Project Inquiry

Locating the Project Inquiry feature

Anyone in a Role with the Edit Program Info privilege can edit this setting by opening the ADMIN menu and clicking on Program Info:

How to edit the Project Inquiry Settings

The Project Inquiry settings lets you configure the information the users see when selecting the “Inquiry Button”.
 
The “Inquiry Button Text” allows a custom text to appear for the button on the menu bar that users select when creating a new project inquiry thread.
 
The “Inquiry Categories” setting allows you to create available categories for users to select when creating a new project inquiry thread. *NOTE* You must enter at least one “Inquiry Category” into this field to enable the Project Inquiry feature.
 

Figure 2: Project Inquiry Settings

 
The “Inquiry Lookup Field” is an optional data field that is loaded when a project is selected while a user is creating a new project inquiry thread. For example, the “Homeowner Customer” data field selected below will show the Homeowner Customer’s contact information within the inquiry thread.
 
If you select the checkbox next to “Allow program administrators to create new Project Inquiry threads?” this will enable the “Project Inquiry Button” to appear on the Administrators PowerClerk Portal.
 

Figure 3: Inquiry Lookup Field

 
Once these settings are “Saved” the PowerClerk user will now see the “Ask a Question” button appear in the menu bar.
 

Figure 4: Ask a Question Button

 
The Project Inquiry button allows a user to “Ask a Question” in regards to a specific project within PowerClerk.
 
The project drop down menu will allow the user to select the specific project in question and will populate with the settings you chose within the Project Inquiry settings page. As you can see below, since we selected the “Homeowner Customer” data field, that customer’s contact information appears within the inquiry thread.
 
The user must select an Inquiry Category from the drop-down to submit their question.
 

Figure 5: Ask a Question Dialog

 
The “Ask a Question Threads” will now be visible within the View/Edit project page for any user that has access to the Project.
 
To reply to an inquiry thread, simply select “Reply” from the project’s View/Edit page.
 

Figure 6: Ask a Question Thread

 
The reply will populate directly below the customer’s inquiry with a timestamp of the reply.
 

Figure 7: Ask a Question Reply

 
The PowerClerk Administrator also has the option of “Closing” the project inquiry thread. Select the “Change Inquiry Status” button adjacent to the “Reply” button to select the inquiry status. *Note* the Inquiry Status options can be configured within the Project Inquiry Settings page.
 

Figure 8: Current Inquiry Status

Automating Communications for Project Inquires

A new Automation Trigger is now available for “Project Inquiries” within the Automations page.
 

Figure 9: Inquiry Automation Trigger

 
By selecting the Inquiry Automation Trigger you can enable actions based on a “New Inquiry Thread Created” or a “New Reply to an Inquiry Thread”:
 

Figure 10: Edit Inquiry Automation Trigger

 
By creating a Communication Template, you can fire a communication to send to both the PowerClerk Administrator and customer of new replies to their project inquiries.
 
This helps keep the customer and the administrator up to date on the current replies within the Ask a Question thread.
 

Figure 11: Inquiry Automation Trigger Action Rule

Inquiry Summary

The “Inquiry Summary” feature within “Settings” allows administrators to keep track of every open and closed customer inquiry within PowerClerk.
 

Figure 12: Locating the Inquiry Summary

 
As default, the Inquiry Summary page shows only “Open” inquiries. Simply checking the “Include closed Inquiries” box will enable the administrator to view every inquiry within PowerClerk.
 

Figure 13: Inquiry Summary

 
Administrators can dig deeper into each inquiry summary by selecting the arrow to the left of the Inquiry Title. This dropdown will show every inquiry within that specific project. From here the administrator has the ability to reply to the inquiry, go to the projects Admin or View/Edit screen, and change the status of an inquiry.
 

Figure 14: Inquiry Summary threads

FAQs

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