Effective contact management is essential for maintaining an organized and efficient helpdesk. Desk365 offers multiple ways to handle unwanted, inactive, or problematic contacts through suspension, deletion, and permanent deletion. Understanding these processes helps ensure that your system remains clutter-free while also complying with data privacy regulations like GDPR.
This guide explores how Desk365 handles contact deletion and suspension, their impact on associated tickets, and the steps to restore or permanently remove contacts when needed.
Suspended contacts: What happens and why?
Suspended contacts are users whose ability to create new tickets is blocked by the system. This feature is particularly useful for filtering out contacts that repeatedly submit spam or irrelevant tickets, helping to maintain the integrity of your support system.
How does a contact get suspended?
A contact is automatically suspended when an agent marks one of their tickets as spam.
Once a contact is suspended, all tickets they have previously submitted are moved to the Spam Tickets view.
Impact on tickets and future communication
Once a contact is suspended, they are unable to submit any new tickets. Any emails they send will be blocked by the helpdesk, preventing further spam or unwanted interactions.
How to restore a suspended contact
If a contact was mistakenly suspended, they can be easily restored. To reactivate a suspended contact, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Accounts > Contacts > Suspended Contacts section in Desk365.
- Locate the contact that needs to be restored.
- Click on the Restore button.
Additionally, the contact will also be restored when the spam ticket is recovered.
Once restored, the contact will be moved to the ’All Contacts’ list and you will be able to submit new tickets. Additionally, all tickets that were marked as spam will be moved back to the active queue.
Deleted contacts: What happens when you delete a contact?
Deleted contacts are users whose ability to create new tickets is blocked by the system. When a contact is deleted, they are moved to the Deleted Contacts list, and their status is marked as deleted. While their past ticket history is retained in the All Tickets view, they can no longer create new tickets or interact with any previously created tickets, similar to how spammed contacts are treated. This ensures that deleted contacts are no longer active in the system.
How to delete a contact?
A contact can be deleted manually by an agent through the All Contacts tab in Desk365. When a contact is deleted, the following changes take place:
- The contact is moved from the All Contacts to the Deleted Contacts list.
- The contact can no longer submit new tickets
- Their existing tickets remain in the All Tickets view, with the contact marked as deleted.
Impact on tickets and future communication
Once a contact is deleted, they are blocked from raising new tickets. However, their existing tickets will remain in the All Tickets view, with the contact marked as deleted, ensuring past interactions are still accessible for reference.
How to restore a deleted contact
If you need to recover a deleted contact, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Deleted Contacts tab in Desk365.
- Locate the contact you wish to restore.
- Click on Restore Contact.
Once restored, the contact becomes active again and is moved to the “All Contacts” list and is no longer blocked from submitting new tickets.
Delete forever: GDPR compliance and user requests
Under GDPR, users have the right to request that their data be permanently deleted. When a contact requests to have their information removed from the system, it is important to process this request as per GDPR requirements.
When you Delete Forever a contact, you remove all associated data, including tickets and previous interactions. This is a critical step to comply with privacy regulations and ensure the contact’s data is fully erased from the system.
Note: Contacts who are deleted forever can sign up again as a new contact if they wish to re-engage with the system.
How to permanently delete a contact
To permanently delete a contact and all associated data, follow these steps:
- Navigate to either the Deleted Contacts or Suspended Contacts tab.
- Select the contact(s) you want to remove.
- Click on the Delete Forever button.
Once this action is performed, the contact and all associated records, including tickets, will be permanently deleted from Desk365. This action cannot be undone, so it is crucial to double-check before proceeding.
Impact of permanent deletion
- The contact is completely removed from Desk365.
- All associated tickets, records, and interactions are erased forever.
Warning: Once a contact is permanently deleted, there is no way to recover their tickets or associated data. If there is any possibility that the contact might return, consider suspending or deleting (but not permanently removing) them instead.
Comparison: Suspended contacts vs. Deleted contacts
Feature
Suspended Contacts
Deleted Contacts
Emails Blocked?
Yes
Yes
Tickets Moved?
Yes, to Spam Tickets
Remain in All Tickets view
Can Contact Raise New Tickets?
No
No
Can Contact Be Restored?
Yes
Yes
Trash Policy?
Not applicable
Tickets in Trash auto-deleted after 30 days
GDPR Compliance?
No impact
Required if contact requests deletion
Best practices for managing contacts in Desk365
- Use suspension for spam contacts: If a contact frequently sends spam or irrelevant tickets but may return in the future, suspending them is a better option. Suspended contacts’ tickets will not appear in the “All Tickets” list, keeping it clutter-free. Additionally, suspending the contact will revoke their access to the system, preventing them from interacting with future tickets until they are unsuspended.
- Delete contacts only when necessary: If a user no longer requires support or requests deletion, remove them from the system. Deleting contacts ensures their previous tickets are retained in the “All Tickets” list for auditing purposes. It also permanently removes the user’s access, preventing any future interaction.
- Be cautious with ‘Delete Forever’: This option should only be used when full data erasure is required, especially in cases of GDPR compliance.
- Review spam tickets regularly: Mistakenly flagged tickets should be reviewed and restored to ensure no important communications are lost.
Desk365 provides flexible and efficient options to manage unwanted contacts while maintaining data integrity. By understanding the differences between suspension, deletion, and permanent deletion, you can keep your helpdesk organized while also complying with data privacy regulations.
