Outlook - Exchange (Domain Environment)

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Hey all,

This idea has just crossed my mind and is probably not possible at all but thought I would ask.

We have a few 1st line agents on the desk that answer the phones and also 1 email address that a person is responsible for. If we wanted to share the emails out to everyone on the desk could this be possible with some kind of routing - so if an email is sent to service desk it then gets forwarded to a specific agents' email address based on who got the last email.

Like something similar to how the phones work whereby the agents sign in the phone group and the most idle handset rings first etc.

Just a thought?

 

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It would be far easier to create a group mailbox where everyone has access.

When an email is claimed, it could be marked with a different colour flag (or moved into a relevant (by name perhaps) subfolder) until completed.

Qs

 

Cheers Qs ...well everybody on the desk does have access to our servicedesk mailbox but we are trying to think of a way whereby we can share the emails out and pick up any emails that are only half done if an agent who is working on it goes on holiday or is awaiting a reply from an email (if you know what i mean, its a bit confusing )

 

Create a Distribution List mate.

 

What MCSE-boy said.

 

Hi Craigie

It wouldn't really work because we would need to know who is working on a particular email (and how far they have got with it if some other agent needs to take over - like if a reply is recieved from a user and it comes into the mailbox we would need to know if the email has already been part-dealt with by another agent). If we did it via a distribution list it could get very confusing and have multiple agents working on one email.

Hope that makes sense - I think ive explained it quite confusingly though lol.

 

Best way to bodge (yes, that is a word) would be to use my previous suggestion.

Otherwise, if you want a more professional approach you need a ticket management platform. How are calls assigned to people currently?

Qs

 

I agree. I have heard good things about Tremendesk.

 

We use Assyst Enterprise:

Well we have 6 agents on the desk who answer telephone calls and log the calls in a central queue that they all work from. Calls are then worked on by agents based on SLA time left on the call (an agent will just put an update on the call when they are working on it saying contacting user or something so that another agent doesn't touch it)

We then have one email address that users can send emails to aswell (and these are also logged in a central queue) that I am currently responsible for but they want me to come onto the desk with the rest of the agents and let the emails be dealt with by all of us much like the telephone calls

 

It's all about integrating the two. In my previous place we didn't accept any emailed requests for work, it all had to be logged and then worked through in accordance with SLAs.

At my current place we're a bit more relaxed, but when a call arises (phone/email/post-it note) we log it into a central queue.

Surely if the emails and phone calls are all being logged then just work through them using Assyst? There's no point effectively having two methods for call distribution as that would just complicate things.

Qs

 

I see what you mean Qs, only trouble is we need emails because certain things (access to shares etc) require approval from different people in the business. - hardware/software orders need to be processed using email as we need order forms and relevant approvals to be attached in writing.

Bit of a mess lol

 

Then bodge it. Create a group mailbox with subfolders. E.G.

Group Mailbox Name
-COMPLETED - TO LOG
-COMPLETED - LOGGED

-Dave
-Clive
-Mandy with the funny eye

Redirect the mail-flow for requests to go to the group mailbox, and allow each service desk agent access. Assign approrpiate permissions so that emails can't be deleted, but can be moved from folder to folder.

Once said emails are in the completed folder - log them with Assyst, then archive them out to another folder / external .pst file.

Qs

 

Great idea Qs

Thanks alot - I will take this to the meeting ive got tommorow to see what they say.

 

Our service desk have a group mailbox, and set people each week on a rotation look after it. So 8 agents, 2 per week look after the mailbox, as well as dealing with telephone calls.

We have to reply to the user with a call reference (ie, call has been logged) within 24 hours of them sending it, so that gives us enough time irrespective of how busy we are.
Separate SLA after the call has been logged and is sent to the next team.

We found it was fair, kept everyone doing it and the mailbox up to date - we also used the mailbox for authorisation for different things, those mails were treated differently (ie, not under the 24 hour SLA).