Summary

Comments are attached to Utility Billing module customer accounts to track customer communications or customer service issues. Comments can also be used to create alert windows when the UB customer account is opened or a receipt is created in the Cash Receipts module. For example, you can create a delinquent comment code that creates an information window warning users that open the account or receive payments that the account is delinquent.

When attaching a comment to a customer account, you must select a comment status. The comment status is used to group and classify comments on reports and add the alert to the UB account. The comment is attached to the UB customer account, not the customer record, so the alert window will only open when the UB customer account is opened or a receipt is generated. The alert windows will not open when the customer record (Customer Master Search> Open a customer rather than a customer account) is opened or customer accounts created in other modules are opened.

There are two kinds of alerts that can be created by a comment status: account and receipt. An account alert will open when the Account Master Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Account) is opened and will display the information attached to the comment. A receipt alert will open when a receipt is entered on the customer account in either CR> Cash Receipts or in UB> Cash Receipts.

Comment codes can also be used in conjunction with service requests. The Service Request Input window (UB> Service Requests> Input) allows you to highlight the service requests that are attached to UB customer accounts with a specific comment code on their account. The service request will only be highlighted if a close date has not been added to the comment.

After comments have been attached to customer accounts, you can run the Comments by Status Report (UB> Reports> Comments by Status) to view a list of comments on customer accounts.

You can print a list of comments attached to UB customer accounts in UB> Reports> Comment by Status.

Step by Step

1     Open the Comment Status Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Comment Status).

• The Comment Status Maintenance window will display comment statuses created by users and preprogrammed into the software. Only comment statuses that have been created by Springbrook users can be edited in the Comment Status Maintenance window. Comment statuses that have been preprogrammed into the software (Active, Attention, Promise, Closed and Alert) will display in the window but the fields cannot be modified.
• Select a comment status in the left section of the window and the fields in the Maintenance section of the window will populate with the information of the highlighted comment status.
• Click the Delete icon to delete a comment status.
  • You cannot delete a comment status that is attached to a comment on a UB customer account. If the comment status should be deleted, run the Comments by Status Report (UB> Reports> Comment by Status) to create a list of the comments that are attached to the comment status. Change the comment status of the comments on the Comments by Status report and then delete the comment status in the Comment Status Maintenance window.
  • The Delete icon will not be enabled if the selected comment status has been preprogrammed into the software. Preprogrammed comment statuses cannot be deleted.

2     Create a new comment status.

• Click the Create icon to create a new comment status. This will open a new line in the Comment Status Maintenance window.
• Enter a Comment Status.
  • This field can be up to nine alphanumeric characters long and is used to identify a comment status from a drop-down menu when attaching it to a customer account.
• Enter a comment status Description.
  • If you are creating a comment status that will create a popup window, the status Description field will display in the popup window.
• The remaining fields in the window are used if you want a popup window to open when the comment status is attached to a customer account.
  • The Alert Days field is the number of days you want an alert window to open if this comment is attached to a customer account. The largest number you can enter in this field is “999”. You can also enter “000” if you want the alert to display on the account for an infinite amount of time.
    • If a comment attached to a customer account is changed to a Closed status (UB> Maintenance> Account> Comment/Bill tab), the alert window will no longer display on the customer account.
  • Check the Account Alert toggle if you want the alert window to open when the UB customer account is opened.
  • Check the Receipt Alert toggle if you want the alert window to open when the customer account is selected (UB> Cash Receipts>Input) and (CR> Cash Receipts> Enter Receipts).
    • The alert window will only display on a customer account on the Enter Receipts step (CR> Cash Receipts> Enter Receipts) when the Utility Billing account is selected.
• Click the Save icon when complete to save the comment status.