HubSpot has a thing where it doesn't "log" forwarded thread replies correctly. This is how to workaround it with existing tickets.
Problem
HubSpot has a setting in Service Hub pipelines that automatically changes a ticket status when a customer replies to an email. But it doesn't work on forwarded emails.
Why This Happens
When toggled on, the setting creates a standard workflow that relies on a two hidden properties called Last email date and Last email activity.
You won't find these in the properties of the ticket, but they can be accessed via the API (and unhidden via that method as well so you can see them in the User Interface). In the API they're named hs_last_email_activity and hs_last_email_date.
These properties don't update though with forwarded emails and replies to those forwarded emails 🥺
Solution
This is ok, because we can use a ticket workflow to allow for those forwarded email threads to reopen a ticket and do many other things.
- Go into your Support Pipeline > Automate (Tab in the bottom window with the Statuses) > Click "View Workflow" (Hover over "A customer repliese to an email"), this will bring you to the workflow Hubspot uses to reopen a ticket.
- Go to the More button in the upper right of the canvas, then click on Clone
- When this new workflow opens, rename it whatever you'd like. Then open the workflow trigger.
- Change the Last email date was updated after Ticket Status to Last message received date was updated after Ticket Status
- Change the Last email activity is any of Email received from contact to Last message from visitor is equal to "True".
- Add an AND filter. Set this filter to Last message received date "is known". This means that when this property changes, it'll trigger the workflow.
- Add an AND filter. Set this filter to Last message received date "is updated after property" Create Date. This will exclude new tickets from incorrectly being progressed to a further stage than "New".
That's it. Now when a forwarded email thread has a reply from a customer, it'll reopen the ticket. You can use this method in other use cases around tickets that depend on the properties we swapped out.
If you have any questions, reach out to support@mergeyourdata.com
Open New Ticket on Reply to Forwarded Thread
This one is slightly different since there isn't going to be a conversation created from a forwarded thread reply. Unfortunately we haven't come across a good solution for this one yet.
Things To Consider
- Reopening tickets with any method will impact reporting accuracy depending on your processes
- There is a setting in inboxes that lets you Choose original sender of email forwards. Good practice to set this on or off intentionally.
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