PerlBill Manual |
| ( main )
User login Web based help desk File Attachments E-mail submissions Viewing Invoices Updating client information Placing new orders
|  | Section A - User Login
When an account is created on the system in the administration a user login is generated and printed on screen. This information consists of a username and password, both automatically generated upon creation of the user account. Users can login to the client area, where they can view accounts/service, invoices and support requests. They can also submit any new support requests and update billing information.
|  | Section B - Web Based Help Desk
The web based helpdesk is presented to the client after successfully logging into the client area, this consists of existing ticket tracking and new submissions. Clients can submit new requests and log them to a certain department or area, specifying any additional information requested by the administrator (eg. domain/server) When viewing an existing ticket the client can add a response which is then appended to the current ticket and can be viewed by staff/admin immediately. Notifications will be sent to the staff where the call is applicable if they have their notifications enabled.
|  | Section C - File attachments
New in PerlBill is the possibility to attach files to web based ticket requests - these attachments are limited to the following file types (by default) txt, gif, html, htm, jpg, jpeg, png, bmp You can add/remove any extensions you would like to accept on the system by opening the conf.cgi and editing the @file_types line near the top.
|  | Section D - Email Submissions
The incoming e-mail features of PerlBill ensure customer convenience when logging support issues or queries. If enabled and setup the incoming e-mail can manage an e-mail address on your server, for example, all e-mails sent to support@your-domain.com will be logged in the helpdesk of PerlBill and issued a tracking number etc. PerlBill supports the management of an unlimited amount of e-mail addresses and each one can be directed to a different department or category within the system
|  | Section E - Viewing Invoices
In the client area, if a user views the account/invoices section they can bring up a detailed overview of an invoice by clicking the ID next to the invoice. This page can be modified in any way so that users can submit payments or linked to third party payment processors by modifying the HTML code in the templates.
|  | Section F - Updating Client Information
Your clients can update their contact information in real time by clicking the 'Profile' link in the client section. This will take them to a form where they are presented with their contact information which can be updated and saved. The client can also update their login password from this page, the password will become effective immediately.
|  | Section G - Placing New Orders
Existing customers can place orders for additional items/services on their account. To do this, they must go to the standard order form for new customers and enter an order as normal, when PerlBill processes an order it will check for an existing account matching the e-mail address entered - if one is found, the client will be prompted for the password for this account. This is a security feature to ensure orders are not placed without clients knowledge. A successfull order will be added to the clients account on the system and a new client will not be generated. This process ensures your clients do not have to remember multiple logins for several orders or services. All are managed from one convenient account.