Forum Discussion
MicrosoftFeature update: Email sending behavior for Groups in Outlook
Nicholas Williams - No, there is no effect to group subscription options with this change. Subscribed users will continue to receive all group conversations, messages and events in their inbox as usual.
The only effect of this change will be on the sender of the messages to groups as below.
Old behavior
I send a message to a group, or reply back to a message from a group. Message is delivered to the group and is available in the group's conversation archive. I would also receive my message in back my inbox.
Revised behavior
I send a message to a group, or reply back to a message from a group. Message is delivered to the group and is available in the group's conversation archive. I would NOT receive my message in back my inbox.
Would be great if you can help us understand why your users are complaining with this change? What additional benefit does it provide to users when they receive their sent email back again in their inbox? Is it just a confirmation that the message was delivered to the group?
I don't know that our organization minds this. Not sure. But, then again, I have had things become an issue with users that I never thought would be an issue. And I've seen things requested that I never foresaw someone requesting. I don't think this is a big surprise, but the fact is that users don't always agree with each other in their preferences, even on something as "seemingly" trivial as this. (It bet this issue did seem trivial a while back, didn't it?) Like most features like this one, there will be some users who will want it one way, while others will want it another way... and yes - there will be another set of users that don't care either way. So, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a request for the old way tomorrow.
And generally, I could also see a CEO or VP asking their IT Department for this feature back. Maybe they used it before and haven't needed it in while. But, now they had a new group created and they are wondering why their emails to the group aren't showing up in their own inbox, they way the prefer it. I mention a CEO and VP because I think in most companies, if the CEO or a VP asks the IT Department for something, the IT Department really wants to provide that to them.
But, with that said, I would recommend making it an option that can be changed both full-tenant-wide and per user account. And even better, make it an option to let the user select their preference for the option. Then companies and their users can have the flexibility to decide for themselves on how they want to manage this feature - if they really care about it.
I suggest this approach for most features that any provider (including Microsoft) is planning on just completely changing based on complaints. You aren't hearing the complaints the other way until you throw that big switch. And then it's too late. The complaints are there. Your customers are unhappy. Sure you can have meetings and discussions and planning and then correct or change the option. But, you've already made your customers users unhappy. And now your customers are unhappy. Why do that to yourselves?
Look at the situation, and if it isn't some special situation where this flexibility simply won't work, then don't completely change the option. Instead of changing the option, widen the option INTO MORE OPTIONS. When you can, offer more options instead of forcing a change of the option onto everyone. If you give more options (rather than taking some away) you make more of your customers users happy. That will make your customers happy.
Your focus should be more on your customers users, not your customers. Very often your customers users can make your customers either very happy or very unhappy. If your customers users are happy, the customer is happy. And they will really be happy if a the CEO or a VP requests an option and they were able to respond with "Yes, we can do that." Win-Win. Happy users. Happy customer. When you can, consider expanding your options rather than "big switch" changing them. That's what I would do here. And now... I am really hoping that you do this soon because I am pretty sure that by writing this, I have destined our team to receiving complaints about this exact issue from a bunch of users in the near future. If you work in IT, you know it can happen. Karma. Here it comes... (holding breath)