Messages

Operate, then Messages. A thread per conversation, per customer, so the "can we swap ten mediums for smalls" exchange lives on the record instead of in somebody's inbox.

How threads start

Source	How
The customer	Sends a message from the portal, on an order or in general
An artwork change request	The customer's note lands on the artwork thread
Your shop	You start a thread on a customer

The list shows the customer, the subject, when it was last active, and whether it is resolved.

Working a thread

Action	What it does
Reply	Posts your message. The customer sees it in their portal and is notified
Toggle resolved	Marks the thread done, or reopens it

Every message records who sent it, staff or portal user, so a thread reads as a conversation rather than a pile of notes.

Why this beats email

• The exchange is attached to the customer and the job, so the next person to pick it up has the context.
• Nothing is lost to a personal inbox when someone is on leave.
• The customer does not have to find the right email address.

Habits

• Resolve threads. An unresolved list that is never cleared stops being a to-do list.
• Answer in the thread, not by email. If you reply by email, the next person looking at the job sees an unanswered question.
• Keep decisions in the thread. "Approved the extra 20 hoodies at the same price" in a thread is worth a great deal three weeks later.