Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 16:01
Gmail’s ‘Canned Responses’ Is A Life Saver!
As you probably know I do provide free tech support services here on this website.
I get lots of requests for help with various issues ranging from installing web applications and using various web services… to fixing computers and other tech tech stuff. I even occasionally receive requests for help with non-technical issues like study abroad programs, scholarship search, information about Ghana, etc.
While I’m always glad to help whenever I can, it’s pretty annoying answering the same questions over and over again. I’ve contemplated running a forum or a proper help desk software but, being the lazy person that I am, I haven’t gotten to doing it yet.
So I was trilled to find that Google’s Gmail service now has a brand new feature designed just to ease my pain… called “Canned Responses”. I jumped right in since the announcement to create a couple of canned messages, and already it’s saving me a whole lot of time!
New Gmail Canned Responses feature
Cannned Responses also work with Gmail’s filters, so you can use the combo as a smart autoresponse tool to automatically reply to incoming messages based on the various criteria supported by Gmail’s filters.
Gmail Filters With Canned Responses
Canned Responses is currently a Gmail Labs feature, so to use it you have to manually turn it on. Click on the green test tube at the upper-right corner of your Gmail screen, scroll through the list for “Canned Responses” and enable it. Don’t forget to save the changes afterwards 
I knew you'd ask! George Appiah is a traveling technology consultant helping individuals, small businesses and non-profits leverage technology to hack poverty out of the world. Not enough for you? 
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Gotta love the Google Labs for Gmail. I have not seen the canned responses one before. I just implemented the IMAP Lab, where you can define which folders/labels to sync or not sync. I really like it!!
Well, when you find that time to get in some help desk software, we are loving the web help desk software.
It’s worth a look-see
Got a canned email from my rep there. They just released a Lite version for small businesses and alluded to a free version!!!…which I will be peeved if the freebie mirrors the one we paid for but I doubt / hope it doesn’t. 
Hope this helps and thanks for the ‘canned-response’ tip!!! Brill!
@Paul Rutledge: Thanks for the suggestion on the web help desk software. But I looked all over the site and didn’t find any information on the “Lite version” you mentioned. Got a link?
I’ll ping my rep and see what they have….I couldn’t find anything either.
George,
My rep got back to me. Here is their Lite vs. Pro help desk software comparison.
Maaan, I wish they have Lite when we purchased years ago…aw-well, it wasn’t that expensive then either…so, all is well!
Hope this helps! Cheers George!