Sharper organizes related messages into Inquiry Threads — conversation histories that group all emails on the same topic together and link them to the relevant record in the system. The Message Center inbox is where you work with these threads.
What Is an Inquiry Thread?
An Inquiry is a container for one or more related messages — similar to an email thread. All messages on the same topic are collected in one place, and the thread is linked to the record that triggered the conversation.
When Sharper sends an invoice email, it creates an Inquiry linked to that invoice.
When Sharper sends a reservation confirmation, it creates an Inquiry linked to that reservation.
When you compose a new message to a customer from the Message Center, Sharper creates an Inquiry linked to that customer's record.
This means you can see the full email history for any invoice, reservation, or customer directly from that record — not just from the Message Center inbox.
How Customer Replies Are Matched to Threads
When Sharper sends an email, it uses a version of your email address that includes a unique identifier. When a customer clicks Reply, their reply is sent back to that address. Sharper recognizes the identifier and automatically files the reply into the correct Inquiry thread.
This matching is automatic and invisible to customers — they see only your organization's standard email address in the From field. For reply matching to work, Incoming Mail must be enabled on the email account in System Settings → Email Addresses.
Records That Can Be Linked to an Inquiry
Inquiry threads can be linked to:
Invoices
Reservations
Customers
Payments
Credit Memos
Refunds
When viewing a message, the linked record is displayed so you can navigate directly to the related invoice, reservation, or customer profile.
Inquiry Thread Status
Status | Meaning |
Open | The conversation is active or awaiting a response. |
Closed | The conversation has been resolved. |
Examples
Invoice Email and Customer Reply
Sharper generates and emails an invoice to a customer.
An Inquiry is created, linked to that invoice.
The customer replies asking a question about a charge.
The reply appears in the Message Center inbox as an Unread message in the same Inquiry thread.
A staff member opens the message, reads the thread history, and replies — all within the same Inquiry.
New Message to a Customer
A staff member composes a new message to a customer from the Message Center.
Sharper creates a new Inquiry linked to that customer's record.
If the customer replies, it is automatically added to the same thread.