What's New in HelpSpot Version 2

HelpSpot Version 2 is now live and packed with new features, interface and performance improvements, and bug fixes. Below is a look at the highlights of the release. Enjoy!

HTML Emails

Ever wish you could better structure customer responses or more easily read the formatted emails your customers send? You can now that HelpSpot supports HTML emails.

Creating HTML Notes in the Request Page

An inline editor allows you to easily create formatted, stylized responses to your customers.

Viewing HTML Emails/Notes in the Request History

As part of this new feature, HelpSpot also supports the rendering of HTML emails in the request history.

Email Updates in HTML

All updates will be sent in HTML to ensure consistent display in your customers/staffs email client.

Configuration Note: HTML email support is the default, however it can be turned off for text-only format. Markdown formatting is also available for browsers not supporting the HTML editor (Safari).

Request Merging

Administrators have the ability to combine like-requests to eliminate redundancy within their installation; serving as an effective way to handle multiple requests submitted on the same issue.

Batch Response/Editing

When an issue or service interruption occurs that impacts a large base of customers, support desks often see many requests hit the inbox, all reporting the same issue. Efficiently responding to the same inquiry is critical. To fulfill this need we've included a batch response/editing capability as part of Version 2, allowing you to quickly respond to all the requests at once.

6 New Custom Field Types

Custom Fields have been expanded to include 6 new types for a total of 11. The new fields are:

• AJAX Selection List - Create a drop down list which is created via AJAX based on results you generate. A script on your server is sent all request information such as customer name, email, and all other custom field values, which can be used to dynamically generate an appropriate select list for that specific request.
  
  Sample Usage: You want to create a select list which shows the specific billing codes for this customer.
  
  
• Drill Down - allows you to create multi-tiered drop-downs.
  
  Sample Usage: You want to capture a customer location, but to keep the selection process easy for your staff/customer, you have it organized by state-then office location.
  
  
• Date - Ever have the need to capture a specific date within a request? Adding this custom field will give staff access to a calendar to easily insert dates in a standard format.
  
  Sample Usage: For each request, staff needs to note a due date.
  
  
  
  
• Date/Time - Similar to the Date custom field, however the ability to capture time is also included.
  
  Sample Usage: Staff/customers need a place to note best date/time for staff to conduct a follow-up call.
  
  
  
  
• Regular Expression - Using regular expressions you can create a custom field with validation to the format you specify. Validation on the request page occurs while the staffer types, giving them instant feedback on the format.
  
  Sample Usage: Using the regular expression for zip code, you can capture zip code in a consistent format.
  
  
  
• Decimal - Captures numbers that need to be in a decimal format.
  
  Sample Usage: For each ticket, staff must note what the customer paid for the original widget in the event a refund is required.
  
  

Custom Fields Association to Categories

Custom fields can now be configured to display with specified categories. As shown below, we've elected to show the IP custom field on the request page only when either the Hardware Inquiry or Software Inquiry categories are selected.

This additional logic shows staff only the pertinent custom fields for the request they're working. This, coupled with the new custom field types, gives administrators further data capturing power without cluttering the interface for staff.

Complete API

A full web API gives easy access to information stored in HelpSpot including creating/updating requests, filter results, knowledge books, and forums.

The API has both public and private interfaces. This allows for the creation of applications which are available to the general public (public API) along with applications designed for users with HelpSpot accounts (private API).

Expanded Live Look-up

The Live Lookup API has been expanded to cover more of the fields available in HelpSpot. HelpSpot will now send all of the request fields to your Live Lookup script including status, category, and all custom fields. Custom field values can now be set along with other customer information from the Live Lookup result XML you send back to HelpSpot.

5 New Reports

Version 2 includes 5 new reports, including a new category of reporting on the portal.

• Closed requests over time: allows you to look at requests based on closed dated with the option to filter by request details
• 80/20 analysis report: allows you to see the most used categories and reporting tags.
• Most common searches: provides a look at the most popular search topics on the portal.
• Most common searches with fewest results: gives you data around where you may need to supplement your portal content.
• Most common page to search: provides insight into where in your portal customers get lost or cannot find what they need.

Integrated Help

Every page in HelpSpot now has integrated help, as shown below. Included in each help page users will find: a page description, usage tips, and links to additional documentation.

Interface Improvements

Below is a short list of improvements made to the interface based on customer feedback.

• Time Stamps in request history are presented as Date/Time and not relative to current date
• New BCC options added to public and external notes
• Next/Back navigation added to queues
• Improved look and feel for Reminders
• Request page now loads full page width

Performance Enhancement: Faster Workspace Page Loading

Key changes have been made to HelpSpot's database logic that resulted in significantly improved loading time for the workspace page, now loading as much as 10x faster than before. This change will be significant for those using many or complex filters.