SLUniverse Forums - View Single Post - gmail is heaps of help for customer support

Parker McTeague · 07-28-2008, 04:09 PM

i've been using gmail for my in-world customer support for some time now, and have evolved a pretty decent system that helps me make sure every question is answered, and makes it quick to answer. so i thought i'd share

also i'd love to hear any ideas for things i haven't thought of.

this is kind of a david allen-esque approach so it might not be for everyone, but i find this has worked really well for me. and it's super-simple, which is what makes it stick.

i'm offline during the day at work, so i don't get in world to do customer support until the evenings. so it's nice to answer things outside of sl, especially ones where i can give a quick answer and don't need to pay a visit. so i have my sl offline im's set to go to my gmail account.

so this ends up being a nice way to keep a to-do list of things to answer. as soon as something comes in it's flagged as OPEN SUPPORT with a big red label next to it. if it's something simple i reply through email, and the answer goes back to them as an instant message. also, i might have a followup question, like "did you unlink any part of the house?" or "what are you talking about?" or whatever. either way, i archive the message and it's off my plate. if i never hear from them again, i'm not left with an unresolved open support request. if i do hear from them again (a week later after i've forgotten about it i get a message "yes"), i just do a quick search on the person's name to pull up their original question and my followup question.

my goal in gmail is a cleaned out inbox, which i for the most part i have regularly. if something is left open (i.e. i need to visit their house, or test something in-world), it's a big red label staring at me, taunting me, every time i check email so i remember to do it. then when everything is resolved i just remove the label and archive it. i don't have to think about it anymore, and it's just a search away if it comes up again. doing that, combined with sales records, is very cool when i know what a person has said previously and which house(s) they own, as soon as i hear from them.

this worked well enough that i'm using it for to-do type things, like remembering to pay rent or anything else sl-related. they just get a green, more subdued label instead of the screaming red customer support one.

mail systems can get pretty complex with integrated to-do lists and calenders and reminders, but the simplicity of gmail means i actually use it, and with filters it barely requires any effort after the initial setup.

in lieu of a "ms. productivity" smiley, here's the goldfish of getting things done:

07-28-2008, 04:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Parker McTeague little glowing friend Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 998 SL Join Date: September 28, 2004 Business: Park Life Modern Homes and Interior SLShopper Ads: 8 My Mood:	gmail is heaps of help for customer support i've been using gmail for my in-world customer support for some time now, and have evolved a pretty decent system that helps me make sure every question is answered, and makes it quick to answer. so i thought i'd share also i'd love to hear any ideas for things i haven't thought of. this is kind of a david allen-esque approach so it might not be for everyone, but i find this has worked really well for me. and it's super-simple, which is what makes it stick. i'm offline during the day at work, so i don't get in world to do customer support until the evenings. so it's nice to answer things outside of sl, especially ones where i can give a quick answer and don't need to pay a visit. so i have my sl offline im's set to go to my gmail account. so this ends up being a nice way to keep a to-do list of things to answer. as soon as something comes in it's flagged as OPEN SUPPORT with a big red label next to it. if it's something simple i reply through email, and the answer goes back to them as an instant message. also, i might have a followup question, like "did you unlink any part of the house?" or "what are you talking about?" or whatever. either way, i archive the message and it's off my plate. if i never hear from them again, i'm not left with an unresolved open support request. if i do hear from them again (a week later after i've forgotten about it i get a message "yes"), i just do a quick search on the person's name to pull up their original question and my followup question. my goal in gmail is a cleaned out inbox, which i for the most part i have regularly. if something is left open (i.e. i need to visit their house, or test something in-world), it's a big red label staring at me, taunting me, every time i check email so i remember to do it. then when everything is resolved i just remove the label and archive it. i don't have to think about it anymore, and it's just a search away if it comes up again. doing that, combined with sales records, is very cool when i know what a person has said previously and which house(s) they own, as soon as i hear from them. this worked well enough that i'm using it for to-do type things, like remembering to pay rent or anything else sl-related. they just get a green, more subdued label instead of the screaming red customer support one. mail systems can get pretty complex with integrated to-do lists and calenders and reminders, but the simplicity of gmail means i actually use it, and with filters it barely requires any effort after the initial setup. in lieu of a "ms. productivity" smiley, here's the goldfish of getting things done: __________________ also you can read my blog!