Use case scenario:
We support multiple products/services. For one of our products/services our work flow is as follows:
- Client signs up for service
- Implementation team gathers information for setup of service
- Service is setup via phases: 1-3
- Development works on phase 1
- Phase 1 completed, customer must be notified and prompted for more interaction to move on to phase 2. CLIENT IS SENT NEW EMAIL
- Work flow repeats as above for all phases until service is fully implemented for client.
We need to track these email communications via a central support tool. Previously it has been done via standard email, but that isn't scaleable as we need agents to be able to reassign tasks or shift responsibilities by assigning the work to other team members. For the new agent to jump in, they need to see the client interaction history. Using Freshdesk for this would be ideal as the ticket will track client interaction and keep a central history of interaction. Currently email is sent from one agent to the client and then the agent cc's all other agents who may need to back them up. This is terrible because it generates so much email noise and isn't an automated or complete contact history based on a number of factors.
We MUST have a tool/process for centralizing this client communication that looks and feel like email to the client but functions as a Freshdesk ticket on our side.
I've attempted to use a combination of Dispatcher rules and custom ticket fields to create a ticket that looks like it is composing email to the client, but have hit two significant road blocks.
Ideally, there will just be an expanded specific feature that address this issue/workflow, but if there isn't then the next best solution will be to expand the function of the Dispatcher rules to address the two primary roadblocks I've encountered.
My current "work-a-round" solution that is close, but not close enough for actual use:
- Agent that needs to initiate client contact creates a new ticket
- In the new ticket it is filled out with the following method:
Requester = Email To (Recipient)
The Ticket Subject = Email Subject
The Ticket Description = Email Body - Agent sets a custom field to "Initiate New Email" (arbitrarily named)
- The sent from address isn't product specific. So the client receives the email from our Global Support Email. This is a major deal breaker as we need the reply to address to be product and group specific.
- We will often need to send these new email messages to a group of stakeholders in the client's organization. We commonly have to send these new email/tickets to 2-6 recipients. We we attempt to use the "Add CC" feature in the New Ticket process in Freshdesk it send an email formatted with: "RE:" added to the subject line, and this line "{{Agent}} submitted a new Ticket to {{The Support Center}} and requested that we copy you"
- Select a "From/Reply to Address" in Dispatcher -I feel this should be added regardless in order to make Freshdesk better at Multi-brand support.
- Add the ability to have multiple requesters on a ticket, that way the dispatcher rule would work and we wouldn't need to use the "add CC" feature. -I feel this should be added regardless, as it is common that a ticket will be worked on for multiple client contacts and it would be nice to search a client history and see all the issues they had input on even if they weren't/aren't the ticket's primary "Requester"
- Add the ability to change the canned response for every automated reply from the Freshdesk system. We can change almost every thing else, why can't we change the "Add CC" notification format?
As it stands, I can't fully migrate all my agents to Freshdesk until this work-flow is addressed.
