VisNetic MailFlow 4.5 Released

VisNetic MailFlow 4.5 includes a combination of frequently requested features that allow Agents to be more efficient, accurate and flexible.

VisNetic MailFlow V4.5 provides the following enhancements and features:

Splitting Messages - provides the ability to create multiple tickets from one original message, creating unique Ticket ID's for the split message. This feature is useful when the original ticket requires responses from multiple parties.
Download All Attachments - download all attachments from an email to the local file system with minimal clicks. This new feature makes downloading attachments quicker and more efficient.
My Notes - provides the agent an internal method of creating notes independent of a Ticket, accessible via a browser.
Add Attachments to Notes - when a Ticket is being reassigned between Agents, this option allows files to be attached to the Notes.
Ticket Notes Spell Checker - now Agents can spell check Ticket Notes, ensuring that internal communication is more accurate and easy to understand.
Internal and External "On-Hold" Status - internal "on-hold" icon indicates the Agent has placed the Ticket on hold for additional research. External "on-hold" indicates the Agent is awaiting a reply from the sender.
"Move" and "Status" Buttons - improves efficiency for moving Tickets to another TicketBox and changing the status of a Ticket. "Move" and "Status" buttons are added to the MailFlow toolbar. Selecting the button will produce a drop down box and Notes field.
"Ticket Search" Button - this new button has been added to the MailFlow toolbar. It provides Agents with quick, easy access to locate any Ticket through a wide variety of criteria.

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VisNetic MailFlow Release Notes

Upcoming MailFlow Release 4.5 Due in June

Work on VisNetic MailFlow V5 continues to show good progress and is on tap for a late 4th quarter 2010 release.  For competitive purposes, we are not currently disclosing the V5 feature set, however we are excited that MailFlow V5 will be a spectacular release – and it will provide the most compelling software features found in an email customer service solution!  Largely built upon feature requests from its users (and a few new surprises), V5 will be the best release to date.

In the mean time – we will be offering one (or more) maintenance releases to the current shipping version 4 product.  These maintenance releases will be largely bug fixes and small improvements based upon the feedback from the MailFlow community.

Here is a list of what customers can expect in MailFlow v4.5

VisNetic MailFlow v4.5

Targeted Release Date: June 22, 2010
- Download all attachments.  The option to download all attachments from an email to the local file system with minimal clicks.
- Add attachments to Notes.   This options provides agents the ability to include attachments in the Ticket Notes. If a ticket is being reassigned between agents, this option allows files to be attached to the Notes.
- Ticket Notes Spell Checker.
- My Notes.   The "My Notes" button provides a shortcut similar to the agents Contact Notes window. The My Notes section provides the agent an internal method of creating notes independent of a Ticket, accessible via a browser.
- Split a single ticket into multiple tickets. Provides the agent the ability to create multiple tickets from one original ticket, creating a unique TicketID for the split ticket.  Useful when the original ticket contains both sales and support related questions (as example).
- Internal and External "on-hold" status. Internal "on-hold" icon represents the agent has placed the ticket on hold for additional research.  External "on-hold" indicates the agent is awaiting a reply from the sender.
- Improved efficiency for moving tickets to another TicketBox, and changing the status of a Ticket.  "Move" and "Status" buttons will be added to the toolbar. Selecting the button will produce a drop down box and Notes field. The current method of moving tickets and updating status will remain in the Ticket prosperities dialog box as well.
- Ticket Search button added to the toolbar.  Selecting the button will open the Ticket Search dialog.  

Is E-Mail Dead? Not So Fast!

Since 2006, pundits have been predicting the death of e-mail. The word on the street is that people--particularly under 30s--have abandoned e-mail for IM, texting, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Jim Lodico, author of the Social Media 2.0 blog, summarizes the reasons most often given for e-mail's demise (among them: too slow, takes too much time, too much spam).

But new research suggests it may be too early to give e-mail last rites. In "View from the Social Inbox 2010," Merkle, a customer relations marketing agency, finds that time spent with personal or social e-mail in the fall of 2009 was even with the prior year. "Nearly three-quarters of respondents spent at least 20 minutes a week e-mailing friends and family." What's more, Merkle found that social network users check their inboxes more frequently than those who shun social sites. "Forty-two percent of social networkers check their e-mail account four or more times a day, compared to just 27% of their non-networked counterparts."

Merkle's findings were similar to those reported by The Nielsen Company in "Is Social Media Impacting How Much We Email?" Nielsen also found that social media use makes people consume more e-mail, not less.  In part, that's because you can choose to get an e-mail every time a friend comments on a posting or engages in an activity. And as people make connections though social media, they "may extend those connections to e-mail."

The prediction that social media will kill e-mail reminds me of the premature death notices that accompany nearly every new technology: TV will kill radio, videos will kill movies. Most times, old technologies survive by changing. (Do you want to see Avatar on video at home or in 3-D on a big screen at the theater?)

Communications consultant Flora Novarra, commenting on Lodico's post, makes a succinct case for e-mail's survival. "Would you really want to get your bank statement through your social network? Would you want a tweet from your ex arranging weekend visitation?"

New technologies simply give people more choices.

--Marilynne Rudick

(c) E-WRITE, 2004 - 2010.

Marilynne Rudick and Leslie O'Flahavan are partners in E-WRITE, a training and consulting company that specializes in writing for online readers. Rudick and O'Flahavan are authors of Clear, Correct, Concise E-Mail: A Writing Workbook for Customer Service Agents

MailFlow 3CX CRM Plug-in Updated

To coincide with the new release of the 3CX Assistant for 3CX Phone System for Windows, Deerfield.com has released an updated MailFlow plug-in.  Those using the plug-in may get the latest from within MailFlow under "Client Software" directly beneath Agent Views.   You must upgrade your 3CX Assistant prior to upgrading the Plug-in.   The latest 3CX Assistant is available from:  http://ftp.deerfield.com/pub/current/3cxassistantsetup.exe

Upcoming Webinar: Introduction to VisNetic MailFlow

Join us for the upcoming Webinar introducing VisNetic Mailflow, and learn how to put an end to the “email madness”.  If you’re using email to communicate with customers, partners, vendors, constituents, or colleagues, this is a “must attend”.  Learn how MailFlow can help strengthen opportunities and relationships by helping any organization provide email “super-service”.  A must for customer service departments, pubic relations, marketing, technical support, and many others.

Can you answer the following?

• How much email does your company or department receive?
• Who replies to those emails, if anyone?
• What’s the current status of those email inquiries?
• What are customers asking of your company?
• Are customers receiving the right answers?
• How long do email messages remain unanswered (on average)?
• Who’s answering emails the most efficiently & effectively?

If the answers to these questions are unavailable or unclear, then VisNetic MailFlow can help you to get a handle on these (and many other) critical customer relations issues.

In this webinar we will show you how using VisNetic MailFlow will increase customer satisfaction, improve productivity, efficiency, and flexibility.

There is no charge for this event, register today.  Space is limited.

To learn more about this event please register here, or contact the Deerfield.com Customer Service Department at: 800.599.8856, skype.deerfield, or email: sales@deerfield.com.