Difference between revisions of "InfoTeamManual:Using Help Scout"

Revision as of 21:40, 6 April 2019 (view source) Crothaug (talk | contribs) ← Older edit		Latest revision as of 14:55, 19 February 2021 (view source) Crothaug (talk | contribs)
(225 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 3:		Line 3:
	[[File:HS logo.PNG|150px]] <br />		[[File:HS logo.PNG|150px]] <br />
−	Help Scout is a third party service that The Freecycle Network subscribes to, providing a set of tools for communicating with members, moderators, other team members and members of the general public using email messages and chat. It also provides a database (knowledgebase) for documents we create to provide self-service answers to questions.<br />	+	Help Scout is a third party service that The Freecycle Network subscribes to, providing a set of tools for communicating with members, moderators, other team members and members of the general public using email messages and chat. It also provides a knowledgebase for documents we create to provide self-service answers to questions.<br />
	<br />		<br />
−	==Help Scout Messages==	+	See '''[[InfoTeam:How do messages end up in Help Scout?|How do messages end up in Help Scout?]]''' for more information on the sources of the messages we receive.<br />
		+	<br />
−	Click on ''Unassigned'' to see open tickets	+	===Help Scout Dashboard===
		+	<br />
		+	When you log into [https://secure.helpscout.net/ Help Scout], you will see the Dashboard. This view shows all of the mailboxes and Document knowledge bases you have access to.<br />
		+	[[File:HS Dashboard mailbox options.png|thumb|none|upright=3.5]]<br />
		+	<br />
−	Click on a message to open it	+	==Help Scout Messages==
−	:''If you are able to answer the member's question, you can respond even if the previous response was provided by another member of the Member Support Team. Use your judgement here. If it's a pretty generic issue, go ahead and respond. If it's very specific and it seems like the other support team member is building on their previous responses, leave it for that member to complete''.<br />
		+	Click on ''Unassigned'' to see open tickets<br />
		+	[[File:HS main menu unassigned.png|thumb|none|upright=.5]]<br />
−	'''<big>Always check the status of the member's account before responding. In many cases, this information will help you decide which response to send</big>.'''<br />	+	Click on a message to open it<br />
		+	[[File:HS unassigned message new message.png|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br /><br />
		+	Here's an example of a message that has a previous reply and a Note.<br />
−	1. Open ModTools:https://moderator.freecycle.org/home/ (this is the same page you use to moderate your local group). Click on your group's name.<br />	+	[[File:HS message full page anatomy.png|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br /><br />
−	2. Click on ''Members'' and then ''Invite Members'' in the left-hand menu. Copy/paste the member's email address or username in the ''Invite Members'' box and click ''Prepare Invitations''.<br />
−	[[File:Samplegroup members.PNG|700px]] <br /><br />	+	===Replying to a message===
		+	<big>We use Saved Replies to make responding faster and to ensure we are providing consistent and accurate information regardless of who handles the response</big>.<br /><br />
		+	1. Click on the ''Reply'' icon [[File:Help scout reply icon.PNG|thumb|none|upright=3]] <br />
−	[[File:Samplegroup invitemembers.PNG|700px]]<br /><br />	+	2. Then click on the ''Saved Replies'' icon beneath the Search Docs box and enter a key word in the search box OR scroll through the Saved Replies in alphabetical order. Click on the Saved Reply you want to import. Once it's been placed in your message, you can edit and customize the reply or just add your first name at the bottom and hit ''Send''. You can add multiple Saved Replies to your message by searching and selecting again. Make sure your cursor is where you want the new reply to end up.<br />
		+	[[File:Saved replies 2.png|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br />
		+	<br />
−	3. If the system responds with "Non-My Freecycle email addresses" or "Usernames not found", there is no active account with this information<br />	+	[[File:HS Saved Reply in message.PNG|thumb|none|upright=3]]
		+	<br />
		+	Please don't use the ''Save This Reply'' option. If there's a reply that needs to be updated or added, let the Team Lead know and we'll make the change.<br />
