Managing Communications
Back to Communications Main Page
Table of Contents
Navigating to Communications
CRM APPLICATION > COMMUNICATIONS > MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS
Using Communications
The Communications module enables its users to transmit information to customers while logging the interaction between agents and customers. Communication can be in the form of SMS, email, letter or face to face interaction, defined by the media. Where the Communication occurs via email or SMS, CRM.COM can be configured to directly send the email or SMS to the recipient.
Optionally, a Communication Queue External System can be defined on new Communication enabling a third party system to access and send the Communication to the recipients, instead of CRM.COM. For example, users might want to communicate with their customers through their own Portal.
Several CRM.COM WEB APIs are available for accessing and extracting data from CRM.COM.
- Navigate to Communications and explore existing entries via the Summary page.
- Click on the link (Name or Number) of the record of your interest to enter the Data Entry page and see more detail.
- Use the Actions Menu to create a NEW Communication, modify (EDIT) or DELETE an existing one.
- Use PRINTOUTS (if available) to extract or email information related to Communications to the customer.
- Use BACK to return to the Summary page and CANCEL to revert any unwanted changes made to the Communications.
- Click on ACTIONS to discover other possibilities available for Communications.
- Click on the Audit Log button to view a log of changes performed on the displayed Communications.
View the Attributes Table below for a comprehensive description of the Communications fields. Check the Validations & Restrictions Table for a list of available Actions when working with Communications including each Action's related restrictions, validations, additional information and a description of its system process.
Validations & Restrictions
Action | Validations | Restrictions | Additional Information | System Processing |
---|---|---|---|---|
Save |
|
|
| Save as 'Draft' Communication is created and its Life Cycle State set to:
|
Edit |
|
|
| Save as 'Draft' Communication is created and its Life Cycle State set to:
|
Delete |
|
|
|
|
Follow Up Communication |
|
|
| Save as 'Draft' Communication is created and its Life Cycle State set to:
|
Attributes
An * indicates a field is mandatory.
Name | Description | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | An auto-generated number that uniquely identifies each Communication. | ||||||||||||||||||
Code | An auto-generated code which is used to uniquely group follow-up Communications. This information is hidden. | ||||||||||||||||||
Main Information | |||||||||||||||||||
Contact* | The person or company for which the Communication is created. Only existing Contact Information can be used. | ||||||||||||||||||
Direction* | Determines if the direction of the Communication is:
The availability of Communication media depends on the selected Communication Direction. | ||||||||||||||||||
Category | The category of the Communication. | ||||||||||||||||||
Life Cycle State | The Life Cycle State of the Communication which can be:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Processed by System AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 | The Communication Queue External System that will be used to process the Communication. The displayed Communication Queue External Systems are filtered based on the specified media provided the Direction is set to 'Outgoing'.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Communication Template | The Communication Template of the Communication that generates the Content. Templates will be filtered in the following way:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Media* | The media used to send or receive the Communication. The supported Media are the following: The Media associated with the selected Direction is loaded.
| ||||||||||||||||||
From* | The sender of the Communication, which is set automatically to the default Email address or SMS sender Name, as specified in 'Active' Communication Definition. Available only if the Media is set to Email or SMS and the Direction is set to ' Outgoing'. | ||||||||||||||||||
To* | The receiver of the Communication. An Email address or phone number is required which can (optionally) be selected from the existing Contact Information Emails or Phones.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Subject* | The subject of the Communication.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Content* | The Content of the Communication. Communication Tags can be used to generate the Content based on associated data kept on the related Contact Information or the Referred Entities.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Referring To | |||||||||||||||||||
Referring To | The entity that the Communication is referring to, which should be owned by the selected Contact Information. The supported entities are the following:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Unrestricted Parameters | |||||||||||||||||||
Unrestricted Parameters | The Unrestricted Tags and their associated values which will replace the Unrestricted Tags whenever provided. This section is available only if the Communication is in a 'Draft' or 'Completed' State and at least one Unrestricted Parameter exists in one of the following:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Communication Queue | |||||||||||||||||||
Communication Queue | Provides the entry added to the Communication Queue for the specific Communication, with information on the status of the Communication Queue External System, on the Media and on any errors that may have occurred while processing the Communication. | ||||||||||||||||||
Follow Up Communications | |||||||||||||||||||
Follow Up Communications | A list of Communications that were created as a Follow Up of the Communication. | ||||||||||||||||||
Attachments | |||||||||||||||||||
Attachments | The attachments related to the specific Communication. If files exist in the Communication's Attachments section, its Direction is 'Outgoing' and the Media is 'Email', then they will be sent as attachments once the Communication is sent. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tracking Details This section is visible only if the Communication Media is set to Email and the Direction is Outgoing. | |||||||||||||||||||
Email Tracking Enabled | Indicates if the Email Communication was enabled for Email Tracking. Enabled via the Configuring Communication Definitions. | ||||||||||||||||||
Viewed | Indicates if the customer viewed the email. Visible only if Email Tracking is enabled. | ||||||||||||||||||
Viewed On | Displays the date on which the customer viewed the email. Visible only if Email Tracking is enabled. | ||||||||||||||||||
Link Tracking Enabled | Indicates if the email Communication was enabled for Link Tracking. Enabled via the Configuring Communication Definitions | ||||||||||||||||||
Tracked Links | A list of all the links that were sent through this Communication. Provides the date on which the customer viewed each link. The following information is displayed for each tracked link:
| ||||||||||||||||||
LOG INFORMATION | |||||||||||||||||||
Owned by Group* | The Group that owns the Communication, which will automatically default to the Group of the signed-in User or will be automatically set based on the geographical location of the Contact, as defined in Groups. | ||||||||||||||||||
Shared Notes | Notes regarding the record. Each time the Notes are amended, the User and the date are logged. | ||||||||||||||||||
Privacy level | The Privacy Level of the Communication, which is always 'Read-only' and can be changed through a dedicated action or is automatically set by the Privacy Level Assignment Rules (PLAR). | ||||||||||||||||||
Log Details | The standard set of Log Details information available in all entities. |
Additional Actions for Communications
Updating Referring To Section
In order to add more entities to the Referring To section, click the "ADD REFERRING TO ENTITIES" button found in the Main Information tab.
Creating an entry in the Communication Queue
If a Communication has a 'Completed' Life Cycle State, its Media set to 'Email' or 'SMS' and an 'Outgoing' Direction then a record is also created in the Communication Queue. The Communication Queue record is available in both the Data Entry and Summary page of the Communication but cannot be edited.
Creating Follow Up Communications
Communication Follow Up is a utility that enables the creation of a follow-up to the existing 'Completed' Communication, in order to group Communications referring to the same issue together.
If a Communication is followed-up, then the existing Communication Number will be associated to the Follow Up Communication via the Referring To Communication field.
- Navigate to Manage Communications.
- Search for the Communication to Follow Up and click on its Number to go to the Data Entry page.
- From the Actions Menu click on Actions > Follow Up.
- The Communication Data Entry page will open in a modal window.
- The following information is carried over from the existing Communication:
- Contact information
- Referring To Communication
- Communication Code (not available via the UI)
- The remaining (editable) information
- Provide all the required information as defined in the Attributes Table.
- Click on SAVE.
View Understanding Communications for business examples related to UsingCommunications.
Related Areas