You can add customers or edit or delete customer information using the Customers tab of the Customer Center screen. Customer information entered on this screen is used in sales-related screens or in Cash Receipts transactions.
From this screen, you can create records for new customers, edit existing customer records, and delete customers you no longer serve.
Alternatively, if you are converting from QuickBooks or Peachtree, or if you have saved customer information to a properly-formatted Excel spreadsheet, you can import customer information from this screen rather than entering it on screen.
Note: To import existing customer records, you must create the source files in QuickBooks, Peachtree, or Excel before beginning the import operation.
To set up customer information:
1. Select Customer Center from the Sales menu to open the Customer Center screen.
The Customers tab is selected by default.
Note: You can select the Customer List tab of the Customer Center to review a list of previously-entered customer records and select one for editing or deletion.
2. Ensure that New is selected in the Select Customer field to enter a new customer, or select an existing customer from the drop-down list to edit or delete the customer.
Alternatively, click Import to begin to import previously-prepared customer information from QuickBooks, Peachtree, or a generic spreadsheet.
You can delete an existing customer using the Delete button at the bottom of the screen. The Delete button is disabled if the customer has already been used in any transactions.
3. Enter an identifying number for the customer in the Customer # field.
This unique number is used to identify the customer on several different reports.
4. Enter the customer's name and address information, including the customer's email address, in the fields in the Billing Information section.
If you download electronic transactions, enter the form of the customer name stored in the bank record in the Alias field. This field is automatically entered by the system after you first update electronic transactions for this customer, or you can enter it on screen.
Be sure to enter the name of a contact person for the customer in the Contact field and to select the appropriate sales representative from the drop-down list in the Sales Representative field.
Note: The list of available sales representatives includes employees and vendors who have been designated as sales representatives on the Employee Setup tab of the Payroll screen, or the Vendor Setup tab of the Vendors screen.
5. Select a default department to apply to all transactions for this customer, if applicable, from the list in the Default Department field.
For non-profit organizations, the list contains the three default funds - Unrestricted Net Assets, Temporarily Restricted Net Assets, and Permanently Restricted Net Assets - to which you can apply transactions for this customer.
You can change this department or fund for individual sales.
6. Click the Shipping Address if Different option if the customer's shipping address is different from the address entered in the Billing Information section.
The Shipping Information section appears, providing additional address fields in which to enter a separate shipping address for the customer.
7. (Optional) Use the Notes field to enter any additional information about this customer.
8. (Optional) Select the Inactive checkbox to place the customer into Inactive status, in which the customer is unavailable on customer lists entering invoices or payments.
9. Specify account and balance information in the fields in the Account Information section.
You can use the Revenue drop-down list to select an account to use for this customer and enter a beginning balance owed by the customer in the Beginning Balance field.
If you enter an amount in the Beginning Balance field, the As Of field appears, allowing you to specify a date for the balance. This information is used on the Accounts Receivable Aging Report.
10. Ensure that the Customer Taxable checkbox in the Sales Tax Information section is selected for taxable customers, or clear the checkbox if the customer is not taxable.
Selecting the checkbox enables the fields in the Locality Information section. The information in the fields defaults to the state, county, and tax rate you set in the Sales Preferences screen.
11. Verify the State, County, and Tax Rate (%) information in the Locality Information section, or change the information based on the customer's location or tax rate.
12. Click Save to save your entries and then click Add to add another customer.
You must save your entries on the Customers tab to open another tab on the Customer Center screen.