Customers


Customers are at the heart of GDS Workshop Manager. If you want to create a jobsheet, estimate or invoice you will need to associate it with a customer before you can save it.

Customer List

Viewing a customer record

To open your customer list, click the Customers icon UserGroup24 in the toolbar or press the key F2. A window will open containing a table. For each customer the following information is displayed:

•Customer
•Name
•Address
•Telephone

Double-clicking any part of a customer's details will open a screen which contains detailed information about that customer.

For more information on how to search for customers and how to navigate and reorder the entries in the list, please consult the Navigating the System help topic.

Customer Record

Adding a new customer

To add a new customer:

1.Click the Customers icon UserGroup24 in the toolbar. The Customer list will open.
2.Click the New icon New24 in the toolbar. A blank Customer record will open.
3.At the very minimum you will need to enter a Name and generate a Customer Ref. Normally you will also enter full personal and contact details.
4.Once you have entered the customer details, click the Generate Ref. button. You can over-ride the automatically-generated reference by clicking in the field and typing a new one.
5.To save the new customer click the Save icon Save24 in the toolbar. Click the Cancel icon Cancel24 to discard the customer information.

Associating a vehicle with a customer

A customer can have one or more vehicles associated with him or her. To associate a vehicle with a customer:

1.Click the Customers icon UserGroup24 in the toolbar.
2.Locate the customer in the customer list and double-click to open.
3.Click the 'Add Vehicle' icon AddCustomerVehicle24 in the toolbar; the 'New Vehicle' window will open.
4.Enter the vehicle's details, as required.
5.Click the Save icon Save24 in the toolbar to save the changes. Click the Cancel icon Cancel24 to discard the changes.

Editing a customer's details

To change a customer's details:

1.Click the Customers icon UserGroup24 in the toolbar.
2.Locate the customer in the Customer list and double-click to open.
3.Click the Edit icon Edit24 in the toolbar.
4.Amend the customer's details as required.
5.Click the Save icon Save24 in the toolbar to save the changes or click the Cancel icon Cancel24 to discard the changes.

Changing a customer's reference code

To change a customer's reference code:

1.Open the Customer's details by locating the customer in the Customer list and double-clicking the details.
2.In the toolbar, click 'Change Customer Ref' Replace24 .
3.Enter the new reference code and click the OK button.
4.You will be asked whether you really want to change the customer's reference; click the OK button or click the Cancel button to keep the code as it is.
5.Click the OK button on the confirmation message to close it.

Deleting a customer

You can only delete a customer if there are no invoices associated with that customer. To delete a customer:

1.Click the Customers icon UserGroup24 in the toolbar.
2.Locate the customer in the Customer list and double-click to open.
3.Click the Delete icon Delete24 in the toolbar.
4.A message will be displayed warning you that the customer can only be deleted if he has no associated invoices. Click the OK button.
5.If the deletion is successful the Customers window will empty of information.
6.If the deletion is unsuccessful a message will be displayed saying so.

The Customer record

This section explains the various components of a customer record.

Customer Reference

This is the unique ID for the customer.

Cash Account

If this is selected then the customer is marked as a cash account for accountancy purposes.

Finance section

Labour Rate

This is the default labour rate for the customer and this overrides the default labour rate for the Workshop Manager.

Turnover

Amount of turnover associated with the customer.

Credit Terms (days)

The customer's credit terms.

On Stop

If this is selected then the customer should not be extended further credit. If you try to create an invoice for this customer a warning message will be displayed.

Default Discount

This is the % discount which will be applied to all invoice lines for this customer. This can be over-ridden on the invoice itself if required.

Sales Price

Specify here which of the Sales (Sell) Prices this customer is to be associated with.

Disc Code

Specify here which of the Discount Codes this customer is to be associated with.

Other section

Lease Company

Indicates that the customer is a lease company.

Internal Customer Account

The customer is an internal customer.

Reminders section

This section enables you to select the formats in which reminders can be sent to the customer. Where SMS text is selected you should ensure that the customer's mobile number is entered in the appropriate field. Likewise, if e-mail is selected ensure that there is a valid e-mail address in the customer's record.

The options are:

•Send SMS text
•Send E-mail
•By letter

Main Details tab

This tab holds personal and contact information for the customer:

•Name
•First Name
•Address
•Telephone
•Fax
•Work Phone
•Mobile (please see this note regarding mobile phones issued in Ireland)
•Contact Name
•E-mail

Notes tab

Customer Type

Select the customer type from the drop-down list. Customer types can be added and amended in GDS > Configuration Settings > Customer Types.

VAT Number

The customer's VAT number.

Notes

Notes associated with the customer.

Associated Vehicles tab

This is a list of vehicles associated with the customer. Double-click an item to open it.

Sales History tab

This is a list of invoices associated with the customer. Double-click an item to open it.

Booking History tab

This is a list of bookings by the customer. Double-click an item to open it.

Related Purchases tab

This is a list of purchases associated with the customer. Double-click an item to open it.