Processing Send Repair Status Notices

Section 12: Internet Utility > Repair Status Notices

Processing Send Repair Status Notices

Once processing has been started (see Processing), repair status notices will be sent out every 60 minutes.

Sending Estimated Notices

A message is first recorded in the log file each time that processing of estimated notices begins. All repair orders are selected that have a repair status equivalent to “Awaiting Estimate Approval” or “(Subcontracted) Awaiting Estimate Approval” (see Repair Order and Repair Estimate Statuses), and that have either never had an estimated notice sent for them, or are scheduled for resending the notice.

All selected repair orders are analyzed to verify that, depending on the configured communication methods, they have a valid e-mail address, fax number, and/or mobile phone number. The contact information in those fields is analyzed to ensure that it reasonably conforms to expected standards (i.e. e-mail addresses have an @ symbol, and phone numbers have numeric digits). If prioritization has been configured then the contact information is also analyzed based on those prioritization rules in order to reduce or eliminate duplicate notices being sent via different communication methods (e.g. if a notice should be sent via fax only if it will not be sent via e-mail). Any repair orders without valid contact information will be skipped.

Further, the Internet Utility settings on the customer and billing accounts of each selected repair order are analyzed (see Customer - Internet Utility Tab). If the shipping customer account is configured to not send estimate notices then the repair order will be skipped. And if the repair order is billed to a third-party, then if the billing customer account is configured to not send any automated messages when billed to that third-party account, then the repair order will be skipped.

For each individual repair order that is successfully selected and validated, an estimated notice is sent via e-mail, fax, and/or SMS text messaging, depending on the configured communication methods. The basic message includes a brief summary of the repair order information (limited to no more than 71 characters when sending via SMS text messaging). And if sending via e-mail or fax and a custom message has been configured, then it will be included in the notice.

If sending via e-mail then the message will also include two hyperlinks that allow the customer to easily approve or refuse the estimate via e-mail, unless this feature has earlier been disabled while manually e-mailing repair estimate forms (see E-mailing a Form; see also “Responding to an Estimated Notice” below).

Further, if sending via e-mail or fax and the repair status web site is configured to upload repair status data to the repairstatus.net web site (see Setup Generate Repair Status Web Site, and Communication Options - FTP Tab), then a hyperlink or reference will also be included in the message that directs the customer to your reserved company folder on the repairstatus.net web site to check the current status of the repair order. This option is presently not available when uploading the repair status web site to your own web server.

Finally, if sending via e-mail or fax then the standard repair estimate form for the repair order is also attached or faxed (see Repair Estimate).

Once the individual repair status notice has been successfully sent via each configured communication method then, if configured accordingly, a message will be recorded in the log file, and a message will be recorded in the private notes of the repair order. If the repair status notice is not successfully sent then a message describing the problem will be recorded in the log file.

Responding to an Estimated Notice

If a customer has received an estimated notice via e-mail that includes approval and refusal hyperlinks then the customer can click one of those hyperlinks to start a reply e-mail. The reply e-mail will be sent to either the SMTP reply e-mail address or the MAPI reply e-mail address depending on the configured e-mail sending method and if the e-mail address has been configured (see Communication Options - E-mail Tab), or otherwise to the e-mail address configured on the business location of the program administrator (see User Security, and Business Locations). The subject line will automatically include the repair order number and whether the repair estimate is being approved or refused. The customer can also enter any notes or comments in the body of the e-mail message. Upon receipt of the reply e-mail at the repair centre, the repair order record would then need to be manually updated with the new repair status information (see Approving a Repair Estimate, and Refusing a Repair Estimate).

If a customer has received an estimated notice via fax that includes a stub on the repair estimate form (see Repair Estimate Form Options) then the customer can fill in the estimate approval or refusal options on the stub, sign the form, and fax it back to the repair centre. Upon receipt of the reply fax at the repair centre, the repair order record would then need to be manually updated with the new repair status information.

If a customer has received an estimated notice via SMS text message then they can phone the repair centre to approve or refuse the repair estimate verbally. Upon receipt of the verbal reply at the repair centre, the repair order record would then need to be manually updated with the new repair status information.

