Inbox & follow-ups·Setup4 min read

Auto-reopen returning customers

When a past customer messages again, Yesoma auto-reopens their last case instead of creating a duplicate. Includes the 90-day window, the Business-plan AI classifier, and how to turn it off if it's wrong for your business.

In this guide

The 72-hour rule
What the team sees
Why Yesoma starts fresh after three days
Identity matching
Common questions

When a customer replies after a Case closes, Yesoma uses one clear 72-hour rule. Recent replies reopen the same Case; later replies create a new Case linked to the closed one.

The 72-hour rule

Yesoma matches the inbound email, WhatsApp, SMS, website form, or customer-portal reply to the customer and finds their most recent closed Case.

Before 72 hours: Yesoma reopens that Case, preserves its assignee, appends the new message, and returns it to the Active queue as Needs reply.
At 72 hours or later: Yesoma creates a new Active Case and links it to the closed Case. The new Case can be worked independently while the earlier conversation remains one click away.

The boundary is exact: 71 hours 59 minutes reopens; 72 hours starts a linked Case. This is a consistent workspace policy rather than a per-workspace setting.

What the team sees

When a recent customer reply reopens a Case:

The Case leaves Closed and returns to Active.
Its existing assignee remains assigned.
The status becomes Needs reply.
The new inbound message appears in the existing conversation.
Case history records the automatic reopen.

When a later reply creates a new Case:

The closed Case remains closed.
The new Case appears in Active.
The Full Case header links the two Cases with Continues… and Continued as… shortcuts.
The customer record continues to show both Cases.

Why Yesoma starts fresh after three days

The short reopen window handles immediate follow-through without putting completed work back into the queue indefinitely. A later message becomes new operational work, but the explicit Case link keeps the earlier context available.

Identity matching

Yesoma can apply the rule only after it resolves the inbound message to the same customer. If a customer uses an unrelated email address or phone number that is not already connected to their customer record, the message may create a separate customer and Case. You can review and merge duplicates when needed.

Common questions

Does the customer know the Case reopened? No. Reopening is an internal workflow change. The customer receives something only when your team sends a message or another configured customer notification.

Does reopening keep ownership? Yes. The existing assignee remains on the reopened Case.

Can I reopen manually after 72 hours? Yes. The automatic rule governs inbound replies. Managers, Admins, and Workspace Owners can still choose Reopen case from a closed Case.

Can I see the older Case after a new one is created? Yes. Open the linked shortcut in either Full Case header, or view the customer's Case history.