		+	<br /><br />
		+	Don't forget to tag the message with your name<br />
		+	<br />
		+	===Creating a new message===
		+	<br />
		+	To create a new message, click the New Conversation icon
−	[[File:Samplegroup not member.PNG|700px]]<br /><br />	+	[[File:HS Create new message.png|thumb|none|upright]]<br />
−	4. If the system responds with "My Freecycle users to be invited", there is an active account with this information and will display both the username and the associated email address<br />	+	You can then compose your message, following the instructions above for '''replying to a message''', starting with step 2.
−
−	[[File:Samplegroup yes member.PNG|700px]]<br /><br />
	<br />		<br />
−	6. If ''(No longer a user)'' is shown next to the username, it's an indication that the member has been "zapped" (account made unusable), most likely due to some inappropriate activity. When you see this, forward the message to Spamcontrol@freecycle.org and ask for details on the member account before responding to the message.<br />
	<br />		<br />
−	'''Note:''' sometimes members contact us from a different email address than the one they use for their Freecycle account. It's always a good idea to ask them if this is the case if you don't find an active account using the information originally provided.<br />	+	===Adding Tags===
		+	Tags are used to help categorize messages for a number of purposes. The most important is to identify the team member(s) who have handled the message. <br />
		+	<br />
		+	To add a Tag to a message
		+	# With the message open, click on the Tag icon [[File:HS Message menu tag icon.png|thumb|none|upright]]
		+	# Type the tag you want to use (in most cases, your first name) in the Tag box that pops open. Note that tags that have been used before are stored by the system and will be suggested as you type. if you use multiple words in your tag, put a hyphen ("-") in between the words (e.g. "system-issue")
		+	# Hit the enter key on your keyboard to create the tag<br />
		+	<br />
		+	To delete a Tag, click the X in the corner of the tag<br />
		+	<br />
−		+	===Merging Messages===
−	===Responding to a message===	+	Please don't merge messages. Leave the Team Lead a Note to do the merge. We should only merge messages if the previous message is very recent and related to the same issue as the current message. To merge two messages, the Team Lead will:
		+	*With the current message open, click on the name of the other message on the right side of the screen.
		+	*Click ''Merge'' in the message pop-up.
		+	*Note that Merges cannot be un-done so please be careful.
		+	<br />
−	*We use Saved Replies to make responding faster and to ensure we are providing consistent and accurate information regardless of who handles the response.<br />	+	===Adding Notes===
		+	We can add notes to a message thread. A  Note can only be seen by our team and it should be specific to the messages. If the message raises a more general question that would benefit from discussion with the team, post a message about it on the Freecycle Support Yahoo group.<br />
−	*Click on the ''Reply'' icon [[File:Help scout reply icon.PNG|300px]] (or just hit the "r" key on your keyboard)<br />	+	*Click the ''Note'' icon at the top of the message. The form will turn orange to signify you are creating an internal communication.
		+	*Type your note and sign it. Click ''Add Note''.<br /><br />
−	*Then click on the ''Saved Replies'' icon (looks like a text bubble) beneath the Search Docs box.	+	[[File:Help scout note screen shot.png|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br /><br />
−	[[File:Saved_replies_1.png|700px]]<br /><br />	+	<big>''Helpful hint:''</big> If you accidentally hit the Note icon when you meant to hit the Reply icon, you can switch from one to the other BEFORE you save or send. Just click on the Reply icon while the message is open and the screen will change from orange to blue, telling you that you are now creating a Reply.<br />
		+	<br /><br />
		+	===Forwarding and escalating messages===
−	*Search or scroll down, then select the Reply you want. It will be added to your message.<br />
−	[[File:Saved replies 2.png|700px]]<br />
−	<br />
−	*You can add multiple Saved Replies to your message by searching and selecting again. Make sure your cursor is where you want the new reply to end up.<br /><br />	+	You may encounter a message that needs to be forwarded to another team, such as a GOA. The forwarded message and your note to the other team will not be visible in your reply to the person who sent the original message. The forwarded message will display in the original message thread, AND the forwarded message will start a new thread with the person you forwarded the message to. <br /><br />
