Job Logging

[SparkMediaIndustries]

Hello all,


Just wondering if someone can help me when I take on new clients I normally log jobs on an excell document with a invoice number (which i use to re-open jobs).

Now I am wondering is there any free or cheap software out there that would do the below...

let me add clients - names, address, postal code, telephone number, email address

let me jog jobs and generate a unique id number so I can give to my clients to confirm who they are when they ring me I just want to add abit more securty now I am going LTD with my company.

Preff - 1 user with password security..

Also is it advisable also to have a client pick a password for their job folder or is this abit much.

 

[LicensedToTrade]

What you are looking for is generally known as CRM software (Customer Relationship Management)

There are lots of commercial options out there but if free is the most you are willing to pay then there are a few decent free alternatives. I'd probably recommend Sugar CRM. A quick google should bring up some options.

Let us know how you get on with any that you try so that others can learn from your experience.

 

[SparkMediaIndustries]

What you are looking for is generally known as CRM software (Customer Relationship Management)

There are lots of commercial options out there but if free is the most you are willing to pay then there are a few decent free alternatives. I'd probably recommend Sugar CRM. A quick google should bring up some options.

Let us know how you get on with any that you try so that others can learn from your experience.

I don't mind paying for the software as I believe it will more beniffical for both myself and my clients.

Any advice on customers picking there own password for secuirty reasons or shall I just chuck the idea out the window.

Thanks for the advice and will repost when I find the software.

 

[LicensedToTrade]

There are benefits for and against letting your customers decide on whether or not to have a password associated with their account.

If you let them choose whether or not to have a password then it puts the level of account security in their hands. It lets them set a suitable balance between ease of use and security. Some of them might not have the patience to keep remembering their password.

On the other side if you let them pick and choose you will have some customers who use passwords and some that don't. I don't know if you have many employees but if you do then they will have no fixed routine of dealing with customers, i.e. "Do you have a password? Don't you have a password?" and the process can become a little tedius.

Your decision should really depend on how necessary you feel this feature would be and how many customers you actually have. If you have thousands of customers then I could understand situations where you need to confirm their identity quickly. If you have a few dozen up to 100 then you should really be building rapport with them and learn to recognise them on the phone when they present themselves.

 

[geeman]

I currently use FreshBooks (invoicing) and Insightly (CRM). They both have free versions and they have been brilliant in my opinion.