PM Message Link

[#1]

The ideas department is at it again and as a result I was thinking that with the real estate available on a user's avatar block:

There may be room to add a link to allow that user to be PM'd directly simply by clicking it. A lot of the staff have to ask users to PM them details so their query can be processed so if this option is directly available next to the reply it can only make life easier for everyone.

A 'simple' PM Username under the forum ranking and above the post count would be prominent, even more so if highlighted, but when a User's disabled their PM's then no link appears. I don't know if this is even possible that's one for @jaread83 I guess!

[#2]

Nice idea - it would bring PMing one click closer and a lot more obvious, than the current click the name and find communicate on the right hand side.

[#3]

@Townman - Ah there's the rub it's not always that obvious to some that you can or should click the Username. I put forward this suggestion as I saw that some user having been asked to PM details asked the how it could be done.

[#4]

A few weeks ago, elsewhere I put forward the idea that if a support agent wants some information via a PM, that they should PM the user to request it.

Fixes the issue without a code change ... at a time when all available code changers are fixing billing.

[#5]

That's a fair comment @Townman, but I think that this would distract / divert the SA in having to do this when the onus should be on the User to make contact if they are wanting a resolution. I've seen many a post that gathers tumble-weed after the initial impetus is lost. If you make a post to say you're sending a PM then that's double the effort, and if you don't then other's wrongly assume that the post is being ignored.

Nor was I suggesting that jaread drop everything to do this, as I suspect his To Do list is already as big as his weekly shopping list! As always it was just something for consideration and of course debate.

[#6]

I like this idea. There would need to be some logic surrounding the display of the button (for example - permissions to send a PM) but I think this could certainly be implemented. As has already been mentioned, it would elminate a step for sending a PM.