Workflows Entries
Workflows Entry
MFRL utilizes various means to contact patrons regarding circulation issues: Holds, PreDues, and Overdues. Patrons can select different options for different circulation issues. These choices are saved in the Demographics tab of the patron record.
- Predues (User Cat 2): Receiving PreDues is optional. Choices are EMAIL, NOCONTACT, PHONE, TEXT. Patrons won't be contacted if this field is blank.
- Holds (User Cat 4): Patrons can choose between EMAIL, HUMANCALL, NOCONTACT, PHONE, TEXT. Human calls are discouraged, but available for those with technical issues.
- OverDues (User Cat 6): Choices are EMAIL, PHONE, TEXT, USPS. Receiving notices via US Postal Service is discouraged, but available for those with no other means of contact.
Every patron should have a value selected for these items, except for the optional PreDues.
For every communication method selected, the corresponding method's contact info needs to be completed in the Address tab. That is, if any User Cat has a value of TEXT, then the Phone to Text (PHONETXT) field needs a value. If EMAIL is a User Cat selection, then a valid EMAIL address is needed, etc.
In the above example, the patron needs a valid EMAIL address in the Address tab, or problems will arise.
Errors / Bad Info
If MFRL-IT discovers a patron with an invalid contact method - for example, an email address that bounces - the following changes will be made to the account:
- The account will be Barred
- The affected User Cats will be changed to BADINFO
- A Note will be put on the account. Example:
- Barred: eMail Notify bounces [User Unknown]. Please verify eMail addy, unbar, and reset HOLDS/OVERDUES to EMAIL; then delete this Note.
When staff encounter this, they should:
- Get updated contact information from the patron
- Change the User Cats listed (Holds and Overdues in the above example) to the methods indicated in the Note (Email, in this case).
- Note: When Editing the patron account, BADINFO will show as ****** (a series of asterisks). Editing this value is still possible.
- Delete the note from the account
- Unbar the account