Creating and Using Custom Message Templates

This article provides configuration and usage information for you to use CCC UpdatePlus Message Templates in CCC Estimating.

You can create and use Custom Message Templates to communicate information to vehicle owners. This allows you to keep the same content and format for each of your messages.

Configuration

The templates are configured in your Repair Facility (RF) profile:

1. Select Configure > Profiles from the menu bar.
2. Select your repair facility profile, then Edit from the mini-toolbar.
3. Select the Customer Communication link under Repair Management.

From here you can Add, Edit or Delete templates. To create a new template:

1. Select Add in the Message Templates pane. The Communication Template screen displays.
2. Enter a name for the template in the Template Name field (required), then select Email or Text from the Type drop-list.
3. For email templates, select the Subject field, and enter a subject. You may manually type information, or use the Insert Field drop-list to automatically pull information from the workfile.
4. Select the Message Body field, then enter a message. You may manually type information, or use the Insert Field drop-list to automatically pull information from the workfile.
5. When finished, click OK to close the Communicate Template screen.
6. Select Save or Save and Close from the toolbar.

Messages can be customized utilizing the Insert Field function within the Communication Template. This allows you to automatically insert specific data fields from the source workfile for the customer communication.

Insert Field contains the following:

• Customer First Name
• Vehicle Information (Year, Make, and Model)
• Estimator Name
• Shop Phone Number
• Shop Name
• Total Estimate Amount
• Vehicle In Date
• Repairs Started Date
• Repairs Completed Date
• Promise/Vehicle Out Date

Email template example:

 

Text template example:

Usage

You can send a message template from either the Customer Experience dashboard, or from inside the workfile.

To send a message template from the Customer Experience dashboard:

1. Expand the Dashboard Navigation menu, then select Customer Experience from the menu bar.
2. Select the appropriate Customer Worklist. The Customer Worklists are covered in detail in Appointments and Customer Experience Dashboard Overview and Usage.
3. Select the workfile, then Contact Customer from the mini toolbar. The Customer Communications screen displays.
4. Select Send an email or Send a text message option from the drop-list. NOTE: the option that displays is based on the communication preference set in the workfile. Additionally the following conditions must be met:
   • Communication Preference for the vehicle owner is either Text or Email.
   • Vehicle In milestone is marked as Complete.
   • UpdatePlus settings allow status updates for the selected Insurance Company and Payer on the Insurance tab of the workfile.
   • A system generated message has already been sent.
   • To Do status is not set to Follow-up Call.
5. Select your desired Communication Template from the drop-list.
6. If desired, you may make additional edits to the message.
7. When ready, click Send.
8. When finished, click OK to close the Customer Communications screen.

To send a message template from inside the workfile:

1. Select View > Workfiles from the menu bar.
2. Select the workfile, then View > Notes from the mini-toolbar. The workfile opens to the notes tab.
3. Select Contact Customer from the toolbar. The Customer Communications screen displays.
4. Select Send an email or Send a text message option from the drop-list. NOTE: the option that displays is based on the communication preference set in the workfile. Additionally the following conditions must be met:
   • Communication Preference for the vehicle owner is either Text or Email.
   • Vehicle In milestone is marked as Complete.
   • UpdatePlus settings allow status updates for the selected Insurance Company and Payer on the Insurance tab of the workfile.
   • A system generated message has already been sent.
   • To Do status is not set to Follow-up Call.
5. Select your desired Communication Template from the drop-list.
6. If desired, you may make additional edits to the message.
7. When ready, click Send.
8. When finished, click OK to close the Customer Communications screen.

*KA5453