Merging moves the messages of one discussion into another, so a conversation that got split in two reads as one again. Tender offers it in two ways: automatically, when someone replies from an address that isn't part of a private discussion, and, on sites where it's turned on, for any two discussions.
When someone replies from another address
People often write from one address and reply from another, such as their work address and their personal one. If the discussion is private, Tender can't tell that it's the same person, so it doesn't add the reply to the discussion (that would show a private conversation to a stranger). The reply becomes a new discussion instead.
When your staff open that new discussion, they see a note above it: This comment was a reply to the original discussion from someone without access to that discussion. Check that the message really belongs there, then choose:
- Merge Discussion moves the reply into the original discussion and adds its sender as a watcher, so they get the rest of the conversation.
- Merge Users (offered when the reply's sender has no account, and the original discussion's author isn't one of your staff) makes the reply's address one of the original author's addresses, then merges the discussions. From then on they can write from either address. Only do this if you're sure they're the same person: it can't be undone.
The merged discussion opens again, so it shows up for your team, and both discussions get an internal note saying they were merged.
Merging any two discussions
On sites where it's turned on, your staff can merge any two discussions, for example when a customer has opened two discussions about the same problem. It's off unless you ask us: start a discussion and we'll turn it on for your site.
- Open the discussion you want to keep. Under its first message, click Merge. Tender remembers it, and shows the discussions you visited recently.
- Open the other discussion (or pick it in that list) and click Merge Now! under its first message.
- Check the two discussions in Merge discussions, then click Merge discussions to confirm, or Cancel merge to start again.
The second discussion's messages join the first one's, in the order they were written. Its watchers and queues come along too, and its address now leads to the merged discussion. A discussion with many messages is merged in the background, so it can take a moment to appear.
Only your support staff can merge discussions.