Using the Issues Application

(0:09 - 0:27)Hi there. This video is going to talk about a new feature in version 4.1 called the Issues List. Basically, issues and communications are both going to be run through the same app within the system, as one really feeds off the other.(0:27 - 0:50)Now, having said that, let me just kind of define what those two are, because the thing is you can use issues without using communications. And if you're not using the customer portal, or even if you are using the customer portal, you don't have to use the communications feature in order to use the list feature. So let me just define a little bit here before we get into the demonstration.(0:51 - 1:05)First off, a communication. A communication is basically a list of conversations that you have with each client. A conversation you can think of is a back and forth communication.(1:06 - 1:20)Conversation does require more than one party. Each conversation has a subject. And so the subject can be, can you pick up the letter that's waiting for me from the Social Security Administration? That could be the subject.(1:20 - 1:30)And then you have a back and forth where you can say, yes, we got it. Should we forward it? Client comes back with, yes, please forward it. And then you can close that conversation at that point.(1:30 - 1:53)The second part here, and really the focus of this particular video, is what's called the issues list. So the issues list is a way to track different items for a client, such as I need to get the leak fixed in the master bathroom sink. I need to get the tree removed that's in the back.(1:53 - 2:15)It can be any issue that is open at a property that you want to track in any kind of way. And you can set multiple statuses to an item so that way you can see if it's something that the customer is going to take responsibility for, or it's something you have to schedule for a service provider, et cetera. And that's all managed here, and I'll show you that.(2:16 - 2:29)Issues can be shared with the customer, or they can be kept internal. And you have the ability to identify that for each and every issue. So some you may share, and some you may just keep internal and work on.(2:30 - 2:50)And basically, each of the issues, in turn, if you're using the communications feature, becomes the subject of a communication. So remember up above, the conversation has a subject. In the case of an issue, if you have a conversation going with the issue, the issue is the subject matter of the conversation.(2:51 - 3:04)So that's how the two systems kind of intertwine right now, and you'll see that as we go through the examples. Keep in mind, again, you don't have to use communications. You can turn it off and just use the issues list only.(3:04 - 3:20)I'm going to demonstrate the two combined in this video, and a future video may have it with just the issues only. Okay. So here on our main dashboard, I have my customer home watch issues list.(3:21 - 3:36)So if I click on that, that will take me in my default view, and I have a couple different ways to view this here. But basically, I'm saying show just my issues. And you can see that I have a few issues outgoing or outstanding with different clients.(3:36 - 4:04)You can see exactly the date they were reported, on which work order they were originally reported, if there was one, the status of the particular issue, the client, who recorded it, and what the issue itself is. So let's kind of look at an existing issue first and kind of manage that, and then I'll show you how you can add new issues. So first, let's take this particular issue here with Paul Johnson for calling the plumber.(4:05 - 4:22)I will click on that item, and when I do, down here on the bottom part, this will bring up the details behind that issue. So you can see the date it was reported, who reported it, the status, the issue description. This checkbox is the one that I was mentioning that, you know, should the customer be able to see it or not.(4:23 - 4:46)If he can see it, it will show up on his portal and or his iAuditor report, depending on how you set that up. So this is a great little way to make sure that that stays in front. And then in this box, especially if you're using communications, this would become part of the message that the client would see as far as his communication goes.(4:46 - 5:06)You also have a box here to put attachments. So if there's a particular issue and you want to put some attachments on that issue, such as a picture of the issue or a repair estimate or whatever other document needs to be attached, you can put that here. By attaching it here, it will be available to the customer when they view this issue through their portal.(5:07 - 5:23)Now, remember that an issue can be part of a conversation. Down on the bottom, I have a button that says to show the whole conversation. If I click on that, this will take me to the conversation about that particular issue.(5:24 - 5:36)And this is in reverse chronological order. So you can see the first message here, you know, was sent by Gary. There really wasn't a message other than there was the issue about the, you know, the HVAC.(5:36 - 5:51)And then you can see that Mr. Johnson has since replied from the web. And I just typed in this message from the web. So sorry, it's not really a wonderful message, but you can kind of see the back and forth of the communications here.(5:52 - 6:07)If you want to reply back to the customer, you can do so with this reply button. And now this will allow you to type another message. So this is a message in reply to Mr. Johnson.(6:08 - 6:25)OK, I can then save that. I can either save it and it'll just go on to the thread, the message thread, the whole conversation. Or I can save and it will email notify the customer that, hey, a new message on the conversation has been added.(6:25 - 6:40)So if I click on that, that will send my email. And now this message has gone out to Mr. Johnson. And you can see that now we have the back and forth between me and Mr. Johnson in this communication.(6:41 - 6:56)If I go back to my issue screen. You see that's there and I can move on to, you know, a different issue and address that. All right, so now I can click on maybe another issue if I want to see, you know, the back and forth on that here.(6:56 - 7:05)So maybe I'll go to Mr. Brower for the HVAC fan noise. You can see here's that info. If I want to see that conversation, I'll hit the button and this will now bring up a conversation.(7:06 - 7:14)And it was just me sending him the issue and he hasn't replied back at all. So very simple one. But you get the idea of that here.