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Do we have an inaccurate "Default (RequestMessage)" Email Template option hardcoded into the Service Config?


Berto2002

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I was trying to use a different Email Update template for the emails Customers receive when Requests for certain Services were updated and was having some trouble working it out.

In the Service Config I saw "Default (RequestMessage)" but though our Services are configured for this Default, users are being sent a template called "CustomerTimelineUpdateNotification". But then I found the application setting called "guest.app.requests.notification.emailTemplate.customerTimelineUpdate"image.thumb.png.cf1506398e3c8698510cef0a64dc2ffc.png which seems to be where it's coming from; so what is the "Default (RequestMessage)" used for?

So I have two questions:

  1. Have we got a UI artefact here with a hardcoded option that need to be altered to say "Default (whatever-you-put-in guest.app.requests.notification.emailTemplate.customerTimelineUpdate)?
  2. Is the "Email Template" feature here supposed to be used for the Customer-visible notifications to the Customer or have I got the wrong idea (and which case what is that Email Template used for)?

I was looking here but could not find information about the "Email Template": Services Request Configuration - Hornbill

image.png.62e1b00e1af4bd479f4868c990730aac.png

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More specific question: it seems the setting in the Advance Application Settings for which template to use OVER-RIDES the setting in the Service Config for Email Template. Is this correct?

I have this:

image.thumb.png.35ccd3ea0f94fa29c8876a1d9d9a5a53.png

I then have this in the Config:

image.png.4b24c51da62f3cdd383908e5b8e5f230.png

But the template that is used is the one in Advanced settings.

So if I want to set the Email Template differently for some Services, I need to blank-out the Advanced Setting? And then it picks-up the setting in the Service Config?

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@Steve Giller oh I got caught out by the "Read More" on the page. The 'find' feature in the browser does not search content hidden behind that section (zero results for "Email" natively on the landing page). Having expanded it I now see...

So what we are saying is there is no way to have different templates used to update customers when there is an Update applied to the Request manually with the visibility of Customer? (you see I can specify templates in the BPM for open and resolve so I have a gap for the update).

image.png

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Hi @Berto2002

On 1/30/2023 at 3:59 AM, Berto2002 said:
  • Have we got a UI artefact here with a hardcoded option that need to be altered to say "Default (whatever-you-put-in guest.app.requests.notification.emailTemplate.customerTimelineUpdate)?
  • Is the "Email Template" feature here supposed to be used for the Customer-visible notifications to the Customer or have I got the wrong idea (and which case what is that Email Template used for)?

Here is some more information about the guest.app.requests.notification.emailTemplate.customerTimelineUpdate setting.  

https://wiki.hornbill.com/index.php?title=Update_Action_Item#Customer_Email_Notifications

I'm looking at removing the collapsible sections on the wiki due to the limitations using the search.  

On 1/30/2023 at 6:34 AM, Berto2002 said:

So what we are saying is there is no way to have different templates used to update customers when there is an Update applied to the Request manually with the visibility of Customer? (you see I can specify templates in the BPM for open and resolve so I have a gap for the update).

That's correct.  The customer facing updates using the Update Action (manual updates) on a request all use the same email template.  Through the use of variables and ESP conditions, this email template does have some flexibility with the information that is contained in the email.   For example you can include information such as the service name, the name of the request catalog item that the request is based on, the team managing the request.  Personally, when it comes to these ad-hoc updates on a request, I think less is more.  A nice simple html template can make it very user friendly and encourages the use of the Employee Portal by having the recipient click on the links, taking them to the actual request to check out what the update was, and hopefully engage more with the Service Desk.  The below image of an html email template was inspired by another customer.  The idea is not much different from the email that you can get as a notification to this post on this topic from the Community Forum.  

image.png

 

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12 hours ago, James Ainsworth said:

That's correct.  The customer facing updates using the Update Action (manual updates) on a request all use the same email template.

Hi @James Ainsworth We will generate a "generic" Update template but it's a shame, I would say. I would request you consider giving us the capability to set an Update email templates per Service. Just to explain the case, we want to 'brand' each of our domains differently (IT, L&D, Councillor Support, facilities, etc) and this means we are using different email banners that match the colours we use on the Domains in the portal. So for logging new Requests, BPM updates through the lifecycle and Resolving Requests I can have these branded emails; but we have this stock Update template that will frustratingly, break the branding chain. Here's an example of our IT-related banner:

image.png.0c1ef2836b0bdca946f1836f670afa05.png

And here is our Councillor Support banner:

image.png.5dddb62bf6102330f1df7434e4ad5454.png

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Hi @Berto2002

Great looking email templates!

I believe that there is still an option for you to provide the branding on the customer timeline email template.

As mentioned above, there are the ESP Conditions that you should be able to use to achieve this.  

Rather then using the ESP Conditions button on the tool bar, I added the tags for the esp-condition while viewing the source of the email.  I surrounded each segment of HTML within an esp-condition tag.  For example:

   <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="'{{.h_fk_servicename}}'='IT Services'">
      <p>my text</p>
   </esp-condition> 

The expression "'{{.h_fk_servicename}}'='IT Services'" has to be precise.  The entire expression needs to be within double quotes.  Each side of the expression needs to be in single quotes.

image.png

 

If this works for you, you may even find that in other areas it might be easier to manage one template with multiple conditions than it is to have several different templates.

