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Rebecca

Rebecca

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Posts
3,338
Location
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
This is an incredibly naive question I know, but here I go.

I have reams of client's names/addresses/phone #'s on paper (treatment agreement forms). Have never had time or energy to transfer this to some sort of software that would allow me to track treatments, generate mailing lists etc.

I now have a 16 yr old daughter, looking for work. Aha, says I. Data entry technician! But I haven't a clue as to what she should enter all this into.

Is there a very basic software that would allow customer tracking and mailing?

Rebecca
 
Rebecca, as it's not framing the usual POS doesn't come to mind.
Relatively simple to use would be ACT! for windows. And I have heard that Quick Books has a data base/contact stuff.

Of course the Steroid Inflammed of them all is Access. Have fun learning. I took three day course and came out pumped and more confused than ever.

I find ACT! addiquete and you can enter all sorts of notes and stuff..

baer
 
If you want to keep it with software you probably already have I would use Access.

I have been using it for years and it is very good.

You can sort or search any way you'd like, create lists, reports and best of all it easily merges with MS Word for letters, lables, envolopes for direct mailing.
 
We also use access, as well as our POS system. Lifesaver handles the existing customers, and Access handles the external and manually typed mailing lists.

Ultimately it all goes through ACCESS/WORD for a mail merge.

If you dont have any of these programs at your disposal you could also do it in EXCEL.

I'm not sure what you mean by "tracking" though? Ultimately the POS would track if they came in, and the coupon or referral source.
 
"Very basic" and "allow customer tracking and mailing"

If you really mean that ("BASIC"), create a "Data Source" for "Mail Merge" in Microsoft Word. It's simple. Easy to use for tracking and mailing. And, with a little proactice, you can create reports for analysis. It's a little harder to start sorting and cross referencing, etc. But, it's easy to get it into Access later if you ever want to go that route.
 
Rebecca, I answered before asking an important question ... How many names do you have to deal with?

My answer assumes you have a little more than 100 or less.

I think Mike's answer assumes you have 100's.

I have a couple of thousand in my customer DB and wouldn't dream of using anything not designed for that purpose.

I also run a few "non-business" organizations with "tens of members" for which the Microsoft Word method works fine.

Fundamental to any "tools" question be it high-tech or low-tech is identifying the extent of the job. High/low volume, accuracy, and speed.

It's amusing to me how we all (me included) make definitive statements and recommendations based on assumptions without truly understanding a problem.
 
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