Make replying to a correspondence thread easier for users

[RichardTaylor]

The option to "write a reply" is not currently presented directly on a request thread as it is accessible only via the "Actions" menu.

Putting a reply button on the request thread itself, when a user is viewing their own thread at least, might reduce the occurrence of people writing to the admin team with replies rather than replying via the site

Frequency of users writing to the WhatDoTheyKnow team rather than replying on the thread: 268 cases over the last two years. ~1.4% of support mail. (Those are the cases where we've used our canned-response for this occurrence).

Related: Improve the user experience of replying to your own request #4354
Issues #3648 / #3649 on duplicating the actions menu at the bottom of the thread, which has now happened, were also aimed at addressing this issue.

[RichardTaylor]

See also comments at:
#3451 (comment)

[RichardTaylor]

The question of what route people are using to write to the admin team in these cases has been raised.

On WhatDoTheyKnow over the last two years, of the 268 cases 172 were replies with a subject "Re: New response to your FOI request ..." so users replying to the alert telling them they'd had a new response, the remainder include people sending their clarification request via reporting requests for admin attention (selecting various grounds for the report!) and by replying to other alerts.

There were, perhaps surprisingly, only three cases of replies with the subject "Re: Clarify your FOI request" - perhaps as confused users' requests are never in the "requires clarification" status.

In most, if not all, cases it appears users have read the responses before replying, so they're not just replying to the email alert, they're visiting the site, reading the incoming message, in some cases reading attachments too, then returning to their email to reply.

I think a clearer reply option on the site is the best way to address this, but some text changes to the alert emails might be worth considering too.

[RichardTaylor]

On WhatDoTheyKnow.com we occasionally have users opting, not unreasonably, for the "respond to request" link under "Actions" when they intend to do what we call "write a reply" or "send a followup".

See also Hide "Authority: Respond to request" [from non-authority users] in actions menu #4179 and "When trying to respond as the public authority but you're not the error message could be clearer" #1453

[RichardTaylor]

+1 having just seen a WhatDoTheyKnow.com admin send a user a screenshot with the actions button ringed in red and describing the process of sending a reply!

Having to explain to users the reply option is accessible via "Actions" is a common support activity.

[RichardTaylor]

The WhatDoTheyKnow support mailbox contains 252 support threads (which are from the last two years) which are included in the results for a search:

"actions button" OR "via actions" OR "the actions"

So about 2.5 times a week we're helping a user find what they want to do (typically send a reply) by pointing them to the actions button/menu.

Perhaps my search is a bit broad, it's 171 hits (1.6 times/week) without "the actions".

It appears likely to be people with lesser web/IT skills/confidence who need help, and who there might be an opportunity to serve better.

[RichardTaylor]

+1 following correspondence with a user asking the WhatDoTheyKnow.com team to un-redact an email address so they could reply to a public body.

What wasn't clear to the user was that ideally we'd want them to keep their FOI correspondence in public on the site and that the way to reply is via "Actions".

[RichardTaylor]

I suspect lots of users are struggling with replying to correspondence threads.

Example correspondence from today:

I can't reply on the post

user support response

You can reply via "actions" on the request thread.

[garethrees]

I've created #6363 and added it to the design backlog for estimation and hopefully scheduling next sprint.

[RichardTaylor]

We also get users replying to the "New response to your FOI request" rather than replying on the site.

The "New response to your FOI request" email currently contains no advice on how to reply nor a warning not to reply by hitting "reply" to the email.

Related: Send site generated emails from a no-reply address #6404

[RichardTaylor]

User feedback on WhatDoTheyKnow today:

Ah yes sorry I couldn't see how to respond but now I see its under actions.

From context it appears they were seeking to ask for an internal review. It appears they opted to write to the public body directly off-site because they couldn't see how to send their message on the site.

[FOIMonkey]

+1 I've resorted to copying the link from the actions menu on each request myself, and sending that to users because of how difficult it to find this option.

[sallytay]

Issue noted again by a user, who has said that:

I clicked on the "Actions" tab to send a reply. However, the way that opens, only displays the last message to come in.
Consequently, I had to find a way to get to the full text and keep going back and forth to continue drafting a reply.
Because I kept opening and closing the full text, to get back to my draft, I accidentally deleted it, just as it was ready to send it off.
When drafting responses, could it be made possible to scroll up and down at any stage, without having to keep opening a closing parts? To see everything from the start of the FoI at the top down to the draft being prepared at the bottom?

[WilliamWDTK]

+1, some users turn to making a "new request" to the relevant body, rather than following up, which must be confusing for everyone, since the body will be receiving emails from multiple addresses, and the user will be continually prompted to classify their requests.

[garethrees]

Closing in favour of the specific fix #6363.

[WilliamWDTK]

I'm not sure whether this is better here, or in #6363, but a user has suggested displaying the reply process "in a user friendly visible (colour coded) S.M.A.R.T page" (more about SMART, assuming I've got the right end of the stick.)