Orphan Email Workflow

Prerequisites:

Client uses a General Inquiry From Email action item to process emails that arrive without clear account matches.

Purpose:

• Automatically processes unmatched homeowner emails that arrive in the system without clear account identification
• Identifies and assigns the correct sender by analyzing email content and sender information to match with existing homeowner records
• Updates contact information to ensure email addresses are captured in homeowner accounts for future correspondence
• Routes valid inquiries appropriately to customer service for proper handling based on the content
• Eliminates manual research time by automating the identification and assignment process for orphaned emails
• Reduces unresolved inquiries by ensuring every email gets properly assigned and routed, preventing items from falling through the cracks

Prerequisites:

1. Client uses a General Inquiry From Email action item or similar to process general emails that arrive in Vantaca.

Purpose:

• Automatically processes unmatched homeowner emails that arrive in the system without clear account identification
• Identifies and assigns the correct sender by analyzing email content and sender information to match with existing homeowner records
• Updates contact information to ensure email addresses are captured in homeowner accounts for future correspondence
• Routes valid inquiries appropriately to customer service for proper handling based on the content
• Eliminates manual research time by automating the identification and assignment process for orphaned emails
• Reduces unresolved inquiries by ensuring every email gets properly assigned and routed, preventing items from falling through the cracks

Client Discovery Questions:

Required:

1. Do you use the General Inquiry From Email action item for processing unmatched emails?
2. What step do you currently use for orphan emails that need assignment?
3. Walk me through your current process when an email comes in without a clear homeowner match.
4. What step do you use for reviewing general homeowner messages after they've been assigned?
5. Do you have a specific process for voiding spam or invalid emails?
6. Do you handle vendor emails differently than homeowner emails?

Optional:

1. "Do you want HOAi to automatically add missing email addresses to homeowner accounts?"
2. "What types of emails should be considered invalid (spam, automated replies, test accounts)?"
3. "Do you have any test associations or accounts beyond Presidential Valley that should be automatically voided?"
4. "How do you handle violation reports where the sender is reporting another property?"
5. "Do you ever need to escalate orphan emails that can't be identified?"
6. "Are there specific search strategies that work best for finding homeowners in your system?"

Corresponding Action Item:

"General Inquiry From Email" or something similar. Should be within the "Homeowner Request" action item category.

Within their email action item, there should be an Orphan Email or similar step in their action item that has the “Orphan Email” additional action.

Vantaca Configuration Required:

Client needs proper steps configured within their General Inquiry From Email action item:

Required steps:

1. "Orphan Email" or similar step - for unassigned emails (has ‘Orphan Email’ additional action configured in rules).
2. "Review Message" or similar step - for routing assigned emails - this is typically the first step of the action item.
3. "Void" or "Closed" step - for invalid emails

Trigger:

The trigger step should be set to the "Orphan Email" step where unassigned emails land:

Action Item Type: General Inquiry From Email or General Question

Action Item Steps: Orphan Email

Priority: High

Typically, the Creation Date Range & Last Note Date Range will be set to "Last 90 Days" to ensure processing of older orphan emails. You do not need to set Minimum Creation Age (in minutes) or Minimum Last Note Age (in minutes) by default.

Auto-Proceed Guide:

In order to fully auto-proceed a workflow, ALL possible outcomes must match an auto-proceed rule.

Typically, for the Orphan Email Assignment workflow, the agent will

1. Assign an owner and step to a new step within the General Inquiry from Email (or similar) action item, and potentially also
2. Update the homeowner’s contact information to include their new email address

In this case, an auto-proceed rule must be created for both:

• “All” for the “trigger” action type (in this case, “General Inquiry from Email” or similar)
• Trigger action type where the tool used is Vantaca | AddHomeownerContact

Override Guide:

Override Name	Override Meaning	Where to Find Correct Value
@Orphan_Step	Name of the step where orphan emails initially land for processing	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps, within the General Inquiry From Email workflow. Default is "Orphan Email"
@Closed_Step	Name of the step used to close/complete resolved emails	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps, within the General Inquiry From Email workflow. Look for "Closed," "Complete," or "Resolved" step
@Review_Step	Name of the step where valid assigned emails are sent for customer service review	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps, within the General Inquiry From Email workflow. Typically "Review Message" or "Customer Service Review"
@Owner_Response	Name of the step used when responding directly to owners	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps, within the General Inquiry From Email workflow. Typically "Respond to Owner" or similar
@Matching_Special_Instructions	Client-specific instructions for matching homeowners and associations	Empty to start. Add based on rejection patterns, such as specific search strategies or matching rules unique to the client
@Assignment_Special_Instructions	Client-specific instructions for assigning homeowners and associations to action items	Empty to start. May include rules about vendor assignments or special association handling
@Contact_Update_Special_Instructions	Client-specific instructions for updating contact information	Empty to start. May include rules about when NOT to update emails or handling multiple email addresses
@Routing_Special_Instructions	Client-specific instructions for routing and validation	Empty to start. May include specific spam indicators, additional test accounts to void, or department routing rules
@Decision_Special_Instructions	Client-specific instructions for the decision hierarchy	Empty to start. May include priority overrides or special handling for certain types of emails
@Void_Step	Name of the step used to void invalid or spam emails	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps, within the General Inquiry From Email workflow. Typically "Void"
@Assignment_Escalation_Step	Name of the step for escalating unidentifiable emails	Vantaca, Settings > Action Types/Steps. May be "Orphan Email Exception," "Manual Review," or similar. Ask client if they have an escalation process

FAQs:

Q: "What happens if HOAi can't identify the sender at all?"

A: "HOAi will add a detailed note explaining what was attempted and why the sender couldn't be identified, then leave it in the Orphan Email step for manual review without proceeding further."

Q: "Can HOAi handle emails from vendors differently than homeowners?"

A: "Yes! When HOAi identifies a vendor email, it assigns the association only and routes to Review Message for appropriate handling."

Q: "Will HOAi add email addresses even if there's already a different email on file?"

A: "HOAi will add the new email address to the account without removing existing ones, ensuring all contact information is preserved."

Q: "How does HOAi handle violation reports where someone is reporting a neighbor?"

A: "HOAi ALWAYS assigns the action item to the sender's account, never the reported property, ensuring proper tracking of who submitted the complaint."

Q: "Can HOAi recognize and void automated responses and spam?"

A: "Yes, HOAi can identify spam, promotional emails, automated notifications, and even voicemails under 4 seconds with no identifying information, voiding them with appropriate notes."

Q: "What about the Presidential Valley test account?"

A: "Presidential Valley is a standard test association that's automatically voided across all clients. Any emails related to this association are immediately voided with a note."

Best Practices:

• Always verify that the "Orphan Email" step is properly configured before activation
• Review the client's specific association naming conventions to optimize search strategies
• Ensure all routing steps (Review Message, Void, etc.) exist in the client's configuration
• Monitor initial performance to identify any needed special instructions for the overrides
• Document any unique client search patterns or matching rules in the appropriate special instructions overrides
• The Presidential Valley test account should remain configured for automatic voiding across all clients