level at which a contact opts out of email (organization, domain, or user), the following apply:

• Opt outs are enforced for any contact records with the same email address. This prevents accidental sending to duplicates.
• Emails marked as "transactional" are still sent to keep the contact apprised of actual account activity.

Organization or Domain Level

Contacts in your organization can be given the option to opt out of email at either the organization level or at the domain level (but not both).

• This option is controlled by an organization setting.
  • This setting controls which level applies when the contact attempts to opt out via the customer preference center (CPC).
  • The default setting is domain level.
    • This prevents other users using the same domain from emailing any contact with the same email address.
    • Users in the same organization, but using a different domain, can still email the contact.
  • This can be switched to organization level.
    • Any user in the organization, regardless of specific domain, is prevented from emailing any contact with the same email address.
  • If your organization only has 1 domain, there is no functional difference between these options.

User Level

Contacts in your organization can be given the option to opt out of email at the user level. This would apply independently of whether they can opt out at the organization or domain level. (See the table in the following section for a breakdown of these combinations.)

• By default, contacts cannot opt out at the user level.
  • This is reflected as "base snippet for CPC" in the following table.
• This can be switched to allow this by modifying the base snippet used in the CPC.
  • This is reflected as "customized snippet for CPC" in the following table.
  • Contacts who opt out at the user level can still receive email from other users in the same domain or organization (unless they also opt out at that level).

Combination of Opt Out Options

The options for organization/domain opt outs and user opt outs can be set independently of each other. This means the combination of these options allows for 4 possible configurations:

Check with your customer success manager for more information on setting up these options.

SMS

SMS opt out actions cannot be undone in the platform.

Contacts must have opted in to receiving SMS before they can opt out. (You can see the contact's opt-in/out status in the Communication Preferences section of the contact details page. If they have not opted in, there is a link to send an opt-in request.)

Contacts who opt out of SMS no longer receive text communications from the TE platform. This applies to any contact records with the same phone number.

Archive

Archiving a contact is generally meant to be used when you no longer expect to have any contact with a person, such as when they have passed away or when you find you are completely unable to contact them. While the process is reversible, it is generally expected to be permanent.

Information associated with an archived contact record, such as loan data or email statistics, is retained. However, the contact is removed from all available communication channels and is hidden from the contact list.

See Archiving Contacts for more details on the process and effects of archiving.

Silence

This mechanism is intended for temporary halts to communication between a single TE user and a particular contact. Therefore, this action can be undone by the user in the platform.

• A silenced contact does not receive any SMS or email communication via the TE platform.
  • This only applies to the specific user who initiated the silencing action on the record.
  • This only applies to the specific contact record that was silenced. Therefore, any other contact records in the user's list (or anywhere in the organization) with matching information are not silenced.

Flagging OK to Email = False

This action can only be taken via API or import actions to update records directly. This is done via 3rd-party systems.

• This only applies to the specific contact record that was flagged. Therefore, any other contact records in the user's list (or anywhere in the organization) with matching information are not flagged.