Sending Pickup Notices

A message is first recorded in the log file each time that processing of pickup notices begins. All repair orders are selected that have a repair status equivalent to either “(Repaired) Awaiting Pickup by Customer”, “(Refused by Customer) Awaiting Pickup by Customer”, or “(Refused by Technician) Awaiting Pickup by Customer” (see Repair Invoice Statuses), and that have either never had a pickup notice sent for them, or are scheduled for resending the notice.

Further, the Internet Utility settings on the customer and billing accounts of each selected repair order are analyzed (see Customer - Internet Utility Tab). If the shipping customer account is configured to not send pickup notices then the repair order will be skipped. And if the repair order is billed to a third-party, then if the billing customer account is configured to not send any automated messages when billed to that third-party account, then the repair order will be skipped.

For each individual repair order that is successfully selected and validated, a pickup notice is sent via e-mail, fax, and/or SMS text messaging, depending on the configured communication methods. The basic message includes a brief summary of the repair order information (limited to no more than 71 characters when sending via SMS text messaging). And if sending via e-mail or fax and a custom message has been configured, then it will be included in the notice.

If sending via e-mail or fax and the repair status web site is configured to upload repair status data to the repairstatus.net web site (see Setup Generate Repair Status Web Site, and Communication Options - FTP Tab), then a hyperlink or reference will also be included in the message that directs the customer to your reserved company folder on the repairstatus.net web site to check the current status of the repair order. This option is presently not available when uploading the repair status web site to your own web server.

Sending Overdue Notices

A message is first recorded in the log file each time that processing of overdue notices begins. All repair invoices are selected that have a past-due balance owing, have a repair invoice status (see Repair Invoice Statuses), have a recorded Date Repair Completed (the invoice date), and have either never had an overdue notice sent for them, or are scheduled for resending the notice. All sales invoices are selected that have a past-due balance owing, and have either never had an overdue notice sent for them, or are scheduled for resending the notice. The invoice “due date” is considered to be the invoice date plus the number of days in the payment terms on that invoice (e.g. net 15 days, net 30 days; see Payment Terms).

All selected repair invoices and sales invoices are analyzed to verify that, depending on the configured communication methods, they have a valid e-mail address, fax number, and/or mobile phone number. The contact information in those fields is analyzed to ensure that it reasonably conforms to expected standards (i.e. e-mail addresses have an @ symbol, and phone numbers have numeric digits). If prioritization has been configured then the contact information is also analyzed based on those prioritization rules in order to reduce or eliminate duplicate notices being sent via different communication methods (e.g. if a notice should be sent via fax only if it will not be sent via e-mail). Any repair invoices or sales invoices without valid contact information will be skipped.

Further, the Internet Utility settings on the customer and billing accounts of each selected repair invoice and sales invoice are analyzed (see Customer - Internet Utility Tab). If the shipping customer account is configured to not send overdue notices then the repair invoice or sales invoice will be skipped. And if the repair invoice or sales invoice is billed to a third-party, then if the billing customer account is configured to not send any automated messages when billed to that third-party account, then the repair invoice or sales invoice will be skipped.

For each individual repair invoice or sales invoice that is successfully selected and validated, an overdue notice is sent via e-mail, fax, and/or SMS text messaging, depending on the configured communication methods. The basic message includes a brief summary of the repair invoice or sales invoice information (limited to no more than 71 characters when sending via SMS text messaging). And if sending via e-mail or fax and a custom message has been configured, then it will be included in the notice.

If sending via e-mail or fax regarding a repair invoice and the repair status web site is configured to upload repair status data to the repairstatus.net web site (see Setup Generate Repair Status Web Site, and Communication Options - FTP Tab), then a hyperlink or reference will also be included in the message that directs the customer to your reserved company folder on the repairstatus.net web site to check the current status of the repair order. This option is presently not available when uploading the repair status web site to your own web server.

Once the individual repair status notice has been successfully sent via each configured communication method then, if configured accordingly, a message will be recorded in the log file, and a message will be recorded in the private notes of the repair invoice or sales invoice. If the repair status notice is not successfully sent then a message describing the problem will be recorded in the log file.

Repair Status Listing Reports