Autoresponder scenarios and how to do it...

[QEHNick]

I have a scenario where I want to either;

A) respond to an incoming email without a call reference on it with a specific message (we don't want to log it as most of what our customers email is utter inconsequential twaddle).

or

B ) Delete any such message.

I can't see if this is possible, any advice would be welcome, thank you.

[Steve Giller]

We don't have an auto-reply function, however:

1. Create a Routing Rule to raise a request (ensure it is after any existing rules)
2. Make the Workflow fully automated
   1. Assign the Request to a relevant Team and/or Owner
   2. Update the Summary and Description if necessary so it's clear it's automated
   3. Record any useful info to its Timeline and/or Custom Fields (for reporting purposes)
   4. Gather the details from the originating email
   5. Send a templated email response to the Customer
   6. Close the Request.

That way you have Requests you can report against as well as sending the email you're asking for, and you can perform any additional actions that you deem necessary by updating the Workflow as and when required - for example aborting the "Don't email us!" template if the sender is the CEO

[QEHNick]

In the end, we put a mail tip on the account to warn people not to email the address to log calls.

[Jim]

On 07/04/2022 at 13:01, Steve Giller said:

We don't have an auto-reply function, however:

1. Create a Routing Rule to raise a request (ensure it is after any existing rules)
2. Make the Workflow fully automated
   1. Assign the Request to a relevant Team and/or Owner
   2. Update the Summary and Description if necessary so it's clear it's automated
   3. Record any useful info to its Timeline and/or Custom Fields (for reporting purposes)
   4. Gather the details from the originating email
   5. Send a templated email response to the Customer
   6. Close the Request.

That way you have Requests you can report against as well as sending the email you're asking for, and you can perform any additional actions that you deem necessary by updating the Workflow as and when required - for example aborting the "Don't email us!" template if the sender is the CEO

I have used this for a few weeks and it seemed quite useful, however, I have come in this morning to see an auto reply loop that has logged 'Thousands' of requests so this doesn't seem that feasible unless there is a way of preventing this loop? mainly when people are using rules opposed to actual automatic replies 

[Steve Giller]

35 minutes ago, Jim said:

mainly when people are using rules opposed to actual automatic replies

That sounds like a very strange scenario - is this a rule that mimics auto-reply functionality or just that replies to every service desk email?

If there is something in the subject or body that you can pick up on in a higher priority Routing Rule you can prevent a new request being created.
If the subject includes the Request Reference you can make it update the existing Request, or move it to a "Pending" folder if you don't want auto-updates.
If just the body includes the Request Reference you can't make it update the existing Request, but you could still move it to a "Pending" folder.

Any of those options, if triggered, will prevent the new request being triggered.

[Jim]

I already have the updates, normal auto replies etc routing before this rule, its when partners or users have an auto reply that actually rule it just goes back and forth over and over

[Steve Giller]

I'm still intrigued as to what the rule is - I can't think of one with that behaviour that would make any sense - but as it's a rule it must have a consistent subject, so you'd need to match against that to prevent the loop.

Or ask that user to stop using that rule, of course.