Click the RAM Quick Launch icon to access the parameter screen to build the list of customers for this option.
Customer Communications is the term we use in The RAM System to represent the on-screen collection tool. This feature allows you to enter conversations you have with customers when you are calling them to collect on their accounts. This option gives you up to (11) eleven phone numbers for each customer, all the agreements you need to collect, an area to type in the details of your conversation with the customer and an area for making commitments. If you use the Communications option along with Commitments you are automatically prompted to work accounts as soon as their commitment is broken.
To build the list of customers to work
Build the list of customers you want to "work" or the list of customers you need to call for this Customer Communications session. The list you build can be for a specific range of late days or customers with broken commitments. Choose the customers you want to call, from the list defined below.
FIELD DESCRIPTIONS - CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS |
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The route manager field is used to determine which route manager you wish to view customers for. The route managers are assigned in the User file to define which users are managers. The drop-down box reveals all the managers previously assigned as route managers in the User file. Press the F8 key to select ALL route managers. |
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This field determines which customers you want to view in the customer communications screen. The user can choose all the accounts or a smaller selection of the customers who are renting from your company. All Customer Choose this option to view a list of all the customers in the routes assigned to the manager you selected. NOTE. . .
Expired Customers Choose this option to view a list of ONLY customers who are currently renting in the routes assigned to the manager you selected and who are late. Active Customers Choose this option to view a list of all customers who are currently renting in the routes assigned to the manager you selected. Today's Fall outs Choose this option to view a list of ONLY customers who have become past due today. Only those customers who are newly expired in the routes assigned to the manager you selected are listed. Range of Days Expired Choose this option to view a list of ONLY customers who are a particular number of days late. Only those customers who are within the number of days late that you specify and in the routes assigned to the manager you selected are listed. When you select this option, you are prompted to a range of days late. |
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Input a range of days late, beginning with this number of days. The number of days from the current open day is used. Input a range of days late, ending with this number of days. The number of days from the current open day is used. |
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Choose this option to view a list of customers scheduled to be called back. Only those customers with a scheduled call back date in the routes assigned to the manager you selected are listed. Scheduled Date Input the scheduled call back date. A drop-down box reveals a calendar where you can select the appropriate date or input the date manually using the MM/DD/YYYY format. |
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Broken Commitments Choose this option to view a list of customers with broken commitments. Only those customers with a broken commitment in the routes assigned to the manager you selected are listed. |
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Paid Out Account |
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Inactive Customer Choose this option to view a list of customers with NO active agreements. Only those customers with NO active agreements in the routes assigned to the manager you selected are listed. |
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When you have selected the customers you wish to work, click PROCEED. |
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The select customer grid is displayed with only the customers you selected in the list. Highlight one of the customers and click PROCEED to view the details about the customer and input conversation details as you call and "work" the accounts.
Click on or roll-over the fields on this screen for definitions or to skip to that Help topic.
To input conversations with a customer
1. After you have built your customer list. The customers you chose are listed in the Select Customer Grid.
2. Choose a customer from the Select Customer Grid. How?
3. To start a conversation with a customer, click NEW.
OR If the customer already has a conversation and you want to add details or continue using this conversation
To open an existing conversation
When you choose a customer you have already spoken to, the Existing Conversations grid is displayed. This allows the user to continue adding details to the existing conversation or to begin a new conversation. If you want to open an existing conversation, highlight the conversation you want to open, and click OPEN.
TIP: When inputting information in the detail section, the first line of the conversation is displayed in the detail column. When there is no answer, erase the "New Conversation" text and input "No Answer" or "Busy" for the call.
Mouse over the detail column to read the entire text for the conversation. |
4. The information for this customer is displayed on the screen. Each time you choose an open an existing conversation the current date and time stamp is automatically added to your conversation detail section. "Conversation continued at 10/15/2007 11:12:18 AM" for example.
5. Use the tabs to view the current information about this customer's account.
6. Click the UPDATE CONVERSATION button on the toolbar to save the conversation details. Updating the conversation saves the information you typed on the Conversation tab, and leaves the conversation OPEN so you can continue calling this customer and talking about their payment status.
