Message Centre: Notes, Private Side Chats, Forwarding and Merging Conversations
This article explains the helpdesk tools inside a conversation in the PortalX Message Centre: writing notes, continuing privately with one person, forwarding by email, merging conversations, sending and changing the status in one step, undoing a send, and translating a message.
For the basics of the Message Centre (access, inbox, conversations, attachments), see "Message Centre: Order Conversations with Your Team, Partners and QrX".
Reply or Note
The composer at the bottom of a conversation has two tabs: Reply and Note. Both are always available, also in conversations without external people or without an order.
Reply: a normal message. External people in the conversation receive it by email (and by SMS when you tick Also send as SMS).
Note (internal note): only people in PortalX who can see the conversation read it. External people never see it, and it is never emailed, texted or forwarded.
Public note: when the conversation has external people, the Note tab offers a switch between an internal and a public note. A public note is shown to the external people on their web page for the conversation, but it is never sent by email or SMS. Use it for information the customer may see without receiving an extra email.
Notes show a label in the conversation (Internal note or Public note), so everyone can see who could read them. A note cannot be sent as SMS.
Continue Privately with a Person
Sometimes you want to talk to one person from a conversation without everyone else reading along, for example a carrier contact or a colleague.
On the message of that person, click the icon Continue privately with <name>.
Check or change the subject (by default "Re: " plus the original subject).
Check the summary: who it is with, who can read it and which conversation it started from.
Click Start private chat.
A new conversation starts on the same order, with only you and that person. The original conversation stays as it is.
If the person is an external contact, your organization and that person (by email) can read the new conversation, and they get the normal invitation email.
If the person is from a partner organization, the new conversation is private between the two of you.
The new conversation shows "From #<number>" with a short quote of the original message. People who cannot see the original conversation do not see the quote.
You need the Create conversations permission.
Forward a Message or Conversation by Email
Click the Forward message icon on a message, or choose Forward conversation in the More actions menu of the conversation.
Choose what to forward: This message or Whole conversation.
Enter one email address in To and, if you like, a short note (up to 1,000 characters) that appears above the forwarded messages.
Check the summary and click Forward.
The email is sent from "<your name> via QrX" with the subject "Fwd: " plus the conversation subject.
Internal notes are never forwarded, also not with Whole conversation.
Files are listed by name only; they are not attached.
Replies to a forward go to the recipient's own inbox. They do not come back into the conversation. To talk with someone inside the conversation, add them as an external person instead.
Limits: 20 forwards per user per hour and 200 per organization per day. Addresses that do not accept email from QrX cannot be used.
You need the Email external people in conversations permission.
Merge Conversations
When the same customer asks the same question twice, merge the conversations so your team works in one place.
Open the conversation you want to close, open the More actions menu of the conversation and choose Merge into another conversation.
Search the open conversation it continues in by subject or order number, and pick it.
Click Review, check what will happen and click Merge.
The merged conversation is resolved and stays readable. Its messages stay where they are. It shows "Merged into #<number>" with a link, and you can no longer reply in it.
Both conversations get a line that records the merge.
External people from the merged conversation join the target conversation without a new invitation email. Email replies they send to the old conversation arrive in the target conversation.
Merged conversations disappear from the inbox queues. No satisfaction survey is sent for the merged conversation.
A merge cannot be undone. Both conversations must belong to your organization.
You can also merge from the inbox: tick the conversations, choose Merge conversations in the bulk actions, and pick the conversation to merge into.
You need the Resolve and reopen permission.
Send and Set the Status in One Step
Next to the Send button is a small arrow (More send options) with Send and resolve and Send and set waiting. Your message is sent first, then the status changes. If the message was sent but the status could not be changed, you see a message and can change the status from the work bar.
Undo Send
After you press Send, a "Sending..." notice with Undo appears for 5 seconds. Click Undo to stop the message; your text goes back into the composer. If you leave the conversation or close the browser tab during those 5 seconds, the message is sent immediately.
Translate a Message
In conversations with a customer, each message from the customer has a small Translate icon next to the other message icons (unless automatic translation is already on). Click it to read the message in your language, and click Show original to go back. More about translation, including translating your reply before you send it, is in "Message Centre for Consumer Support: Bulk Notify, SMS, Translation and Satisfaction Ratings".
Common Questions
Did the customer get my note? No. Internal notes are never shown to external people. Public notes are only visible on the customer's web page for the conversation and are never emailed.
The recipient of a forward replied, but I do not see it: replies to a forward go to the recipient's own mailbox, not into the conversation.
"Forward limit reached": wait and try again later; the limits are per user per hour and per organization per day.
I merged the wrong conversation: a merge cannot be undone. The merged conversation stays readable, so you can start a new conversation on the order if needed.
I pressed Undo but the message was sent: the message is sent after 5 seconds, or immediately when you leave the conversation or close the tab.
When to Contact Our Support Team
Contact QrX support if forwards to a valid address keep failing, if email replies to a merged conversation do not arrive in the target conversation, or if a note appears to be visible to someone who should not see it.