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Customers
In the customer module, customer files are managed. These customer files contain all the information about the customer and can be used throughout the software, such as when creating documents.
To create a new customer, navigate to 'Customers' in the BestInvoicing menu to the left:
You can add a new customer via the green button at the top right. The information on your customer (name, address, contact details, ...) is filled in in the blank customer file.
It is also possible to retrieve all company data with just one click via the customer's VAT number. This data retrieval works by linking the European VIES database.
A customer number is automatically assigned. You can also set the numbering structure yourself; read here how to do that.
At customer level, you can already indicate which VAT regime is applicable. By default the 'standard rate' of the pertaining country is set, but you can also indicate other regimes. The applied VAT regime can also be entered or altered when creating a document (proposal, invoice, ...).
If you have completed all the information, click the green 'Add' button at the bottom. You can edit the customer file, just like other entities in BestInvoicing, at any time via the yellow 'Edit' button.
You can decide to only enter your customer data at the moment of creating a new document. The customer data that's entered directly in a document can easily be 'Saved as new customer' to create a customer file.
The basic information per customer can be extended with additional fields. These can be found at the bottom of the customer file, behind the button 'More Options'. The following fields are available:
Examples of additional settings per customer:
- specific payment term
- discount (financial discount or general discount)
Alternative email addresses for specific documents can also be specified here. For example, a customer may request that invoices or order forms should not be sent to [email protected], but to [email protected]. The available types of documents listed here depend on how many document modules you have activated.
Specific payment term: this overwrites the default general payment term, set at company level. If the default payment term is 14 days but you assign 30 days to this particular customer, the documents linked to this customer will have 30 days instead of 14 days payment term. This also applies to any automatic payment reminders that would be sent out for this customer.
It is also possible to create your own information fields for your contacts. In these fields you can add extra information on contact level (suppliers and/or customers), which may be important only to your specific business. This type of field can also be displayed on your documents, if desired. Read the documentation on 'Custom fields for contacts' to learn how to create and use these fields.
As part of the customer file, you will see a field 'Internal note': this is a free text field. You can use this field e.g. to enter specific customer details. Internal note information is not displayed on your documents and will only be visible in the BestInvoicing interface.
At the bottom of the customer record, the general turnover linked to this customer will appear, as well as the turnover per product bought by this customer. BestInvoicing uses the data from created invoices + cash register tickets - credit notes for this purpose.
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Using the 'Full Report' button (above the 'Revenue by Product' chart), you can see the products sold to this customer in a report.
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If your customer is a company, you can add a specific department or contact person within that company via the green button 'Add Contact'.
In the field 'Attn.' of an invoice, the specific information of a contact person/department can be included. If you entered a different address for your contact person than the address for your 'Customer', the address data of your 'Customer' will be overwritten with those of the specific contact person or department.
Based on a simple csv file, you can import an existing customer list into BestInvoicing. In just three steps you have already uploaded your entire contact list. Such import is also possible for a list of suppliers, or products. How to perform an import can be read here.
You can also export your customers from BestInvoicing with one click. Click the blue button 'Actions' at the top right to export and download a csv file. This file can be opened with any spreadsheet software (such as Excel).
It is possible to link a certain attachment document to your client file (e.g. contract - signed or pending, special conditions, ...).
In the example below, a signed contract is uploaded. Other possible uses:
- Photos of the follow-up of the work, to be forwarded to your client afterwards
- A prepared quality certificate, to be sent together with your invoice to your client
You can also upload attachments at company level. This may be applicable for General Terms and Conditions. Read here how to set this up.
Some customers may receive multiple deliveries from your company per time period (e.g. 1 month). It is then convenient to send them an invoice just once a month. In BestInvoicing you can easily combine the products and prices from multiple delivery notes into one invoice, directly from the customer file.
It is possible to indicate a different currency or language at customer level. If you choose, for example, French, all documents created (proposal, order confirmation, invoice, ...) to this customer will be created in French. The translations of the documents' default texts are provided by BestInvoicing.
This means that e.g. the standard bottom text on an invoice will be translated into the customer's language. However, if you have modified this bottom text or are using a custom version, be sure to provide your own translation.
The products or services mentioned on the documents are displayed in the language in which you have created or entered them. In order to mention the products on the invoice in French for example, you have to provide a French translation of your product names. Read here how you can do this.
You can manage which languages you want to offer in BestInvoicing via the app 'Foreign-Language Customers'. Currencies can be managed via the 'Other Currencies' extension.
If you have activated the app 'Price Segmentation', you can start applying it to your products. If you use different prices for different customer categories (e.g. business or private), it is possible to create different price segments. Per product you can create several price categories and their corresponding prices. In the customer file you can assign a customer to a certain segment. Read here how you to create a price segment.
If you've activated the app 'MailChimp', you can synchronize your customer list with a list in MailChimp. This way you can easily send newsletters to your current BestInvoicing customer base via MailChimp. Read here how to use this application.
Last modified 1yr ago