Inbox works best when every conversation has a clear owner, a clear next step, and enough context for another teammate to understand what happened.
Assign conversations when someone is responsible for the next reply or follow-up. Unassigned conversations should be reviewed regularly so nothing waits unnoticed.
• Use replies for customer-facing messages.
• Use internal notes for staff-only context.
• Use tasks for work that needs to happen later.
• Use attachments only when the file belongs with the conversation history.
Short, clear replies are easier for recipients to act on. Put the next step near the top and avoid internal terminology when writing to clients, donors, or partners.
Do not include unnecessary private details in SMS or email replies. If sensitive information is needed, use the secure workflow your organization has approved.
Close conversations when the issue is resolved. If a conversation is closing without a reply from the contact, or fits any other pattern your team tracks, select it (or select several at once) and add a tag such as "No Response" before closing. You can search or filter by that tag later to review or report on those conversations. If the person needs follow-up later instead, create a task rather than leaving the conversation open indefinitely.
