Investigate if the new contact us form has indeed reduced admin for us and simplified user experience

[JoannaHill]

Background

With the new design look and feel we moved from an email address to a form as a way for users to contact us. The purpose being to simplify the admin required on our end and to make things easier for users. I think we could do some testing and exploring to make sure that's what we've arrived at - for us and users.

Specifically I wonder if we limit the drop down list to 5.
We're asking the user to read each one and reflect on their query and whether it fits, which is a big ask ultimately benefiting us. So I propose we cut the current list of 9 down to 5.

[katska]

Might be worth digging into to this a little bit. This is what came into the inbox:

To start with usage as follows:
Listing selection (number of times found in inbox) - timeframe found and any other comments

• I'm having trouble signing up (38) May 23 - May 24 (4 in May 24), none yet in June (includes some change email address, but mostly forgot password/confirm account)

• I've stopped receiving alerts (27) between April 2 - June 18

• the address or map location is wrong (20) May 2023 - Yesterday (June 27 2024) Usually nothing we can do about this.

• I can't find a development application (71) May 23 - Yesterday - responses from "how to use" guidance to more involved help.

• I have a privacy concern (23) July 23 - earlier this week

• I have a question about how planning alerts works (32) May 23 - Today June 28 2024

• I'm trying to reach council (9) June 23 - Yesterday June 27 2024 <- this one is kind of wrongheaded

• I want API access or other commercial use (11) September 23 - June 24 <-of whom one became a paying API user.

• Other, please specify (180) of which so far found...

• • x11 change email
• • x20 unsubscribe
• • x5 this week feedback on new design/functionality of alerts
• • privacy

• .... still exploring, searching the inbox is slow

[JoannaHill]

So an update could be:

• I'm having trouble signing up
• I want to change my email
• Something is wrong on your site (folds in privacy, can't find application, address or map is wrong, not getting alerts)
• I want API access or other commercial use
• Other, please specify

[katska]

@JoannaHill good start. When I see this list the following come to mind
1- I want to be able to scan and see privacy issues straight away so they can be prioritised. Although we really want them to use the 'report comment' function, they don't always use it and they sometimes report DAs too
2-Sign up/change email sound more closely related, if we put these together that frees up privacy.

So how does this revised list look to you?

• I want to sign up or change my email
• Something is wrong with Planning Alerts (covers alerts and 'site')
• I have a privacy concern
• I want API access to get the data
• Other (Please specify)

[JoannaHill]

Yeah great Kat!
Simply being a shorter list is gunna help so much with cognitive load for the user.
And sounds like the flags you need are in there.

I'm happy to support this change.

I will also add this issue to the list of things to test/research more deeply.

[katska]

@JoannaHill I've reported the latest emails in the inbox via contact form in the #planningalerts channel in slack, let me or Matthew know if you want Missive access again at any point

[JoannaHill]

Inbox Emails via contact form since June 30 = 61

Contact form: Stopped receiving alerts 4
Contact form: I have a privacy concern 4
Contact form:I’m having trouble signing up 3
Contact form: I can’t find a development application 6
Contact form: I’m trying to reach council 1 (which was spam)
Contact form: I want API access or commercial use 7
Contact form: stopped receiving alerts 4 + 1 spam
Contact form: I want to change or delete a comment I made 1 + 2 spam
Contact form: The address or map location is wrong 1+1 spam
Contact form: I have a question about how Planning Alerts works 1 + 2 spam
Contact form:Other 18
of these:
Nice feedback 1
Spam 11+
Change Alert Address (I moved house) 2
Missing DA (but scraper is working) 2
Can’t find a DA (assisted to find) 2
Of the 2 people who had trouble signing up, when asked for more information to help them they did not respond.
Complaint that PA shows all DAs not only those on notice (Whitehorse) 1 Github #1858
Request for details of a DA that isn’t on notice yet for which there are no documents at council yet (also Whitehorse) 1
I want to see DAs on notice a second time 1 Github #1862
I don’t want to see non-DAs (some private requests for planning docs perhaps accidentally published that council) 1
change password 2
change email address 2
Links are broken Bug (now fixed) 4
I want API Access 10
I want to be sent to the council DA page from Planning Alerts directly 1
I want to search by key words 1
I want more info about a DA 2 I think, but neither of them via “I’m trying to reach council”

[katska]

@JoannaHill haha I felt a bit nervous about pasting the stats this in here, so thanks for being bold! I'm removing myself from this since I'll be away. There's a mix up in I want API access, somewhere in there its about seeing spam mails come in via that option. I'll try and find time to track it down before I go.

[JoannaHill]

Adding link to non public google doc with manual canned responses which could inform this issue.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AHV5ddbesUdVWncEPVVbu7l0zl2dlGSTsYRYTdUtu1Y/edit?usp=sharing

[katska]

I note that the references to canned responses are not the current ones. The new ones are in Missive. @JoannaHill would it help to have these exported? I seem to remember this is a manual cut and paste job, but I could find time to do this if it seems important here.

[katska]

I've updated the document to refer to a new list of canned responses as of today 08/08/24