Support Documents

Summary:

ServiceBox users may sometimes experience an overflow of email notifications, if they are set up for email notifications, for job status changes, job completion, and To Dos Alerts. This article provides guidance on how to manage these notifications to prevent receiving redundant information and to ensure a more streamlined communication process within the ServiceBox system.

Understanding Notifications in ServiceBox:

Notifications in ServiceBox are designed to keep users updated on various job-related activities. However, it's possible to receive these updates either as emails or as in-app alerts besides appearing on your computer's screen to the left your login Username as a red circle with a white number in it. It's crucial to distinguish between the two:

• Emails are sent directly to your inbox.
• Alerts appear as red circles within the ServiceBox application, notifying users of changes or actions needed.

Steps to Manage Email Notifications:

• Review and Adjust User Notification Method Choices:

Navigate to the User Setup section in ServiceBox and review the notifications settings. Only check the notification type you desire to receive to prevent - in the case of receiving too many emails in your Inbox - the type for every To Do Alert as setup to be delivered and a Scheduling change set for a Work Order.

• Understanding "Closed" Work Order Notifications from the "Close Work Order Setup" in the Work Order tab of your site's "Settings":

Work Order "is Closed" emails can be customized to reduce the frequency of notifications. For example, if a status such as "Complete" is not indicated as "Is Closed," it should not trigger an email notification.

In the following example you will see that the emails are sent when the Work Order statuses are "closed", "Invoiced", or "In Review".

Emails will be sent when a Work Order's Status is set to "In Review" in addition to "Closed"  and "Invoiced", as per the screen shot below. The status "Completed" will not be sending an email as its' status is not indicated as "Is Closed" in the first column.

To review and update these settings:

Navigate to Settings -> Work Order -> Statuses

• Understanding Work Order Alerts:

Ensure Work order alerts (emails or App "Alerts" page only) are set set as per your individual User setups. Use caution with the "Schedule Changed" Alert. While it can be helpful, receiving an alert for every change can be overwhelming. Consider whether only the Scheduled User needs these alerts, rather than both the Assigned User and Scheduled User.

In the following example you will notice that an alert is set to send when the Alert Type for Work Order is "Assigned" and "Scheduled Change". When "Scheduled Changed" is set to send notifications to the Assigned WO User & Scheduled User, both these Users will receive a notification every time the scheduled work order is changed.  It is advisable to turn these notification off.

To review and update these settings:

Navigate to Settings -> Work Order -> Alerts

• To Do Alerts Options - ALWAYS SET A DATE AND TIME FOR EVERY TO DO:

For To Do tasks, it's beneficial to receive immediate notifications when assigned or due. However, it's necessary to balance the need for immediate notifications against the inconvenience of redundant alerts.

In the following example you will see that the alerts are sent when the To Do Alert Types are "Assigned" or "Due Now".  This is very useful when initially setting up a To Do for a task DUE IN THE FUTURE.  It may be an annoyance if you set a lot of tasks as "Due Now" via the date and time settings to when you are setting up the To Do "right now".

To review and update these settings: 

Navigate to Settings -> To Do -> Alerts

Recommended Best Practices:

• Limit Email Notifications:

Consider relying more on computer screen notifications for Office staff.  For Field Techs,  in-app alerts are best using ServiceBox on their Smartphone or Tablet rather than email notifications. This approach can help users stay informed without cluttering their email inbox.

Rely on your computer screen's little red circles within the ServiceBox application, notifying users of changes or actions needed. 

To deactivate "Send Email Alert" on the user profile to minimize email alerts

• Keep App Notifications Enabled:

For users who are frequently on the go or have ServiceBox mobile access, keeping app notifications enabled ensures that they stay informed in real-time via a sound on the devise that may be set, without needing to check their emails.

Conclusion:

To manage your ServiceBox notifications more effectively and avoid multiple emails, customize your notification settings, understand the triggers for various alerts, and use in-app or computer screen notifications to stay up to date. By fine-tuning these settings, you can ensure a more productive and less cluttered workflow. If you continue to encounter issues, don't hesitate to reach out to the ServiceBox support team for further assistance.