Need an email support tool to manage help@crates.io

[carols10cents]

The problems I'm hoping to solve are:

• We lose track of some emails and never respond to them because there isn't visibility into what emails we've gotten and whether we've responded to or not
• We also lose track of emails because no one is "assigned"
• In some cases we've responded too much, or with conflicting information, because it seems like a quick response that someone can just handle but then it turns out we have some discussion to do that we should have taken before responding

What I'm imagining is:

• Email to help@crates.io comes in and gets added to some sort of tracking system automatically (if it's garbage someone can just delete it)
• Someone gets assigned automatically and they can handle it or pass it along
• We can discuss privately, but in context of the email, if discussion is needed
• In triage meetings, we check in on anything stuck in this system
• Ideally, free or sponsored
• Ideally, has github login that can interface with the teams for permissions

Things to investigate that I know about so far, but haven't yet examined to see if they meet our needs:

• ~Freshdesk and they have a marketplace of plugins~ - I can't find anything that definitely says it syncs with GitHub teams

• ~Raiseaticket~ - I don't see anything about GitHub

• ~Gitlab service desk~ - Doesn't allow private discussion on the issue that's created that isn't sent to the reporter

• ~ServiceNow~ - does wayyyy more than what we need

• ~Snappy~ only seems to support email -> GH issue, $15/user/mo

• ~ZincCollective Support / We got your back~ - unfortunately, just looks like a contact form that goes to an email address for now

• RequestTracker - it's enterprise grade and looks it. free to self host.

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_help_desk_issue_tracking_software

• Spark

• Helpmonks - open source projects get Helpmonks for free!

[carols10cents]

None of the initial candidates are quite what we want, rejection reasons above... and I searched around for other tools and couldn't find much there either. Just tweeted to get recommendations.