Improve some of the older features
There are a tremendous number of features offered in RS and the very core of them are fairly well rounded and fully implemented.
There are also almost some other features that seem like they are do for some upgrades.
There is tremendous potential in things like;
- Ticket Automation
- Widgets
- Ticket
- Worksheets
- Stock tools
- Reports
- Templates
- Custom fields
- Website Integrations
Many implementations could use some simple upgrades like:
The "Device Repair" widget starts with an option to pick a model and has no option to start with a device manufacturer. This is fine if all you service is a single manufacturer but renders the entire feature useless if you're a full service repair shop that repairs any/all manufacturers.
Another example is in ticket automation it would be very handy to have a triggerable status like "New Part Order" so that I could setup a automation to automatically set the ticket status to "Waiting for Parts" when a part order is made.
Another example is that anywhere where there are customization fields such as in widgets, statuses, ticket details etc.. where I am able to use various data entry types like check box, text field, dropdown etc..
I would like more granular control of those options. One most obvious and commonly encountered issue is needing a "Other" drop-down/checkbox field with an option to add a text entry to explain what "Other" is.
Since this suggestion is for multiple features, we can’t really manage it in uservoice like other suggestions.
I’m inclined to just delete the post and have these individual items get their own post (so they can get votes/status updates/etc) – but it’s a hot issue so I’ll just mark is as completed and leave it.
If you are considering commenting and adding another small thing you want us to fix before adding more new features, stop.
Go submit a separate idea for it so it can get votes. That’s how this system works..
Marking complete because we’ve heard you, and understand your desire. We are not going to prioritize these examples to be worked on immediately because that isn’t how our roadmap works – but it will be considered as we schedule future work. (as usual)
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers) commented
@Everyone: Here are direct links to most of the posts voiced in this post. Since your votes were all returned, please re-cast them on these topics so that we can get them approved:
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curtis@phonefreaks.ca commented
@Troy I'll be honest, at first I was kinda not okay with that but after reading it a few times and talking about it with others I think your post is better lol.
Another reason I think we really need a private user forum inside of RS UI.
I find that the majority of posts are inspired by an encountered shortcoming in RS. Or, sometimes RS is working perfectly fine and I'm just too dense to see it or figure it out.
Anyway, sometimes that can lead to posts that are less poised and thoughtful and even carying a less than conservative tone.
In either case a private forum would be a good place to go before posting feedback to ask others and make sure it's not user error. Or to make sure I'm not being ridiculous.
I understand managements apprehensions when it comes to a private forum but I just hope it comes one day because I think with all the concerns it raises it would be a huge asset.
Anyway ya, it's totally fine. -
AdminRajesh Agarwal (Admin, RepairShopr) commented
@curtis - I totally agree, and I left it here because it seemed like a valid concern - although out of place - we didn't have a better place to put it.
I also wanted to hear the constructive feedback that could come out of it, which is why I think it makes sense to leave this here - and if people want to talk about specifics - send those off to their own suggestion.
(PS - I know I took some liberties making edits to the post, I didn't add any words - only removed a few that didn't belong/weren't adding substance - hope that's ok.)
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curtis@phonefreaks.ca commented
I completely understand closing the suggestion for the reasons you explained.
It would be impossible for RS development team to tackle the suggestion by looking at the individual issues suggested in my post or any of the comments on it. In fact, doing so would be falling into the method of attack that I was suggesting RS may look at re-evaluating or tweaking a little.
I feel the reason this suggestion/post gained so much traction and conversation is the same reason it doesn't really work as a suggestion the way UserVoice functions. Because it addresses a general idea and feeling more than a specific end goal.
It's difficult to manage in terms of stages, goals and achievements.
In an attempt to use specific examples to convey a general sense I inadvertently made it about specific things. It seems many other people did as well,
nonetheless, the topic gained traction because of the general idea that was intended.
In reflection now I don't know how it could be posted in UserVoice in any appropriate and effective way as UserVoice is intended to work.
I guess that is why I've always felt that RS needs a community forum.
A place where users can just speak to each other convey general and broad ideas and brainstorming etc...
There is a unheard voice of users that cannot be heard in UserVoice.I'll surely fail miserably at articulating this again but what I was trying to say originally is that with so much focus and attention on new features and integrations it feels like the core platform could use some attention as well as some of the great features that were started but never fulfilled to their full vision.
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AdminRajesh Agarwal (Admin, RepairShopr) commented
@Mike this post has sort of turned into a dumping ground and it breaks the workflow of how we have UserVoice setup.
Also - making the widget responsive is already a suggestion http://feedback.repairshopr.com/forums/165658-general/suggestions/8854279-responsive-design-for-device-repair-widget
We've mostly just written to individuals about how to make the widget responsive, the widget is responsive - you just need to adjust the CSS. I'll put an example on that suggestion and mark it complete..
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Mike Chandler commented
need to make repair widget responsive
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AdminRajesh Agarwal (Admin, RepairShopr) commented
@ryan - sounds good. We can't have a suggestion structured like "fix all the things", we need one for each module. That's how this uservoice tool is setup to work, then we won't un-necessarily spend valuable developer resources fixing modules people don't care about.
This particular suggestion lists 3 examples, all of which are not super easy to fix (tech-wise) and they should not be combined into a single suggestion.
As we saw this became a dumping ground for people to just mention issues with the feature they are currently having pain with, and we can't manage the feedback this way.
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers) commented
@Troy: With the exception of "Custom Signature Forms" (which is at over 100 votes) and "E-Check ACH Processing" (which is also very popular), the majority of my feedback is regarding improvements - not limited to the list in my below comment. As for where my votes are cast - I constantly am un-voting for topics I create, once they take off with additional votes from the rest of the community, and then re-use my vote inventory to create new topics.
I'm not the one being critical on here - Curtis is just one of MANY who are voicing an overwhelming number of requests on the premise of FIXING modules. I think many of the RS users just believe it would make sense to remedy all the existing bugs before creating more modules which will come with their own set of bugs. As you mentioned, you sometimes release features known to be imperfect with a plan to improve them with feedback. Well, these are votes to simply follow-through with that plan.
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AdminRajesh Agarwal (Admin, RepairShopr) commented
We hear you on this, it's pretty much our personality to like new toys. We're users of the software too - and we feel your pain when something feels unfinished. We do prefer to put something out that feels like it's less-than-perfect instead of only release things that are perfected.
We improve the software as fast as we can, we are constantly balancing fixing/upgrading old/neglected areas of the app and adding new cutting edge functionality that modern software should have.
@Ryan - you say you want us to fix existing things before starting new ones, but you are using your votes on lots of brand new functionality. I understand how it happens too, new things are fun..
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Ryan (CTO, Pinellas Computers) commented
I agree. I would like to see more features COMPLETED and UPDATED before additional features are CREATED or ADDED. Our big list includes, but is not limited to:
Linked Contacts - Multiple Email Addresses / Phone Numbers
Refunds - Allow Multi-Payment Credit Refunds
Ticket Automation - Add more Triggers like Dashboard colors
Ticket Comments - Add WYSIWYG, CC, BCC, Attachments, etc.
Ticket Dashboard Customization - More SLA Options
Communication Log - Emails from Estimates/Invoices post to Tickets
Discounts - Add Type/Reason Codes to Line Item Discounts
Reports - Integrate EVERYTHING with reports, including the above
Label Printers - Add More/Custom Label Sizes
Leads Mailbox - Upgrade ot Real Mailbox Functionality