		+
		+	'''<big>Important Note:</big> The Spam Control and Support Teams have decision trees that guide team members in when and how to escalate messages to other teams. Please refer to your team manual before forwarding or escalating a message.'''<br />
−	*From there, you can edit and customize the reply or just add your first name at the bottom and hit ''Send''.<br /><br />
−	''Helpful hint:'' If you accidentally hit the Reply icon when you meant to hit the Note icon, you can switch from one to the other BEFORE you save or send. Just click on the Note icon while the message is open and the screen will change from blue to orange, telling you that you are now creating a Note .<br /><br />
−	Please don't use the ''Save This Reply'' option. If there's a reply that needs to be updated or added, let the Team Lead know and we'll make the change.<br />
−	<br />
−	<br />	+	1. Click on the ''More Actions'' icon a the top of the message (…) and select ''Forward''.<br /><br />
−	===Help Scout Saved Replies===	+	[[File:HS Forward message.png|thumb|none|upright=2]]<br />
−	The current list of Help Scout Saved Reply titles is here: [[InfoTeamManual:Member Support Team:Saved Reply List|Help Scout Saved Reply List]], including some notes on when and how to use each one. <br />
−	<br />
−	If you don't find a reply that you use repeatedly, or you feel existing ones could be worded more clearly or named more appropriately, send a request to the Team Lead at hslead@freecycle.org.<br /><br />
−	===Merging Messages===	+	2. Enter the forwarding email address in the ''To'' field.<br /><br />
−	Please don't merge messages until we agree that you have enough experience with the tool. Until then, leave the Team Lead a Note and she'll take care of it.
−	<br>Only merge messages if the previous message is very recent and related to the same issue.
−	*With the current message open, click on the name of the other message on the right side of the screen.
−	*Click ''Merge'' in the message pop-up.
−	*Note that Merges cannot be un-done so please be careful.
−	===Unsubscribing and deleting accounts===	+	3. Add a message or instructions for the person/group you are forwarding to and sign your name.<br />
−	*Members have several options for "unsubscribing." If you are not sure which one is being requested, send the generic Unsubscribe saved reply.	+	[[File:Help scout forward message.PNG|thumb|none|upright=2]]<br />
−	*If the request is to completely delete the member's account or data, leave it for the Team Lead. Only the Team Lead and Info Team Coordinator have the ability to delete accounts.
−	*[[Privacy|More information on Privacy and link to the Freecycle Privacy Policy]].
−	===Adding Notes===	+	4. Click ''Send''.<br />
−	We can add notes to a message trail. They can only be seen by us. We can use to make notes about the ticket or member OR to communicate with each other.
−	*Click the ''Note'' icon at the top of the message (pencil with a +). The form will turn orange to signify you are creating an internal communication.
−	*Type your note and sign it. Click ''Add Note''.<br />
−	[[File:Help scout note screen shot.png|700px]]<br /><br />
		+	Note that the original ticket will remain open unless you respond to it or close it. It is a good idea to let the original sender know what action you have taken and whether they should expect a response from someone else (like a GOA).<br /><br />
		+	<br />
−	*To edit your note after you save it, click on the three dots next to the date/time and you can edit or delete your note.<br />	+	===Moving a message to another Help Scout mailbox===
−	[[File:Help scout edit Note.PNG|700px]]<br /><br />	+	We have four mailboxes that receive messages in Help Scout. Each of these mailboxes receives mail from a number of externally communicated email addresses and occasionally a message lands in the wrong mailbox. If you need to include a note about why you are moving the message, please do that before you do the move.
		+	*'''Public Help''': All correspondence from Freecycle members and the general public. Managed by the Help Team.
		+	*'''Mod Help''': Requests from Group Moderators for help with using Mod Tools and the Freecycle.org website. Managed by the SiteModHelp volunteer member of the Support Team (currently the Support Coordinator).
