The Question action bar

The Question actions bar in the header provides a number of functions that can be performed on a question that has arrived in the system:

Answer, Reallocate, Actions, Change, and Summary

We will now look at each of the functions available from these menu items, starting with Answer.

The Question number box allows use of any question action

Because the number of the question that you have been working on is still in the question number box of the Question action bar, despite now being back at your Home page, you can now do any other Question action on this question number by simply selecting the action from the Question action bar menu lists.

If you know the number of a different question that you want to work on, you can enter that question number in the Question number box of the Question action bar and hit Enter. You will be shown the Details tab of the Summary screen for that new question number, and the menu structure will refresh to show the actions that are applicable to the current status of the question number you just entered, so that you can use any applicable question action.

The Answer menu list

The Answer function provides access to all of the functions that you will need to communicate with the client, and close the question to indicate that work on it is complete, and reopen it if it happens to need more work. The closing functions are included under Answer because it is only when the question is being closed, that the Answer is sent to the client. Even if an answer does not need to go to the client, the question must be closed to remove it from the Open questions list.

You can go directly to the particular Answer function that you want to use by selecting it from the Answer menu list.  Be sure you have the Question number of the question that you want to work with in the Question number box of the Question action bar before selecting from the Answer menu list.

Answer actions are as follows (you may not have all of the action types shown here, appearing in your Answer menu list, as the actions that appear are determined according to your permissions and the current status of the question):

• Answer – a multi-function screen that allows all of the actions listed here to be selected from the one screen.The Answer division of this screen provides a draft Answer box that is used to develop the final answer for the client.  When the question is closed this draft Answer will be sent to the client, as the final answer. 
• Partial answer – sends a part answer to the client and records that part answer at the end of the draft Answer text so the final answer provides a complete set of the part answers sent to the client.
• Query to client – sends an email to the client that requires an answer from the client (or records that this has been done in some other way).
• Inform client – sends an update to the client (this update is not recorded as part of the final answer).
• Copyright declaration – sends an email to the client that includes standard text about Copyright regulations, and requires an acknowledgement of the Copyright conditions.
• Note – adds a note to the History of the question for the benefit of other staff members.
• Action plan – records a plan for responding to the question in the question’s History, for the benefit of other staff member.
• Search criteria – records the Search strategy used to answer this question (so that similar questions in the future can use the same strategy).
• Record conversation – provides a way for the details of conversations (such as by phone) with the client to be recorded.
  
• Reject – sends an email to the client with an explanation as to why the question cannot be answered by your service (or records that this has been done in some other way), and closes the question.
• Close without client contact – an easy way to close a question when there is no need for any further communication with the client.
  
• Reopen – only appears when the question is closed, and allows it to be reopened (for further client contact).
• Manage reopen request – only appears if the form is set to handle reopens as requests, and a reopen request has been received.  Use this page to deny the reopen request, Create a new question from the reopen request, or, record it as an evaluation.  Just going ahead with answering the question will automatically reopen the request.

Each of these answering functions will now be looked at in detail.

The Answer screen documentation includes information that is relevant to all functions, so be sure to take a look at the Answer screen documentation before looking at any of the other function descriptions.