Multiple Pending dates

[otrsgsy]

Background:
We are implementing an OTRS system within our hospital where our customers (doctors, nurses, admin staff) are sometimes not easy to get hold of when sorting out issues (shifts, leave, lack of access to email, etc) and we need a way of auto closing tickets when waiting for their response.

Configuration
We have configured the system to send an email to the customer advising them that a ticket has been resolved (State changed to Pending auto close+/-) and that it will automatically close in 7 days (PendingDiffTime parameter set to 604800).

My boss however has now asked if there is a way to email the customer advising them that we have been unable to contact them and that the ticket will automatically close in 30 days if we do not hear from them. The email is the easy bit and can be configured with a new Pending state (type=pending auto), however I cannot find a way to automatically set the pending date to 30 days time when the new pending state is selected.

Any ideas?

Dan

[crythias]

My boss however has now asked if there is a way to email the customer advising them that we have been unable to contact them and that the ticket will automatically close in 30 days if we do not hear from them. The email is the easy bit and can be configured with a new Pending state (type=pending auto), however I cannot find a way to automatically set the pending date to 30 days time when the new pending state is selected.

you can't. but then, how do you know if this is a 7 day autoresolve or a 30 day autoresolve?

and ... more importantly, does it *help* you to leave the ticket on the books for 30/37 days?

If it comes down to it, maybe all your responses should be next state: pending autoclose 30 days.

[otrsgsy]

Thanks for the quick response, see comments within:

you can't. but then, how do you know if this is a 7 day autoresolve or a 30 day autoresolve?

We would expect our agents to only select the pending state of 'pending awaiting user' if they have attempted to contact the customer x number of times with no response.

30 day email:
- pending awaiting user = closed unsuccessful

The rest of the time our agents would use either of the following states to confirm that the ticket was dealt with:

7 day email:
- pending auto close+ = closed successful
- pending auto close- = closed unsuccessful

and ... more importantly, does it *help* you to leave the ticket on the books for 30/37 days?

If it comes down to it, maybe all your responses should be next state: pending autoclose 30 days.

I will pass this back to my boss and see what he thinks.

[KlausNehrer]

Maybe with own state and generic agent?