Internal team notes and @mentions: how do you communicate on an email without it reaching the customer?
A team note is an explanation left on an email that only the team can see. It does not go to the other party; everyone who sees the same mailbox sees it. When you type a colleague's name with @, they receive a notification; so internal correspondence stays alongside the email without telling the customer “just a minute, let us ask”.
The most common confusion in shared mailboxes is that a conversation about an email takes place somewhere else, in a chat app or in the corridor. A week later, the person looking at the email cannot find the answer to the question “who replied like this, and why?”. The team note moves that conversation right next to the email.
What is a team note for?
- Leaving context: information such as “A discount was discussed with this customer on the phone” stays alongside the email.
- Handing over work: the person going on leave hands over by noting the open items.
- Decision log: decisions such as why it was rejected or why it is on hold are recorded.
- Quick consultation: calling in an expert with @ and asking them to look at the email.
What should a note be linked to?
The lifespan of a note depends on where it is attached. A comment relating only to that email is attached to the email itself; permanent information about the sender (e.g. “for accounting questions, write to the manager, not this person”) is attached to the person; the company's general situation (e.g. “payments are on 60-day terms”) is attached to the organization. Person and organization notes also appear in subsequent emails from that contact.
How do you write a good team note?
- Write the status in one sentence: what happened, what is expected.
- Include concrete information such as dates and amounts, if available.
- If someone needs to take action, write their name with @.
- Choose the note's scope (email, person, organization) correctly.
How SmartMail solves this
- Notes tab: a note is left from the Notes tab in the side panel; notes are listed with the name of the person who wrote them and the time.
- Three scopes: This email, This person or This organization; person and organization notes remain visible on later emails.
- @mention: suggestions appear from people who can see the mailbox; the selected person receives a notification.
- Permission-restricted: writing a note is a separate permission for each mailbox; a note is never sent to the other party.
