The Customer Maintenance form is used to set up customers in your database.  By keying in your customer’s card number in selected screens throughout Retail you have access to valuable information. For example, you may view your top customers or most frequent shoppers, as well as track bad check writing. You may reward your customers with frequent shopper points or electronic coupons.

Before using Customer Maintenance, click on the Settings ButtonCustomer_Settings on the upper right of the toolbar to selects defaults for data entry, such as forcing entry of a phone number, or enabling customers to get store coupons.

You can also setup Zip to City Relationships Zip_To_City_Relationshipsby pressing the button in the toolbar.

To add a customer to your system:

  1. Get the completed Customer Information Form.
  2. Select the Customer Maintenance task from the Administration menu, then click OK. By default the form opens to the Edit a Customer form.  To open the Add a Customer dialogue, press the Add a Customer button in the toolbar.
  3. Enter the following information about the customer:
    • Card_numberCard Number - Enter the customer’s card number in this field. Each customer has a unique customer card number.  Press the Tab key or the Enter key to move to the next field. Note:  The following is an example of a customer’s number that will scan at the Front End using a 13-digit barcode format. The customer number must begin with 004. For example: enter the card number as 0040023232323. The minimum information that can be entered is Card Number, First and Last Name, and Driver’s License (which defaults to the Customer ID)
    • First, Middle and Last Name
    • Phone Number and Zip Code
    • Birth Date and Sex
    • Marital Status
    • Type:  The default customer type is set in Settings. Setting a customer to Preferred entitles the customer to receive Preferred Electronic Coupons and Frequent Shopper Points. These fields must also be flagged.
    • Driver License - The driver's license field defaults to the customer ID number.
    • Customer Link: The Customer Link field is used to link two customers together. Either type in the Card Number of the customer to link to or use the Link Search button (ellipsis) to search for a customer.  Once you've entered the customer number a message box will display.  Click ‘Yes’ to accept.  The following fields are updated to the current customer: customer address, marital status, area, category, discount, pricing level, shops for, credit limit, writing check privilege, cash back, frequent shopper, store coupons and print invoice.  Whenever a linked customer is edited, you will be prompted to update the linked customer upon pressing the Save button.  To unlink a customer, delete the link for both customers.
    • Customer Photo - From the Customer Photo Customer_Photodialogue, browse to select the customer’s photo.
    • Address - From the Address dialogue box, fill in the Address and Phone number.  Fill in the customer’s Billing Address and e-Mail addressJE6D1G.  
    • Secondary ID: If required, press Customer Secondary ID to enter Check Cashing identification in additional to Driver License, which is automatically entered in this field.  Account numbers, spouse’s driving license and other forms of ID may be added.  IDs must be at least 8 characters long. In the Secondary ID screen, enter the ID number, then press Add. The Secondary ID field is used to track bad check writing. This field is used in conjunction with Tender Maintenance.  In the Tender Maintenance Screen, flag Require Secondary ID and Valid ID. The cashier will be prompted at the Front End to ask for another form of identification, in addition to their Customer ID card.
    • Area: Select the Geographic Area of your customer from the Geographic Code Maintenance screen, by pressing the ellipsis button to the right of this field.  To select, double-click on the Geographic Area and press OK.  See Area Setup for information on setting up areas.
    • Category: Select the Category of your customer from the Category Maintenance screen, by pressing the ellipsis button to the right of this field.  To select, double-click on the Category and press OK. See Category Setup for information on setting up the Category screen.
    • Active Customer: Flagged active by default. Deleting a customer will change the status to Inactive. If a customer is inactive, sales will not be captured for this customer on the Front End.
    • Frequent Shopper: Check this box to indicate this customer is able to receive Frequent Shopper Points.  The points are accumulated for each purchase and will display in the Points Earned field immediately. This field is used in conjunction with the Frequent Shopper Ranges task in the Customer menu. Alternatively, points may be accumulated for Frequent Shopper customers by entering EnablePoints=1 on the ros.ini file. The Product Point Value in the POS Information task must also be set in order to use this method.
    • Store Coupons: Check this box to indicate this customer is able to receive Electronic Coupons.  The customer must also have Preferred (PC) selected for the Customer Type.
    • Print Invoice: A check in this box will indicate this customer’s orders will print to an Invoice printer and also to a Receipt printer. The printer at the Front End has to be set to print invoices and print receipts through the Front End setup screen.  If the Front End is set to Invoice Printer only, all sales will ring up on the Invoice printer.
    • Tax Exempted: Flag this box if the customer is exempted from paying sales tax.
    • Pricing Level: Used to give special prices on selected products. The Pricing Level for the product is set in Product Maintenance.
    • Discount: Select the customer's discount number.  Discounts are created in the POS Information task under the Discounts Tab.  Retail assigns a number to each discount created. Discounts are applied automatically to the customer’s purchases at the checkstand for products or departments that are flagged to allow a discount. To change the customer’s existing discount percentage, use the up or down arrows to select a discount number.
    • Shops For: Enter the number of people that the customer shops for in this field. This is usually the number of people in the customer’s household.  Press the Tab key to move to the next field.
    • Tax Exempt ID: Enter the Tax Exempt ID number of the customer. Make sure to also flag the Tax Exempted field.
    • Charge Account Privileges: If the customer has a charge account, put a check in the box. The Credit Limit displayed will be the default limit entered in System Information. You will be prompted to set up In Store Charge terms when you finish entering the customer's information and press the save button. The Front End will display a message if the customer does not have charge account privileges. This requires the checker to call a manager for an override or accept another form of tender.
    • Credit Limit: By default the system will use the Credit Limit set up in the System Information Default Tab. To change the credit limit for an individual customer, press the In Store Charge Maintenance button in the toolbar. This will open the In Store Charge Maintenance form. Press Set Attributes to enter a new charge limit. The Front End will display a message if the customer is over their charge limit. This requires the checker to call a manager for an override or accept another form of tender.
    • Terms: After entering all of the customer information, including Attributes, Credit Limit, and Write Checks, press Save in the toolbar. The user will be prompted to set up AR information. Press “Yes”. The Instore Charge Maintenance form will then be opened up. Press Set Customer Attributes in the toolbar, then select the Terms for the customer. See the help file for Instore Charge Maintenance for more information.
    • Allowed Purchasers: Press to enter the names and card numbers of persons, which are allowed to make charges on this account. This is only necessary if additional customers are permitted to make in-store charges on the same account. In this case, the primary cardholder’s number must also be entered as an allowed purchaser. If this feature is used, the tender MI must be edited in Tender Maintenance. In Tender Maintenance, select the Miscellaneous tab. Flag “Prompt for Information”, and type in “Enter Customer ID” in the Message field. On the Front End, the cashier will be prompted to enter the allowed purchaser’s ID. The card number of the customer who made the charge will be displayed on Electronic Journal, as the Ref. No.
    • Write Checks Privileges: If the customer is allowed to write checks for purchases, activate the check box by clicking on it.  If the Write Checks box is not activated for a customer and the customer writes a check at the Front End, a message will be displayed at the checkstand. (This message can be changed in the POS Information form.) This requires the checker to call a manager for an override or accept another form of tender.
    • Cash Back: Enter the cash back amount allowed the customer when writing a check.

Cash_Back

  1. Save the new customer information.
  2. Print the Customer Information Report if desired.
  3. Exit the Add a Customer form.
  4. Press Synchronize Checkstands with Customers.
  5. You may also enter a customer directly on the Front End through the Manager Screen.