		+	*'''Data Protection''': Requests to delete member and account data from the Freecycle database. Managed by the Support Coordinator.
		+	*'''Spam Control''': Messages to and from the Spam Control Team regarding possible violations of the Freecycle Terms of Service. Managed by the Spam Control Team Lead.<br />
		+	# Click on the ''More Actions'' icon a the top of the message (…) and select ''Move''
		+	# Click on the name of the the mailbox to move the message to. '''The message will move immediately'''.<br /><br />
−	''Helpful hint:'' If you accidentally hit the Note icon when you meant to hit the Reply icon, you can switch from one to the other BEFORE you save or send. Just click on the Reply icon while the message is open and the screen will change from orange to blue, telling you that you are now creating a Reply.<br />	+	[[File:HS move message.png|thumb|none|upright=2]]<br />
		+	<br /><br /><br />
	<br />		<br />
−	===Forwarding and escalating messages===	+	==Help Scout Beacons and Chat in Freecycle 3.0==
		+	'''(This section is under construction)'''
		+	<br />
		+	'''<big>Important Note:</big> these features are not yet live in Help Scout. They are planned to be implemented when we launch the new Freecycle 3.0 website. Chat is intended to be used by the Help Team only.'''
		+	<br />
		+	<br />
		+	A '''Help Scout Beacon''' is an interactive box that is activated by a link or icon on a web page. The Freecycle 3.0 Beacon is launched when a user clicks on the HELP link at the bottom of any 3.0 page or clicks on the contact icon at the bottom right-hand side of any Freecycle.org page [[File:Beacon icon.PNG|thumb|none]]
−	You may need to forward a message to another team, such as GOA or Spamcontrol, or escalate a message to Freecycle Leadership. The forwarded message and any note to the other team will not be visible to the person who sent the original message. <br /><br />	+	The user '''does not''' have to be logged in. There are three options:
		+	#''Answers''. The initially displayed list of links to knowledge base articles.
		+	#''Ask''. Email or live chat with a Support Team volunteer.
		+	#''What can we help you with?'' Search for more articles.
		+	<br />
−	Please see [[Guidelines for Forwarding and Escalating Messages]] for detailed information about who to forward messages to.<br />	+	[[File:Beacon help screen1 2 3.png|thumb|none]]<br /><br />
−	<br />
−	*Click on the ''More Actions'' icon a the top of the message (…) and select ''Forward''.<br />	+	===1. Answers===
−	[[File:Help Scout forward icon.PNG|400px]]<br /><br />
−	<br />	+	*Displays links to five knowledge base articles appropriate for the page the user was on when they clicked the HELP link.
		+	*Click on a link to open the full article. Most articles contain screen shots and links to related articles.
		+	*Click the X to close the article. Clicking ''Close'' will close the Beacon.
		+	*Users can leave happiness feedback at the bottom of the article<br /><br />
−	*Enter the email address to forward the message to.	+	[[File:HS article open.PNG|thumb|none]]<br />
−	*Add a message or instructions for the person/group you are forwarding to and sign your name.<br />
−	[[File:Help scout forward message.PNG|700px]]<br />
		+	===2. Ask===
−	*Click ''Send''.<br />	+	[[File:Beacon ask.PNG|thumb|none]]<br /><br />
−	Note that the original ticket will remain open unless you respond to it or close it. It is a good idea to let the original sender know what action you have taken and whether they should expect a response from someone else (like a GOA).<br /><br />	+	===Email===
		+	* User enters contact information (including the email address they use for Freecycle) and their question.
		+	* The message is sent to the Help Scout Public Help mailbox and the Support Team replies as usual.
		+	* The user receives a confirmation that their message was sent.
		+	* The message received in our mailbox contains information about the user (including the email address they use for Freecycle) and the page they were on when they clicked HELP.)
		+	* The user receives our reply at the email address they provided.
		+	<gallery widths="350px" heights="500px>
		+	File:HS email form filled in.PNG
		+	File:HS email acklowledged.PNG
		+	</gallery>
	<br />		<br />
−	===Moving a message to another Help Scout mailbox===	+	This is what the message looks like in Help Scout
