We’ve recently added the ability to specify a list of valid values for a given user data attribute. This allows TextMe to not only validate that the data collected from your customer is valid for the given attribute type, but also to validate that the data collected matches one of the valid values that you have specified.
Let’s walk through an example to see how this works. First, we’ll create a new user attribute called “Team”. We want this attribute to contain the name of our customer’s favorite local sports team.
Click on the attribute’s name, Team, to be brought to the details screen for that attribute.
Since there are limited valid values for this attribute, we can use the valid values feature to prevent our customers from entering the name of a rival team across the state line. Simply add a valid value for each of the valid options.
With the valid values in place, TextMe is configured to only recognize these values as valid values. All others will be considered invalid, and if your customer tries to send something else, they will be told that their response was invalid and asked to try again. Each valid value can also have an alias. This is optional, but can make collecting multiple choice data much easier over SMS. With an alias in place, your customers can either text the value (i.e. “Bulls”) or the alias (i.e. “a”). If the alias is sent, TextMe will recognize it, and store the corresponding value (“Bulls”) in the database. With aliases in place, your customers can make their choice by texting a single character.
We also made a few other changes to support the valid values feature. First, when editing the details for a contact under the Contacts tab, you will see a “?” next to your attributes that have valid values associated with them. Clicking that “?” will show you the value values for that attribute, so you don’t need to remember all of the possible options yourself.
Also, when building your campaign and specifying the data collection questions, you will see a new Insert valid value options link for user attributes that have valid values associated with them. Clicking this link will insert the list of valid values directly into your message.
We’re always trying to make TextMe more powerful, and easier to use. Please don’t hesitate to contact us about anything we can do to help.
Tags: data collection