There has to be a better way - customer "skipping" the helpdesk

[scottclark]

I use outlook for normal, conversational email.

I use Cerberus for tasks.

I BEG my customers to use the support system for all tasks. Only about 50% will. The other 50% send tasks to my Outlook Email.

There has to be a better way to get those messages into the helpdesk. The "paste email" function is HORRIBLE IMO. It's buried in the cerberus UI and never handy.

We need a way to just "forward" the message (without having to go in and change the reply-to, etc. etc.) and the parser figures out the "real original" sender.

I am so busy I can't deal with all of this - the computer/software should make it easier.

anyone know something I don't here?

Thanks!

[jstanden]

Hi Scott!

I'd look for a redirect option (or install a plugin to do it). That would rewrite the headers on an outgoing message so it acted like the original sender sent it directly to a different destination (the helpdesk). It would remove you from the middle (where simply forwarding would not).

I don't use Outlook, but there seems to be a useful tip here you could try:
http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/et_redirect.htm

The main caveat would be making sure your mail server (e.g., Exchange) allows you to relay as the original sender to another destination. The Unix MTAs I'm familiar with (Qmail, Exim, Postfix) generally have no problem with this for whitelisted users.

If you figure something out I'd love to hear about it so I can pass it on. If I get some time I'll try to dig around some more and see what else I can find (to get things as close to a single click as possible).

Thanks!

[connexeon]

Hi Scott!

I'd look for a redirect option (or install a plugin to do it). That would rewrite the headers on an outgoing message so it acted like the original sender sent it directly to a different destination (the helpdesk). It would remove you from the middle (where simply forwarding would not).

I don't use Outlook, but there seems to be a useful tip here you could try:
http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/et_redirect.htm

The main caveat would be making sure your mail server (e.g., Exchange) allows you to relay as the original sender to another destination. The Unix MTAs I'm familiar with (Qmail, Exim, Postfix) generally have no problem with this for whitelisted users.

If you figure something out I'd love to hear about it so I can pass it on. If I get some time I'll try to dig around some more and see what else I can find (to get things as close to a single click as possible).

Thanks!

I've researched this option 'Resend This Message' in Outlook. At least in combination with Exchange it always returns an NDR "You do not have permission to send to this recipient". It seems that an external address (from which you re-send) never has permission to do accordingly. Any solution I've found says to grant Send on behalf rights, but that of course, is not possible in Exchange for any random external address.

Regards,
Hannes Van de Vel

[connexeon]

There has to be a better way to get those messages into the helpdesk. The "paste email" function is HORRIBLE IMO. It's buried in the cerberus UI and never handy.

We need a way to just "forward" the message (without having to go in and change the reply-to, etc. etc.) and the parser figures out the "real original" sender.



You could have a designated folder on your computer or server (file share) where you drag your Outlook messages to (it's saved as a single .msg file when dragged on a folder).. Then, using a scheduled task and a batch file they could be moved automatically by for example FTP (or any other way) to the Cerb4 new mail spool, where it will be picked up.

Though, I'm not sure if the Outlook .msg files are compatible (never tested it so far).

I know it's not as straight forward as you might wish, but it's fairly easy and btw a standarised way to do it, without having to wait for Cerberus vs Outlook magic falling down the sky.

Regards,
Hannes Van de Vel

[connexeon]

Though, I'm not sure if the Outlook .msg files are compatible (never tested it so far).


Actually the .msg files of Outlook are not EML RFC type files but some non-standard binary format. I found out later that this already was discussed in another thread ;)
I did a quick search for some easy msg to eml convertor, but found nothing at first sight.

Regards,
Hannes Van de Vel

[Hildy]

Unfortunately, the Outlook .msg file is a binary file in some strange proprietary format, and Cerberus is looking for messages in RFC822 plain-text format.

[peter_mcc]

We have the same problem. Our solution is to give people IMAP access to the incoming Cerberus mailbox. They then drag the message from their inbox into the "cerberus incoming" mailbox. Cerberus then picks it up as a new message and processes it

Works well!

peter

[jstanden]

Our solution is to give people IMAP access to the incoming Cerberus mailbox. They then drag the message from their inbox into the "cerberus incoming" mailbox. Cerberus then picks it up as a new message and processes it

Works well!


Great idea! :)

[connexeon]

We have the same problem. Our solution is to give people IMAP access to the incoming Cerberus mailbox. They then drag the message from their inbox into the "cerberus incoming" mailbox. Cerberus then picks it up as a new message and processes it

Works well!


Indeed, also tried it like this and works fine. I guess it was too straight forward to think of ;)

Regards,
Hannes Van de Vel