−	We have three mailboxes that receive messages in Help Scout. Each of these mailboxes receives mail from a number of externally communicated email addresses and occasionally a message lands in the wrong mailbox. It's not usually necessary to include a note when you move messages between mailboxes.	+
−	*'''Public Help''': All correspondence from Freecycle members and the general public. Managed by the Member Support Team.	+	[[File:HS Beacon email annotated.png|thumb|none|upright=2.5]]<br />
−	*'''Mod Help''': Requests from Group Moderators for help with using Mod Tools and the Freecycle.org website. Managed by the SiteModHelp volunteer member of the Support Team.
−	*'''Data Protection''': Requests to delete member and account data from the Freecycle database. Managed by the Support Team Lead. <br />
	<br />		<br />
−	Click on the ''More Actions'' icon a the top of the message (…) and select ''Move'', then select the mailbox to move the message to.<br />	+	===Chat===
−	[[File:Help scout move message.png|700px]]<br />	+
−	<br /><br /><br />	+	* When a user clicks on Chat, they get an initial automated message asking them to ask their question
		+	* When the question has been sent, they get another automated message asking for their email address
		+	<br />
		+	<gallery widths="350px" heights="500px>
		+	File:Beacon chat screen 1.PNG
		+	File:Beacon chat screen 2.PNG
		+	File:Beacon chat screen 3.PNG
		+	</gallery>
	<br />		<br />
−	==Help Scout Beacons and Chat in Freecycle 3.0==
−	When a user clicks on the Help link at the bottom of any 3.0 page, a box opens with links to 5 knowledge base articles. Appropriate articles will display for the page of the Freecycle.org that the user is on when they click the Help link. <br />
−	There are three thing the user can do:
−	#''Answers'' (the initially displayed list of articles). Click on a link to see the full article.
−	#''What can we help you with?'' (at the bottom of the box). Search for more articles.
−	#''Ask''. Email or live chat<br />
−	[[File:Beacon help screen1.PNG|300px]]<br /><br /><br />	+	This is what it looks like in Help Scout when a chat comes through<br />
		+	<br /> ADD PICTURE OF HS CHAT WAITING<br />
−	'''Ask'''	+	Click on the chat name and Accept Chat to start chatting<br />
		+	<br />
		+	Send your greeting first and ask what you can help with OR if they have given their issue in their first message, pick it up from there<br />
		+	<br />
		+	Just like with email messages, you can insert Saved Replies into your chat. You can edit the Saved Reply in your chat window before you hit Send<br /><br />
−	[[File:Beacon ask.PNG|300px]]<br /><br />	+	<gallery widths="500px" heights="450px>
		+	File:HS chat window menu.PNG
		+	File:HS chat window select saved reply.PNG
		+	</gallery><br />
−	If the member has contacted us this way in the past, they will can click on the Previous Conversations link to see their conversation history.	+	ADD a PICTURE OF SAVED REPLY IN CHAT WINDOW<br />
	<br />		<br />
−	[[File:Beacon_previous_addreply.PNG|300px]]<br />	+	Your chat will look like this<br />
	<br />		<br />
−	=== Email ===	+	[[File:HS chat window with messages.PNG|thumb|none|upright=2]]<br />
	<br />		<br />
		+
		+	When you are ready to end the chat, click on the three dot menu and select End Chat. What you write in the End Chat box will appear as a Note on the chat record in the Closed folder.<br /><br />
		+
		+	[[File:HS chat window end chat.PNG|thumb|none|upright=2]]<br />
	<br />		<br />
		+	[[File:Hs chat completed message with note.PNG|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br /><br />
		+	[[File:HS chat in Closed list.PNG|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br />
−	[[File:Beacon_emailform.PNG|300px]]<br />
−	Live Chat	+	If we're Available for chat, but no one picks up the chat after about four minutes, the user gets a message on screen and their question is sent through to the Help Scout mailbox as an email message.
		+	[[File:Beacon chat not picked up.PNG|thumb|none]]<br /><br />
−	When the member types a question into the chat box, the chat opens in Help Scout	+	This is what the Missed Chat message looks like in Help Scout<br />
		+	[[File:HS message missed chat.PNG|thumb|none|upright=3]]<br /><br />
−	To start chatting, click on the top (oldest) chat message.	+	===3. What Can We Help You With?===
−		+	Launches a Knowledge Base search<br />
−	If no one is available to take the chat within xx amount of time	+	<br />
		+	<br />
		+	'''[[InfoTeam:Member_Support_Team|Back to main Help Team page]]'''

