How to create and use FocalScope Standard Responses
FocalScope Standard Responses are predefined email messages used to answer common queries. However, FocalScope includes Placeholders to make FocalScope Standard Responses more personal, more human, and able to communicate additional information to customers, such as their ticket number, SLA time frames, etc. This article details the process of creating and using FocalScope Standard Responses.
Prerequisites
Tutorial
Creating a new Standard Response library
Standard Responses need to be placed in a library of their own. This library is a special folder that can be created in both private and shared folders. The advantage of creating a response library under a ticketbox is that only agents who have access to the ticketbox will have access to the nested response library. To create a response library, do the following:
- Right click a personal / shared folder in FocalScope and select [New Folder]
- In the [Folder Properties] window, under the [General Properties] section, click on the [Type] field and select [Standard Responses] from the list
- In the [Name] field, specify the name to be used for the response library
- Click [Ok] to create the new response library subfolder that will hold the predefined email messages for the selected ticketbox
Creating a new Standard Response
- Select the default or newly created Standard Response library and right click in the right-hand pane and select [New]
- Compose the Standard Response as you would any email. Please note: leave the [To] / [Cc] fields blank to have them dynamically populated as per the initiating email
- Notice the use of FocalScope's Placeholders (highlighted in blue). These placeholders will automatically be replaced with the associated information once the Standard Response is dispatched
- Click [Save] to add the new Standard Response to the Standard Response library
Responding to a query using a Standard Response
Once a response has been added to the library, it can be used to respond to emails in one of the following ways:
- Right click an email, select the [Reply with Response > Pick a Response] option and navigate to the Standard Response library where you created your Standard Response (this action will only be required once)
- After you've added your Standard Response, it will always be available in the quick-access list (indicated by arrow)
- After clicking on the appropriate Standard Response, the [New Message] window will appear
- Send the reply as you normally would
Figure 3 - Responding with Standard Responses
- When you have already opened an email, click the [Reply / Reply All] button
- Click on the [Insert] tab, select the [Standard Response > Pick a Response] option and navigate to the response library where you created your response (this action will only be required once)
- After you've selected your Standard Response, it will always be available in the quick-access list (indicated by arrow)
- Send the reply as you normally would
Setting a Standard Response as default email template for a folder
Standard Responses can be set as the default for new emails / replies for any folder. To set this up, do as follows:
- Right-click the folder where you wish to set a Standard Response as the default new email / reply template and select [Properties]
- In the [Folder Properties] window, click the [General] tab
- Click the [...] buttons next to the [Template for new emails / replies] fields and select the default Standard response for each
- Click [Ok] to save changes
All new emails will now use the defined default Standard Response for new emails / replies.