Automatically send UR reminders and mark as 'not identified' if no reply
User Reports (URs) come in by the truckload. Despite a message from an investigating editor, only 10% of URs will receive a reply. This represents a significant amount of time by editors, particularly senior editors managing large areas, to the manual handling of individual URs. Since 90% of the URs result in the same process, help us streamline and automated it so we can focus our valuable time on productive investigations and edits that will value add to Waze.
I propose an additional tick box under "Follow conversation" that says along the lines "Auto reminder and mark as not identified."
When ticked:
- and a user replies, the auto remind and close is disactivated
- and a user does not reply, the user is automatically sent a reminder message after 4 days of the last editor reply, and after 7 days, the UR is automatically marked "not identified" and the last editor to reply is credited with the UR closure.
The "Auto reminder and mark as not identified" flag can only be toggled on if a message is sent. The flag can be toggled off however without a message being sent.
Possible visual presentation: https://imgur.com/VMIGTEW
Access to this feature can be controlled by a country level permission, ideally level 3 and above as default.

6 comments
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DwarfLord commented
I'm upvoting this for sure. This has been a huge problem for years and can lead to editor burnout. But, besides auto-closing URs with no reporter response, there are SO MANY other things Waze can do to help editors waste less time with URs: (1) At reporting time, ask reporter if OK to send origin and destination data; (2) Automated reminder to the reporter to add a description to the UR if one was not originally provided; (3) source control/throttling - reporters with a history of not engaging on URs are not allowed to report as many; (4) MUCH clearer message notifications and inbox navigation in the Waze app; (5) redundantly offer "road closed" as an option under "map issue", as MANY reporters use "map issue" to report temporary closures instead of the "closure" feature.
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Glodenox (Global Champ) commented
This feature would save us a ton of time as we'd only need to do a third of the tasks we now have to do for URs. It would allow us to focus on the URs where we actually get a response instead of having to maintain the ones that go unanswered. The time can probably best be made configurable by country as in Belgium we generally follow the "3 days until reminder, 3 more days until closure" rule and that is going to be different for each country.
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Kate commented
I think this idea is great. It also stops you relying on the same editor interacting with the open UR's when they may be having a break from Waze (I know, I know, who would do that) as it is confronting when you see so many open. It would also help when another editor looks at them and doesn't want to "stand on someone's toes" if the original comment is there by someone but is waiting to be followed up on.
Looking at many of the NSW ones, some have been open some time and people may even forget what they were reporting in the first place even if they do see the comment on them. -
SteveThompson49 commented
Most editor questions on URs are not responded to by the reporter, most likely because the response is not drawn to the attention of the reporter sufficiently. As a reporter, I've only ever seen editor responses because I'm looking for them.
But I would suggest more than 7 days. I currently mark as Not Identified 30 days after my last response.
And L2 or L3 minimum seems ok.
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Adrian Deane commented
Agree 100%
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LostInMyMaps - Volunteer Editor commented
I'd also possibly suggest that a user needs at least 50 UR closures before the option to toggle on appears, to ensure they have experience investigation and managing URs.