SMS Text Messaging While Widely Used Has Challenges

The phone says "FAILED" when you tried sending the text


This message can happen even when if message gets through cleanly and quickly. The network is busy.
Take the next couple of minutes to do the usual pre entry scan of the situation. If you do not get the normal "On duty at..." message back to your mobile device, you know the message did not get through. No response means communications are not working as expected. No response tells you it is time to follow your organizations alternate polices. Frequently that means, reschedule the meeting, find a land line to use instead, etc.

When an "On Duty at..." message is received, you know you have communications and your monitoring is on.

These FAILED messages tend to come up at similar locations or similar times of day.
The telcos logic, in asking you to resend the text, appears to be that the worst which can happen is two copies get sent.

REGARDLESS, if you do not receive the "On Duty at..." back to your first text, communications are not dependable.

A second request attempt cannot fix that reality. The user just ends up paying twice for the same message, as both will be sent as soon as the mobile device makes telco contact, at some later time and location.

REMEMBER, when you leave the location, still send your command to stop the monitoring.
As both the start and stop are processed from the same location they will be sent in order, as soon as the network can process them. Your logs will reflect a completed session instead of one that started and eventually went on to active measures, with all the folks following up on you. Further these entries are a tool to identify times of day or locations and confirm frequency, so the information can be passed on to the telcos.

REMEMBER, Work Alone services also offer 3 other alternate paths to using SMS Texting.

Those working alone can also:
  • email in exactly the same message as if they had sent the text.
  • sign on to your organizations web portal for Work Alone support and to see others signed on
  • call in by phone using voice for interaction.