enahancement Use different templates when sending emails from requests

[Martyn Houghton]

One of the features we use in Supportworks is the ability to select an email template when doing a call diary update and then editing the generated email to to include inline images/screenshots.

At the moment in Service Manager it appears you are only able to use the Email Templates from within automated BPM tasks and not able to select a template to use when doing a manual/adhoc email from the request. Also as this is only a text only you not able to use inline images and have to add any non text elements as attachments.

As we our predominantly an external customer facing service desk we utilise the email facilities in Support Works quite heavily to communicate with our customers.

Is there any plans to improve the email functionality in Service Manager for manual generated emails?

Cheers

Martyn

[James Ainsworth]

Hi Martyn,

The email action that you see in the action bar of each request uses an email template that can be set in the Service details form. This will allow you to create a unique email template to represent each Service.

We have added a feature called "Email Snippets" that lets you create reusable snippets of text that you can add and modify to each outgoing email being sent from the email action item on the action bar of the requests. We are soon to release an update which will allow you to use variables to automatically populate things like "Dear {{customer}} within these snippets.

When using the email template and snippet features together you would want to use the email template to create a standard header and footer for all emails sent from a particular service from the email action item and then create snippets will allow a support person to included one or more snippets of text. The variables will be resolved in the email immediately so that the support staff can see that they are correctly populated and they can edit the snippet text before sending the email if required.

From you post, there may still be some missing elements where you might be wanting to take a screenshot that has been added to the timeline and include it in the email. Is this also what you are looking for?

[Martyn Houghton]

James

The Snippets with variables sound like a good replacement for the Email Templates we use in Support Works now, but as you point out the gap that will still be there will be the ability to insert inline graphics such as screen shots.

As we are a software provider like yourself, it is actually screenshots from the application or server we are supporting that we insert into the email generated from the template in line with text instructions/words from the call diary up date, so in essence the images are context sensitive and the email is much easier for the customer to follow, rather than referencing separate attachments.

If there was the ability to insert a reference to an attachment on the request within the text and then this is embedded when the email is sent, that would provide a workaround if there is not ability to do inline in a rich email editor of some kind. On the later point, another option would be to have ability to launch a HTML mail editor dialog window from the current email option, to allow for this type of editing when required, but retain the current text based editing option for normal notifications/updates?

More than happy to demonstrate what we currently do in Support Works that we a trying to replicate in Service Manager.

Cheers

Martyn

[James Ainsworth]

Hi Martyn,

There is an option on the email action when adding attachments titled "Show Associated Files". This will let you include attachments that are currently associated with the request. However, this will not be in-line attachments.

We are currently investigating a new option to enable HTML emails from the email action. Our goal will be to enable more editing options including the ability to add in-line images.

[Guest gregmarcroftorc]

Hi James,

I saw that further up you mentioned that there was going to be an update that allows us to add snippets with variables. Has this update been been released yet or not? I noticed that on the Wiki there was an "insert variable" option in the right hand corner.

That isn't appearing on my screen though and the variables I have manually added in don't seem to have worked correctly.

[James Ainsworth]

The new feature that provides variables in the Email Snippets is part of the Service Manager 2.23.x update. This update is available for the live environment. You can check to see if this update has been applied by clicking on your profile picture in the top right of Hornbill and selecting About.

For a quick overview of the Snippets feature, including the variables, you can watch this.