The project is to add code to Outlook/Exchange so that we can control which email account is used when responding to emails based on the folder.
The business problem is as follows:
There are 5 people in customer service department. Workers have shifts and do not work all days of the week but we need to insure that customers emails are responded to promptly. Currently, when a specific user replies to a general inquiry there is a problem when the customer replies to that email. The customers email goes directly to that user's mailbox and sits until that user returns. That causes too much of a delay.
Solution:
All new email for the retail company arrives to one folder (like a switchboard/operator). Any user drags the emails to the appropriate folder.? Then,? there? is a pool of people answering emails for each folder. Any email send for an email in that folder will be sent from <foldername@[login to view URL]>? automatically. We can untilize existing outlook rules to make sure that emails sent TO foldername automatically arrive in the foldername folder.
For example, there is a folder called:
Sales
Return
Shipping
Billing
Offers
Corresponding to each folder there will be an email address. For example,
if the company is [login to view URL] there will be email addresses
all new email goes to <info@[login to view URL]>
<sales@[login to view URL]> corresponds to Sales folder
<return@[login to view URL]> corresponds to return folder
<shipping@[login to view URL]> corresponds to shiping folder
etc.
All replies will have the email address based on the folder, not based on that user's default email account. Therefore other customer service people will be able to see the message replies from customers and follow up immediately.
The code needs to be written in VB and work with Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007, as well as Exchange.
It needs to be easy to install and work automatically without the user having to click macro buttons constantly.
## Deliverables
The program also needs to have a configuration file to set the base company domain name for the email and any other possible application settings. This should be an XML file.