(duplicates)=
# Duplicate tickets

As noted above, when responding to a query it is important to reply to the latest email in the email thread (which includes the Ask-JGI automatic response) so that the Ask-JGI ticket number is included in the continuing email thread. This ensures that the same tracker ticket is updated as the email thread evolves.

```{warning}
The Ask-JGI tracker system will get messy if the Ask-JGI ticket number
is not included in **all** emails in the thread.
```

The system breaks down if:
- You reply directly to the query email instead of the auto-response and forget to manually include the tracking number in your reply.
- The person who submitted the query removes the tracking number from
  the email thread (e.g. by trimming your email from the thread in
  their reply, thereby removing the tracking number).
  

The consequences of the system breaking down are as follows:
- The person who submitted the query will get a new auto-response email generated each time they email the inbox (with a new tracking number).
- There will be a new ticket logged in the tracker each time a new
  auto-response is generated by the querier, as shown in the example
  below:
  :::{image} ../../images/duplicated-ticket.png
  :alt: Example of what duplicated tickets on the tracker look like.
  :::

## Resolving duplicate tickets

It is important that we remove any duplicated tickets from the Ask-JGI
tracker, since we use the tracker for reporting purposes. This
includes keeping a record of how many queries we get, and from which
departments and faculties. 

```{note}
Duplicate tickets can also arise when one querier sends multiple
emails about the same query to the mailbox (e.g. starting a new email
thread, or changing email title). So long as there are duplicate
tickets that concern the same query they will still need to be cleaned
up.
```

Please see the following instructions on what to do if you have a
duplicate ticket in the tracker, depending on the situation:
- Scenario 1: the tracking number was dropped from the
  thread
- Scenario 2: the querier started a fresh email thread

(tracking-id-dropped)=
### Scenario 1: the tracking number was dropped from the thread

If you find that there are duplicated tickets in the tracker (and new
automated email replies in the email thread) as a consequence of the
tracking number being omitted from an email, please follow these
instructions to resolve the problem.

First, open the tracker and identify the original and duplicated
ticket. You then need to:
- Check the new ticket for any information that might be relevant to
  keep around. If there is important new info provided in this new
  email then you may need to manually copy/paste this information from
  the new ticket into the old ticket.
- Update the old ticket to reflect the status of the new ticket
  (i.e. to update the date that the ticket was altered, and the new
  state of the ticket).
- Once you are happy that you have copied any relevant information
  from the new ticket to the old ticket, you can delete the new
  ticket. 


Then, once you have tidied up the duplicated tickets in the tracker, follow these steps:

- The next time you compose a reply to the querier, remove any trace
  of the “new” tracking numbers from repeated auto-responses from the
  email thread. This may mean that you have to delete the quoted
  thread in the email body of your reply, so that your reply only
  includes your new text.

- Include the original tracking ID in your reply.

- Point out in your reply what has happened to acknowledge the
  repeated auto-replies and remind them to include the tracking number
  in subsequent emails:
  ```
  As a reminder, please try to make sure you include this phrase
  somewhere in subsequent emails in this thread: {AskJGI-XXX}. This
  helps us to track how the AskJGI service is used and will suppress
  repeated automatic responses.
  ```


(new-thread)=
### Scenario 2: the querier started a fresh email thread

Sometimes the querier may send a new or follow up email to the mailbox
with a new subject line, and possibly new people included in
cc. Unless they have copied their tracking number into their reply,
this will trigger a new ticket in the tracker.

First, open the tracker and identify the original and duplicated
ticket. You then need to:
- Check the new ticket for any information that might be relevant to
  keep around. If there is important new info provided in this new
  email then you may need to manually copy/paste this information from
  the new ticket into the old ticket.
- Update the old ticket to reflect the status of the new ticket
  (i.e. to update the date that the ticket was altered, and the new
  state of the ticket).
- Once you are happy that you have copied any relevant information
  from the new ticket to the old ticket, you can delete the new
  ticket. 


Then, once you have tidied up the duplicated tickets in the tracker, follow these steps:

- The next time you compose a reply to the querier, add the
  original tracking number in your email signature to make sure that
  this tracking number gets picked up in the ongoing thread.

- Make sure that you reply to their original message this time, and
  not the automatic response that this new email thread will have
  triggered. This new automatic response will have a new tracking
  number, and we don't want to use that. We want to keep the old
  tacking number so that any new emails will update the original
  ticket.
  
- Point out in your reply what has happened to acknowledge the
  repeated auto-replies and remind them to include the tracking number
  in subsequent emails:
  ```
  As a reminder, please try to make sure you include this phrase
  somewhere in subsequent emails in this thread: {AskJGI-XXX}. This
  helps us to track how the AskJGI service is used and will suppress
  repeated automatic responses.
  ```