Contents

Start an Email Interaction

Requirements: You need an ACD Access License associated with the E-mail interaction type in order to work with email messages. Also, in order to send an email interaction, you must be a member of a workgroup configured with an outbound email mailbox. You also need the View User Queues or Modify User Queues right to your own user queue. For more information about licensing and workgroup configuration, see your CIC administrator.

An outbound email interaction is an email message you send on behalf of a workgroup. It can be included in Customer Interaction Center reports and statistics. Additionally, as an interaction, it could be processed by any custom email handlers that are added to your Customer Interaction Center installation.

Important points to consider:

Sending an outbound email interaction is not the same as replying to an ACD-routed email message sent to a workgroup mailbox. You are initiating the interaction, not responding. For more information about responding to an ACD-routed email, see Reply to an E-mail Message.
A reply to an outbound email interaction is addressed to the appropriate workgroup mailbox and is routed as an ACD interaction. A reply would first appear in the appropriate workgroup queue and then be ACD-routed to My Interactions.
You can use a CIC client directory entry to address an email message, but send the message using your default email program. This is not an email interaction and is not counted in Customer Interaction Center reports and statistics. For more information, see Send an E-mail Message.

To start an email Interaction:

Do one of the following:

- Click File > New > Email Interaction.
- Right-click a directory entry and select New Email Interaction (Business) or New Email Interaction (Home), if available.

Tip: You can also use a CIC client directory entry to address an email message, but send the message using your default email program. Using your default email program does not create an interaction. For more information, see Send an E-mail Message.

If you belong to more than one workgroup or a workgroup configured with one or more outbound mailboxes, select the appropriate workgroup and mailbox from the Create New Email Interaction dialog box and click OK.

Optionally, add addresses by doing one of the following:

- In the To text box, type the addresses of the email message recipients, separating each address with a semi-colon (;).
- Click the To button. In the Add Address dialog box, type all or part of the address in the text box and click Search. From the results list, select the appropriate address and click Add.

Note: The Add Address dialog box enables you to search for an email address that is configured on your Exchange server — typically, your company’s employee email addresses.

Optionally, verify the email addresses used in this email message. Place your cursor on one of the addresses in the To or CC text box and do one of the following:

- Click Check Names.
- In the Email Window for Outgoing Messages, from the Actions menu, choose Check Names.

Note: All email addresses are automatically verified before the message is sent. A verified address is underlined.

Optionally, type a message description in the Subject text box.

Note: Subject is limited to 1024 characters in the CIC client. However, many email clients have much smaller limits so the recipient may see a truncated subject line.

Type a message.

Note: If you are appropriately licensed, you can use Response Management and Account Codes, just as you would in an email reply. For more information, see Use Response Management in an E-mail Message or Assign Codes to an Interaction.

Also, the E-mail Window for Outgoing Messages used for initiating an email interaction enables you to format text, create a hyperlink, and insert an image just as you would when replying to an HTML email message. For more information, see Reply to an HTML E-Mail Message.

Optionally, spell check your reply by selecting a language from the Spell check language drop-down list, then clicking the Spell Check button.

Result: If any misspelled words are detected, select the appropriate button and continue the spell check until all of the reply is checked.

Tip: You can configure the CIC client to spell check email messages automatically. You also can select the languages used for spell checking. For more information, see Email Configuration.

Optionally, attach a file to the email message by doing one of the following:

Note: Your system administrator configures the size limit for files you attach to an outgoing email message.

- In the Email Editor, click the Attach button.
- In the Email Window for Outgoing Messages, from the File menu, choose Insert Attachment. Or, if available, click the Attached button.

Note: The Attached button in the Email Window appears only after you use File > Insert Attachment to attach at least one file.

Optionally, add notes to the email message.

Tip: For more information, see Add Notes to an Interaction.

Optionally, do one of the following to save this email message without sending it:
1. - In the Email List, select the email message and click Hold.
  - Close the Email Window for Outgoing Messages to save this email message as a Held interaction.

Result: The email message is not sent, but is saved as a Held interaction in the appropriate workgroup queue. You can pick up this interaction later, make any necessary changes or additions and then send it.

Note: In the Email Window for Outgoing Messages, you can click File > Save response to save your work to this point. The email interaction remains Connected.

To send the email response, do one of the following:

- Click the Send button.
- In the Email Window for Outgoing Messages only, from the Actions menu, select Send Email.

Result: The email message is sent to the addressed recipients.

If necessary, close the Email window for this interaction.

Note: You can set your Email Configuration to perform this action automatically.