The Trust Channel deletion policy helps you manage how long complaints are kept after they reach a final status. In this article, you’ll learn how to configure the retention period, understand when a complaint expires, and delete or keep complaints when needed.
Overview
The deletion policy lets admins define how long complaints should be retained after they reach a final status.
You can set a retention period between 1 and 120 months. The default retention period is 3 months.
The retention period applies to complaints that reach a final status after the policy is configured. Complaints that were already closed keep the expiration date they were previously assigned.
Important: Complaints are not deleted automatically. Deletion is always a deliberate action performed by a manager.
How to use
Configure the retention period
- In your sidebar, go to Settings
- Go to Trust Channel
- Scroll down to Retention policy
- Enter the retention period in months
- Choose a period between 1 and 120 months
- Save your changes
- The retention period starts when a complaint reaches one of the following final statuses:
- Completed
- Discarded
- Archived
The expiration date is calculated from the date the complaint reaches its final status
If a Completed complaint is archived later, its expiration date is recalculated based on the date it was archived.
Managers responsible for the complaint's category receive an email 7 days before the complaint reaches its expiration date.
To review complaints approaching expiration, use the Expired filter to display complaints that have passed their retention period.
Delete an expired complaint
- Go to the Trust Channel complaint list
- Find an expired complaint
- Select the complaint you want to delete
- Choose Delete
- Confirm the deletion
- Deleting a complaint permanently removes its:
- Messages
- Files
- Attachments
- Private notes
The deletion itself remains recorded in the activity log for compliance purposes.
You can delete complaints individually or in bulk.
If a complaint's expiration date did not change after I updated the deletion policy, this is expected if the complaint was already closed before the policy was changed. Existing closed complaints keep the expiration date they were originally assigned. The new retention period applies to complaints that reach a final status after the setting is changed.
If a complaint was not deleted automatically after its expiration date, this is expected behaviour. Complaints are never deleted automatically. A manager must deliberately delete an expired complaint.
Deleted complaints remain listed in the Deleted tab. This allows the company to keep an audit record showing who deleted the complaint and when, without retaining the complaint's sensitive content.
Tips and best practices
- Set a retention period that matches your company's legal and compliance requirements.
- Regularly check the Expired filter to identify complaints that are ready for review.
- Use the 7-day notification as a reminder to review complaints before they become eligible for deletion.
- Use Cancel deletion when a complaint needs to be retained for a legitimate reason.
- Remember that changing the retention setting does not change the expiration dates of complaints that were already closed. The new setting applies to complaints closed after the change.
FAQ
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What is the default retention period?
The default retention period is 3 months.
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What retention periods can I configure?
You can configure a retention period from 1 to 120 months.
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When does the retention period start?
The retention period starts when a complaint reaches a final status: Completed, Discarded, or Archived.
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What happens if a Completed complaint is archived later?
Its expiration date is recalculated using the date it was archived.
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Are complaints deleted automatically when they expire?
No. Expiration only indicates that a complaint is ready for deletion. A manager must manually delete it.
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Who receives the expiration reminder?
Managers of the complaint's category receive an email 7 days before the complaint reaches its expiration date.
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Can I delete several complaints at once?
Yes. Managers can delete expired complaints individually or in bulk.
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What happens when I delete a complaint?
The complaint's messages, files, attachments, and private notes are permanently removed. An activity-log entry recording the deletion remains for compliance purposes.
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Can I keep a complaint after it expires?
Yes. Use Cancel deletion to keep the complaint beyond its retention period.
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Can I change the retention period later?
Yes. However, changing the policy only affects complaints that reach a final status after the change. Complaints that were already closed keep their existing expiration dates.
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Why are deleted complaints still listed?
Deleted complaints appear in the Deleted tab so the company can maintain an audit trail of the deletion without retaining the sensitive complaint content.
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Can I recover a deleted complaint?
No. Deletion is permanent. The complaint's messages, files, attachments, and private notes are permanently removed.