Adding Contacts
From the Main tab of the Ribbon Menu click the New Contacts icon. Enter the Contact details and then press Save. Alternatively to add a Contact quickly with minimal information use the Quick Add screen.
Everyone you deal with, whether it is an Applicant, Landlord, Vendor, Contractor, Solicitor, Estate Agent, Company etc, is added as a Contact.
It is important that you select the correct type of Contact as this will determine how Acquaint uses and displays the information.
The Contact screen features a number of tabs for entry of specific details. Some tabs will only be displayed based on the Contact Type.
For Applicants, it is essential that the Requirements screen is completed accurately to ensure that Properties can be Matched correctly based on their criteria.
Various fields are mandatory and require being entered before the Contact record can be saved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z330s3Ef3-g
Adding a Contact's Details
Last Name & First Names - enter the Contact's name. An automatic checking of duplicate Contacts is performed once Last and First Names have been entered.
Duplicate Checking - If a Contact already exists with the same name then a warning message will be displayed with an option of either 'Continue Adding' to carry on adding the new record or 'Select' to choose from one of the existing records displayed to modify.
Duplicate checking is also performed on mobile number and email address.
If the contact is a utility supplier the names are generally left blank.
Title - specify the Contact's title. If the Contact is a Utility Supplier you may wish to specify a title of 'Sir / Madam'.
Salutation - specify in this field how you will address the Contact in correspondence such as Letters, Emails and SMS Text Messages e.g. "Dear David" or "Dear Mr Smith". Acquaint will automatically generate the Salutation field value based on the Contact's First Names and Last Name but can be modified as required. Acquaint can also be configured to generate either formal ("Mr Smith") or informal ("David") Salutations.
Birth Date - if a Birth Date is required, click the drop-down arrow and select the birth date from the pop up calendar.
Mobile telephone - enter the mobile telephone number. Without a mobile number the option to contact them via SMS Text will not be available.
Email #1 and Email #2 - enables two different email addresses to be entered. Automatic checking of duplicate Email Addresses is also performed. If a Contact already exists with the same email then a warning message will be displayed with an option of either 'Yes to continue adding or 'No' to modify the existing Contact.
Web Page - a web site address may be entered e.g. www.acquaintcrm.co.uk
Type- click on the drop-down list and choose the Contact Type from the drop-down list.
Status - specifies whether a contact is Current (active) or Expired (inactive). click on the drop-down list and choose the Contact Type from the drop-down list.
Source field is used to track how the contact was introduced to you. For example from a certain web site, newspaper advert, or a walk-in.
Linked To - it is possible to Link related Contacts together e.g. if more than one person is purchasing a property together and have different surnames.
Added Date - this is added by default when you add the Contact.
Added by - this is added by default against the user record that added the Contact.
User Assigned to - this is added by default against the user record that added the contact but you can assign the contact to another user by clicking on the drop-down arrow and selecting a different user.
Site/Branch - the branch the Contact is assigned to.
Once all information has been entered click the Save button at the top of the screen or select Save from the File from the menu bar. If any required fields have been missed a pop up box will appear saying which fields need entering. The Contact can only be saved once all mandatory fields are entered.
Two addresses can be stored against a Contact:
Home Address details
Business Address details
Two methods of Postcode Lookup are available:
Internal (default) - as you enter Contacts an internal database of address / postcode is built. The more Contacts that are entered the better Acquaint becomes at pre-filling address fields based on the entered Postcode
Postcode Anywhere - an Internet link to the Royal Mail database containing all UK addresses. This option is charged on a per-click basis for each Postcode lookup.
Depending on the Contact Type the other icons are as follows:
Correspondence - Letters, SMS Texts, Emails, Notes, Tasks
Properties - Vendors / Landlords only
References - Lettings Applicants only
Tenancies - Lettings Applicants only
Account - Landlords / Tenants only
User Settings - Users only
An New Contact icon can be found in the Quick Access toolbar which provides a short-cut to adding a Contact.
For company Contacts such as Utility Suppliers, Solicitors and Managed Agents ensure the company name is placed in the Company Name field rather than the First and Last Name fields
Always expire contacts when they have become inactive, never delete. This will ensure that the Contact is stored
Under the Advanced tab the following options are available
Requirements Report
Send Details to IFA
View Client Login - This will login to the Client Login using the Contact's details and display the Home Page of the Client Login