Hope this helps.

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@James Ainsworth I didn't realise you could use the esp-condition on non-text areas so this is enticing.

I have tested it out and the principle works, as tested by pulling-up the test email template in the Email Action window of the UI.

I have an issue though. the first time I tried it, it looked very odd and I realised this template already has an esp-condition in it to present different URLs for the two different portals.

<esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 0"><a href="  [coworker URL]  "> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition>

<esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 1"><a href="  [contact URL]  "> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition>

It looked like having these two esp-conditions embedded inside the bigger formatting ones did not work. Can you suggest a way around this?

 

image.thumb.png.93cb7dc61464fa5e64e5cd19fb3493f6.png

 

&nbsp; <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="'{{.h_fk_servicename}}'!='Councillor Casework'">
<table align="center" border="10" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" style="width:610px;border-color:#2aafb9;border-style:solid;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="width:600px;height:125px;bgcolor:#2aafb9;"><img alt="" height="126px" src="https://lon-p01-api.hornbill.com/xxx/dav/share/img/inline/nkeS-PPnB9a?t=1669217245092" />
            <p><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>{{.H_PK_REFERENCE}} - {{.H_summary}}&nbsp;</strong></span></span></p>

            <p>&nbsp;</p>

            <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dear {{Customer Contact.H_firstname|empty}} {{Customer Coworker.H_first_name|empty}},</span></span></p>

            <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Request {{.H_pk_reference}} has been <strong>updated&nbsp;</strong>by the Service Desk team.</span></span><br />
            &nbsp;</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="background-color:WhiteSmoke;">
            <p><br />
            <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This&nbsp;<strong>update&nbsp;</strong>may require some action or review from you.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
            <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 0"><a href="https://live.hornbill.com/xxx/catalog/com.hornbill.servicemanager/request/{{.H_pk_reference}}"> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition>

            <p>&nbsp;</p>
            <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 1"><a href="https://bbc.co.uk"> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition>
<br />
            <br />
            <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px;">Kind Regards,</span><br />
            <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px;">Service Desk</span><br />
            &nbsp; </span>

            <p>&nbsp;</p>

            <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>*Please do not reply to this email, please visit the velocITy portal for more information*&nbsp;</strong></span></span></p>

            <p><span style="color:#ecf0f1;">[Email template: CustomerTimelineUpdateNotification]</span></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
</esp-condition>

<esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="'{{.h_fk_servicename}}'='Councillor Casework'">
<table align="center" border="10" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" style="width:610px;border-color:#a30157;border-style:solid;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="width:600px;height:125px;bgcolor:#2aafb9;"><img alt="" height="126px" src="https://lon-p01-api.hornbill.com/xxx/dav/share/img/inline/a993My_OwLq?t=1675075967828" />
            <p><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>{{.H_PK_REFERENCE}} - {{.H_summary}}</strong></span></span></p>

            <p>&nbsp;</p>

            <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dear {{Customer Contact.H_firstname|empty}} {{Customer Coworker.H_first_name|empty}},</span></span></p>

            <p>There has been an update to your Casework Request.<br />
            &nbsp;</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="background-color:WhiteSmoke;">
            <p><span style="font-size:14px;">Message :&nbsp;</span><br />
            <br />
            <br />
            &nbsp;</p>

            <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To keep up to date with your ticket or add a reply to this message, please visit the portal:</span><br />
            <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 0"><a href="https://live.hornbill.com/xxx/catalog/com.hornbill.servicemanager/request/{{.H_pk_reference}}"> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition> </span></p>

            <p>&nbsp;</p>
            <esp-condition contenteditable="false" expression="{{.h_customer_type}} = 1"><a href="https://bbc.co.uk"> Take me to my ticket </a></esp-condition>
<br />
            <br />
            Kind Regards,<br />
            Councillor Support Team<br />
            &nbsp;
            <p>&nbsp;</p>

            <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>*Please do not reply to this email, please visit the velocITy portal for more information*</strong><br />
            <span style="color:#ecf0f1;">[Email template: RequestMessage]</span></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
</esp-condition>

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2 hours ago, Berto2002 said:

It looked like having these two esp-conditions embedded inside the bigger formatting ones did not work. Can you suggest a way around this?

I think there are two options here:

Either move the embedded ones outside, or, at the risk of having a quite complicated Template, make use of AND/OR to combine the embedded condition into the outer one.

There's some discussion about using AND/OR here:

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

@Steve Giller I have got the esp codes working to give a different image banner depending on Service. The issue before was attempting to encapsulate the whole style/table.

Another question if I may: is there a way to disable the Update emails on a variable basis (i.e. not global on/off) such as by Service or User Type or Organisation Group Membership? There are some services where we would ideally not want an email going out even if there was a Customer visible timeline update; because we are trying to reduce our reliance on email notifications.

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