(7:15 - 7:30)Now, right from the screen, you can not only take a look at the issues, but you can go and look at conversations as well. So if I go into the conversations, this will show you all the communications back and forth with a different clients. All of these different clients here.(7:31 - 7:43)Now, what you can notice is the issues stand out here in bold. So it's quite clear as far as what the issue is pertaining to a conversation. So I can click on that conversation.(7:43 - 7:57)It will now show me the conversation, you know, where I had a message and customer replied back. So you have a very easy way to manage that back and forth. The last choice here is unread only.(7:58 - 8:26)And if I click on read only, this would show any messages that have come in from my clients that I have not yet seen so that I can reply back to them. So the easy way to do that is, you know, think of that as your inbox on your email. You go to unread only. Here's the ones that you have not yet seen. If you go to all communications, this would be all of your emails in your inbox, whether they've been read or not. And you can click on a particular conversation and be able to look at the back and forth.(8:26 - 8:38)And again, reply as necessary to the message here to go back and forth to your customer. I'll save that one without emailing it. And there you go.(8:39 - 8:58)If this is new, you would mark it as viewed again as like marking it read in your inbox. If you need to start a brand new conversation, you can hit the start new conversation and it would allow you to do that. Let's go back, though, because I want to focus more on issues in this particular video, because that's really what we're going to be tracking the most here.(8:59 - 9:15)So there's different ways to add a new issue to the list. So the first one is to click on the enter new issue link here at the top or here at the bottom. If I do that, that will just open up the same box we looked at before and allow me to enter in that issue.(9:16 - 9:33)You can do the same thing from the route technician application. All right. So if you're out in the field and if you have been given permission by your admin, you can enter in the issue right from your route technician app.(9:33 - 9:41)So let's go into Susan Watson. I can go into. Her particular work order for today.(9:43 - 10:06)And what you will notice is there is a new section down here called open issues. If I open this, if there were any other open issues, it would have given me the list. So now it's very easy so that when you're at the property, you can say, OK, what are the existing issues that I know about? Those would be here. I can add a new issue by clicking the link right here. And when I do that, you'll see it looks familiar. It goes right back to the same screen.(10:06 - 10:23)And now you can put in the open issue. So here you can say need landscaper to clear out side of house. And if we're going to email it through, let's put a message and say the side of the house of.(10:27 - 10:35)Weeds and branches that need. OK, so now we've put in the issue. We've put in a message to the client.(10:36 - 10:44)I can now save the issue or. You know, I have different options here if you've already closed it and so on. I'm going to save the issue.(10:44 - 10:53)Now you're saying, hey, wait a minute. Where is my button that lets me save and email the client? We already put in a message to the client. Remember the checkbox.(10:53 - 11:06)I check that box. Now my button is here to say save and notify the client. So I'll do that. And then that will now. Email the client. And you'll notice back here on my route tech screen.(11:06 - 11:32)Now I have this issue listed with the source work order number and that will be available to me in my issues list. Another way to enter issues if you don't have the rights to do it from the route tech app, or if you want to manage and have the administrator manage what becomes an issue and the communications with the customer. That is done here with the route tech notes.(11:32 - 11:45)So you may have been using the route tech notes before where you enter those in in the field. And now the admin has these notes that they can act on. The admin can now see there's a create issue button here.(11:46 - 12:02)If I take a look at this plumber for the leak and I click here on create issue again, again, takes me right to that screen pre fills it in. If I want to make this something that the client gets, I can check the box. I can put a message in here to the client.(12:04 - 12:13)And send that off to and off it goes. OK. And that's it.(12:14 - 12:25)If I go back to my issues list. Now you can see here's the new issues we just put in for Susan Watson. And the one we just added down below here for Mr. Black.(12:27 - 12:44)So you can see that visiting this from the route tech and bring up the list or coming back in here, you know, through your main console and being able to manage the list makes it very easy. Let's say that we have now called the landscaper. And so we want to update the status on this.(12:44 - 12:53)I'm going to click on that line and you can update the status here. OK. It will come out of the box with four statuses.(12:53 - 12:58)New issue service installed. So let's say we've called the landscaper. We'll change that maybe to service installed.(12:59 - 13:06)The customer decides to handle it. You can put that issue in there. And it still keeps it on the list until such time that you mark it completed.(13:06 - 13:20)You're able to add and manipulate any statuses. So if there's additional statuses that you want for your company, you can add those. The only ones that you can cannot add or change would be new issue and completed.(13:21 - 13:38)And where you would go and manage those statuses is right here on the overflow of that tile. You'll see you'll have managed status types. Here are the four statuses. So you can come in now and create a new one. Type in the description. There is also a sequence number.(13:39 - 14:03)So if you want to change the order that these appear, you can just update the sequence numbers to whatever you want. Save that and you have as many as you need. That's it for the issues app. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to reach out. There will be additional videos on how to manage conversations a little bit deeper. But I think this will give you a great overview and you'll be able to start using the app right away.(14:04 - 14:08)Anyway, have a great day and we will talk to you soon. Bye bye.