The CRM uses Cards, Cases and Schedule.
If you are using the Service module, then you also would be using Cases and Schedules as well.
USERS
Start with your staff – Users
Make sure each user is set to Show On Schedule
Flag each user for Show on Schedule, save changes, got to tab Tools, click on Flush Cache
CARD - CASES
Next – go to the customer card
Navigation panel > Relationships > Cards
Filter to show Current Customers
Find and select the customer card
On tab Cases, click on button New
Select the Case Type
Give the Case a Case Name (I.e. description of what the case is for)
The Card field is prepopulated with the customer you started the case on
Person should be the card contact person you need contact with for this case (all contacts will be displayed in the list of contacts to select from)
Set the Priority for this case
Who is the case to be assigned to? Which staff member at your site?
Leave Date Created as is
Select the Due Date – i.e. when the first appointment is due.
Click on button Save (top ribbon of screen)
On the Activities tab
There is a blank line ready to go.
The date is the date of the activity. I.e. call or onsite visit/followup. Change this if required using the bottom section of the screen.
Choose a Communication Method
Place any notes in there to start with about what this is for.
Click on button Save.
On the General Tab
You can select which Sales order this Case may refer to.
On tab Notes
You can fill in the Objective for this Case
And in the Outcome you can fill out what the end result was from this Case
Case Notes can also be documented on the bottom section of this tab using the New button (not the Insert button) to create a new line (first line with a funnel on the left is a search filter line) but first you will need to change the filter to Active Transaction Notes or the new one you created will not appear to enter into.
Click on the New button,
Set an expiry date if relevant
Double click into the Test field and the note appears as a new tab to see full screen.
Add your note, select if it is to pop up or print on a sale
Then click on button Save and Close.
On the Message Logs tab
You can send emails from this tab to the customer for this case.
On the top ribbon
You can send an email for this case to the customer
You can also log standard notes where there is a pre-selective list of notes to choose from that could be used in future for reporting purposes
You can also log notes against the case.
Now click on button Save and Close at the top of the screen.
Card - SCHEDULE
Back on the customer card, select tab Schedule, find the person at your site that you allocated the Case to and look at the calendar date and time for that scheduled Case Activity.
Double Click on it to open it.
You can update the name in the Subject field to something more relevant
You can even save in a Location – like the customer’s address if going out to the customer. You will need to manually key this in.
Set the Start On date and time for this case contact schedule
Set the End On date and time for this case contact schedule
OR Tick the tick box for All Day if the contact with your customer is an all day event. Or leave it unticked if it is something that will only run for half an hour to an hour etc.
Set your status I.E Busy / Out of Office etc
You can Label this up if you like in whatever colour to make it stand out on your schedule
Set a recurrence if this is a reoccurring activity/case by clicking on the horizontal 3 dots box
The recurrence opens another box for you to set this up,
Set how often you want this to show in your schedule. You can set it to No end date if you are not sure when you want to stop this recurrence.
Example:
Click on button OK to save
On the Staff tab
Set any staff that need this reminder in their Scheduler.
On the Reminder tab
You can set reminders for both yourself and your customer contact person
The reminder can be set by Calendar, Email or SMS
You can set how many minutes before the reminder comes up before the scheduled time.
On the Related Records tab
The Card is pre-populated
The Contact Person is pre-populated
You can then add in the address if required if you are actually going onsite.
Click on button Save and Close.
When you contact the customer or go out onsite, whatever the case is scheduled for, then make notes on the case activity.
Once the activity on the case is completed, then flag it as Completed
NEW ACTIVITIES ON THE CASE
Create a New Activity every time you go out onsite to the customer or ring them over the phone IF IT FALLS OUTSIDE THE STANDARD SCHEDULE and record all information required against the activity.
You do NOT need to create a case yourself if it is scheduled, the system will create it for you.
The next recurrence will remind you when to contact the customer again and then you make a new Activity again against this case and mark the activity as completed once you have contacted the customer.
The Status on the Case will remain Open for as long as you have it scheduled in the Scheduler.