Each order status should have a two select boxes.
One to say whether the customer is NEVER informed of a change to this status - over-riding the option at a later stage - this would avoid embarrassing errors.
The other would say whether the copy invoice is sent with this change of status text.
Then along with this.
There are two notes boxes associated with an order.
One for notes which a customer has added to an order and which admin can add to itself - the other for internal use.
There should be a third note box for text which the admin can add to and which is transmitted to the customer - so preserving any customer original notes within their own box.
This third note should be put in the top part of the email before the invoice part.
This combination would a much increased flexibility when it comes to interacting and keeping a customer informed via cs-cart.
For example this box could be used to convey progress with an order that is a custom make and perhaps takes a while or to add a small personal note to an email that goes out.
Or maybe there should be an option to “edit the email” before dispatch when an order status is changed.
This combination of elements will give a lot more control and in a variety of ways, over the order status handling and customer interaction from within cs-cart.