---

Latest revision as of 14:55, 19 February 2021

Help Scout Overview

Help Scout is a third party service that The Freecycle Network subscribes to, providing a set of tools for communicating with members, moderators, other team members and members of the general public using email messages and chat. It also provides a knowledgebase for documents we create to provide self-service answers to questions.

See How do messages end up in Help Scout? for more information on the sources of the messages we receive.

Help Scout Dashboard

When you log into Help Scout, you will see the Dashboard. This view shows all of the mailboxes and Document knowledge bases you have access to.

Help Scout Messages

Click on Unassigned to see open tickets

Click on a message to open it

Here's an example of a message that has a previous reply and a Note.

Replying to a message

We use Saved Replies to make responding faster and to ensure we are providing consistent and accurate information regardless of who handles the response.

1. Click on the Reply icon

2. Then click on the Saved Replies icon beneath the Search Docs box and enter a key word in the search box OR scroll through the Saved Replies in alphabetical order. Click on the Saved Reply you want to import. Once it's been placed in your message, you can edit and customize the reply or just add your first name at the bottom and hit Send. You can add multiple Saved Replies to your message by searching and selecting again. Make sure your cursor is where you want the new reply to end up.

Please don't use the Save This Reply option. If there's a reply that needs to be updated or added, let the Team Lead know and we'll make the change.


Don't forget to tag the message with your name

Creating a new message

To create a new message, click the New Conversation icon

You can then compose your message, following the instructions above for replying to a message, starting with step 2.

Adding Tags

Tags are used to help categorize messages for a number of purposes. The most important is to identify the team member(s) who have handled the message.

To add a Tag to a message

1. With the message open, click on the Tag icon
   
2. Type the tag you want to use (in most cases, your first name) in the Tag box that pops open. Note that tags that have been used before are stored by the system and will be suggested as you type. if you use multiple words in your tag, put a hyphen ("-") in between the words (e.g. "system-issue")
3. Hit the enter key on your keyboard to create the tag
   

To delete a Tag, click the X in the corner of the tag

Merging Messages

Please don't merge messages. Leave the Team Lead a Note to do the merge. We should only merge messages if the previous message is very recent and related to the same issue as the current message. To merge two messages, the Team Lead will:

• With the current message open, click on the name of the other message on the right side of the screen.
• Click Merge in the message pop-up.
• Note that Merges cannot be un-done so please be careful.

Adding Notes

We can add notes to a message thread. A Note can only be seen by our team and it should be specific to the messages. If the message raises a more general question that would benefit from discussion with the team, post a message about it on the Freecycle Support Yahoo group.

• Click the Note icon at the top of the message. The form will turn orange to signify you are creating an internal communication.
• Type your note and sign it. Click Add Note.
  
  

Helpful hint: If you accidentally hit the Note icon when you meant to hit the Reply icon, you can switch from one to the other BEFORE you save or send. Just click on the Reply icon while the message is open and the screen will change from orange to blue, telling you that you are now creating a Reply.

Forwarding and escalating messages

You may encounter a message that needs to be forwarded to another team, such as a GOA. The forwarded message and your note to the other team will not be visible in your reply to the person who sent the original message. The forwarded message will display in the original message thread, AND the forwarded message will start a new thread with the person you forwarded the message to.