To recalculate the amount the customer owes
1. When the customer's agreements are displayed on the Customer Communications form, you can change the amounts in the agreement grid similar to the way you can change the numbers in the Payment screen.
2. You can use the TAG / UNTAG button on the toolbar to turn off agreements that the customer does not need to pay yet.
3. You can type an amount in the Total column to calculate the next due date, and you can also change the next due date to calculate how much the customer needs to pay. You can use the PAYOFF button to display the payoff amount for an agreement.
4. You can use the RECALC button on the toolbar to RECALC button to reset the agreements to the way they were when you first loaded the Customer Communications screen.
When the customer has a bad check and/or bad check fees owed, the system adds the amount to the total due.
Notice the message "Balance of $40.00 in Perfect Dollars. Total Due includes $17.00 Perfect PrePayments and Bad Check/Fees of $62.18." This message is telling you that $17.00 + $62.18 is included in the total due figure to the right of this message. But the balance in the Customer Deposit account is not included. |
CUSTOMER PREPAYMENTS AND CUSTOMER DEPOSITS
When the customer has positive (green) or negative (red) money in their Customer Prepayment account, it is listed on the customer communications screen under the grid.
Notice the message "Total Due includes -$10.00 Perfect Rentals Pre-Payments" This message is telling you that the red money owed, is included in the total due.
Total Due includes -$41.76 Perfect Rentals Pre-Payments and $10.00 Customer Deposits.
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To process a payment for this customer
If the customer wants to pay by credit card over the phone, for example, you can click the TAKE PAYMENT button to pull up this customer's account in the Payment screen to process a payment.
When a commitment is broken, a message is displayed alerting you that there is a broken commitment, prompting the user to work that account now. This message checks the system time and not the OPEN day to determine whether a commitment is broken.
This message can be turned off or on using the menu option located under Operation > Utilities > Work Customers in Real Time.
Choose YES and the Customer Communications option is loaded. If you work accounts and change the status of the broken commitments or if the commitment is fulfilled by a payment, this message is no longer displayed. However, if you choose YES and do not change the status of the broken commitments, this message continues to be displayed every 30 seconds until the status of the broken commitment(s) is changed.
Choose NO and this message disappears and you are not prompted to work accounts again until you exit the system and the system is loaded again. |
To schedule a call back for this customer
1. Click SCHEDULE CALL BACK at the bottom of the Customer Communications screen.
2. Enter the call back date. A drop-down box reveals a calendar where you can select the appropriate date or input the date manually using the MM/DD/YYYY format.
3. Click SAVE.
This scheduled call back date is saved, so you can choose the customers you have scheduled to call back when you build the list of customers you want to work.
To close a conversation for this customer
When you have finished the conversation for a customer, or the issue with the customer has been resolved, you can close the conversation. Closing a conversation does not remove it from the file, so you can still print reports to see conversation history. Closing the conversation simply takes it out of the Existing Conversations list so it can no longer be updated.
1. Open the existing conversation for the selected customer.
2. Click CLOSE CONVERSATION.
To cancel and return to the list of customers
When you click the CANCEL button on the Communications toolbar you are returned to the list of customers you built when you first started. However, if you update a conversation or cancel, the NEXT CUSTOMER in the list of customers you created is highlighted so you can continue calling or "working" the customers on this list until you have finished.
The Use Customer Application box must be checked in Company Setup in order to have access to all the customer's references and references phone numbers. This information must be input in the Application option in order for it to be displayed on the Customer Communications screens. |
Some frequently asked questions: (click each question for answer)
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Remember, the system must be open in order use an option which changes or updates information. |
If you chose ALL CUSTOMERS when you built the list of customers to work, the system cannot calculate the days late for inactive customers. Since inactive customers are included in this list, everyone appears to be current. But only in the Select Customer grid, when you pull up that customer's account to call them, the information is displayed to show how much that customer owes. |
TROUBLESHOOTING
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No Customers in List |
This message is displayed when you select either a route manager or a group of accounts where no customers match your criteria. For example, if you select route manager Joe Brown, but there are no customers in a route where Joe Brown is the manager, then no customers are displayed in the list.
See also:
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