Tips & Tricks [Sticky]

Using the email request queue

1. •  
     CommentAuthorMichael
   • CommentTimeOct 31st 2008 edited @ 10/31/2008 4:55 pm

    
   Each Intervals account comes with a work request queue. The queue fields work requests that can be reviewed and turned into tasks. All user levels within Intervals can submit work requests by navigating to Tasks >> Request queue. This method requires users to login and physically submit a request. If you have clients submit work requests it can be challenging getting them to login and submit request. This is where the email request queue can be very useful.
   
   If you navigate to Tasks >> Request queue there is an option on the left for the email queue:
   
   
   If you click on Email Queue Settings you can have Intervals check an email account on your behalf and jump start work requests via email. The Email Queue will check the email account that you have specified every 10 minutes and if there is a new request it creates a header alert and emails members of your team that you have selected to receive alerts of new requests.
   
   Here is what the header alert looks like:
   
   
   
   Here is a screenshot of he configuration page:
   
   
   
   Attachments in the email will be attached to the request/task as documents. On the Pelago side of our business we have all of our maintenance customers submit requests to a special work request email. Instead of emailing their project manager directly they can email the request to this email address and any member of our team can assign the request to jump start it. It helps streamline the flow quite a bit and allows us to give a hi level of customer service.
2. •  
     CommentAuthorMichael
   • CommentTimeOct 23rd 2009

    
   Just a quick update that the email request queue now includes the ability to add a request to an existing task. This can be used to quickly add attachments and text from an email to an existing task and it can be pretty handy if your clients happen to email the queue frequently with new information on an existing task.
3. • CommentAuthoryourmanstan
   • CommentTimeNov 9th 2009

    
   is this the beginning of two-way email integration? i just did a test comment, however the reply-to email still shows the staff email rather than the request queue email.
4. •  
     CommentAuthorjreeve
   • CommentTimeNov 10th 2009

    
   We do have plans to integrate two-way email integration, but it has not been built out yet. Stay tuned.
5. • CommentAuthorjnhearne
   • CommentTimeNov 18th 2009

    
   How does one go about using an existing Exchange server without setting IMAP (such as Exchange 2003 which does not support IMAP)
6. •  
     CommentAuthorMichael
   • CommentTimeNov 18th 2009

    
   We are currently using an Exchange server for our mail and are utilizing the POP3 configuration to check the queue.
7. • CommentAuthordkenzik
   • CommentTimeMar 2nd 2010

    
   Is there a way to extract just the attachments from an email in the work queue and place it in a project's documentation area -- without creating a new task?
8. •  
     CommentAuthorMichael
   • CommentTimeMar 4th 2010

    
   The documents can be appended to an existing task or a new task can be created but unfortunately there is not a way to extract the documents from a work request and attach them directly to a project.
9. • CommentAuthorwilliamconifer
   • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2010

    
   We are trying to find a way to create a process within our organization that can take advantage of Intervals as a support ticketing system. Because we are a full service agency, having one email for task que is a bit lacking. Right now we are dealing with web site support requests coming from our clients. I would really like to see having multiple email ques. job@, support@, quote@ etc... As you know support requests are very time sensitive and we need to get to them asap. I would rather NOT have that kind of request go to our traffic person.
   
   BTW, I am really happy with the talk of 2 way, task related email. As a former Basecamp user, this is what I miss most.