Important Note: The Spam Control and Support Teams have decision trees that guide team members in when and how to escalate messages to other teams. Please refer to your team manual before forwarding or escalating a message.

1. Click on the More Actions icon a the top of the message (…) and select Forward.

2. Enter the forwarding email address in the To field.

3. Add a message or instructions for the person/group you are forwarding to and sign your name.

4. Click Send.

Note that the original ticket will remain open unless you respond to it or close it. It is a good idea to let the original sender know what action you have taken and whether they should expect a response from someone else (like a GOA).

Moving a message to another Help Scout mailbox

We have four mailboxes that receive messages in Help Scout. Each of these mailboxes receives mail from a number of externally communicated email addresses and occasionally a message lands in the wrong mailbox. If you need to include a note about why you are moving the message, please do that before you do the move.

• Public Help: All correspondence from Freecycle members and the general public. Managed by the Help Team.
• Mod Help: Requests from Group Moderators for help with using Mod Tools and the Freecycle.org website. Managed by the SiteModHelp volunteer member of the Support Team (currently the Support Coordinator).
• Data Protection: Requests to delete member and account data from the Freecycle database. Managed by the Support Coordinator.
• Spam Control: Messages to and from the Spam Control Team regarding possible violations of the Freecycle Terms of Service. Managed by the Spam Control Team Lead.
  

1. Click on the More Actions icon a the top of the message (…) and select Move
2. Click on the name of the the mailbox to move the message to. The message will move immediately.
   
   

Help Scout Beacons and Chat in Freecycle 3.0

(This section is under construction)

Important Note: these features are not yet live in Help Scout. They are planned to be implemented when we launch the new Freecycle 3.0 website. Chat is intended to be used by the Help Team only.

A Help Scout Beacon is an interactive box that is activated by a link or icon on a web page. The Freecycle 3.0 Beacon is launched when a user clicks on the HELP link at the bottom of any 3.0 page or clicks on the contact icon at the bottom right-hand side of any Freecycle.org page

The user does not have to be logged in. There are three options:

1. Answers. The initially displayed list of links to knowledge base articles.
2. Ask. Email or live chat with a Support Team volunteer.
3. What can we help you with? Search for more articles.

1. Answers

• Displays links to five knowledge base articles appropriate for the page the user was on when they clicked the HELP link.
• Click on a link to open the full article. Most articles contain screen shots and links to related articles.
• Click the X to close the article. Clicking Close will close the Beacon.
• Users can leave happiness feedback at the bottom of the article
  
  

2. Ask

Email

• User enters contact information (including the email address they use for Freecycle) and their question.
• The message is sent to the Help Scout Public Help mailbox and the Support Team replies as usual.
• The user receives a confirmation that their message was sent.
• The message received in our mailbox contains information about the user (including the email address they use for Freecycle) and the page they were on when they clicked HELP.)
• The user receives our reply at the email address they provided.

• 
• 

This is what the message looks like in Help Scout

Chat

• When a user clicks on Chat, they get an initial automated message asking them to ask their question
• When the question has been sent, they get another automated message asking for their email address

• 
• 
• 

This is what it looks like in Help Scout when a chat comes through

ADD PICTURE OF HS CHAT WAITING

Click on the chat name and Accept Chat to start chatting

Send your greeting first and ask what you can help with OR if they have given their issue in their first message, pick it up from there

Just like with email messages, you can insert Saved Replies into your chat. You can edit the Saved Reply in your chat window before you hit Send

• 
• 

ADD a PICTURE OF SAVED REPLY IN CHAT WINDOW

Your chat will look like this

When you are ready to end the chat, click on the three dot menu and select End Chat. What you write in the End Chat box will appear as a Note on the chat record in the Closed folder.

If we're Available for chat, but no one picks up the chat after about four minutes, the user gets a message on screen and their question is sent through to the Help Scout mailbox as an email message.

This is what the Missed Chat message looks like in Help Scout

3. What Can We Help You With?

Launches a Knowledge Base search


Back to main Help Team page