CRM Troubleshooting & FAQ

This article addresses the most common questions and issues that users encounter when working with AccuArk's CRM features. Each section describes a specific problem, explains why it happens, and provides step-by-step instructions for resolving it. If you are experiencing an issue that is not covered here, contact your system administrator or refer to the related articles linked at the bottom of this page.

Access and Visibility Issues

I can't see the CRM menu items

Problem: You open AccuArk and the CRM menu is either missing entirely from the menu bar or it appears but some items you expect to see are not listed.

Why this happens: Every item in the CRM menu is controlled by a specific permission. If your user role does not include the required permission for a menu item, that item is hidden. If your role has no CRM permissions at all, the entire CRM menu is hidden. This is by design — it keeps the interface clean and prevents users from accessing features they are not authorized to use.

How to fix it:

1. Contact your system administrator and let them know which CRM menu items you need access to.
2. The administrator can open the role management system and grant the appropriate CRM permissions to your role.
3. Once the permissions are added, log out of AccuArk and log back in. The newly granted menu items will appear in your CRM menu.

Which permissions control which menu items:

For a complete list of all CRM permissions and their descriptions, see the CRM Permissions & Role Setup article.

I can't see other users' deals, tickets, or tasks

Problem: You can see your own CRM records, but when you look at a customer that another user has been working with, you do not see their deals, tickets, or tasks.

Why this happens: CRM record visibility is controlled by two factors working together:

1. Location visibility setting: Each location has a CRM visibility mode that determines the default level of access. The two modes are:
   • owner_only — Users see only the CRM records they personally created or are assigned to. Other users' records are hidden.
   • location_wide — Users see all CRM records for customers associated with their location, regardless of who created them.
2. VIEW_ALL permissions: Even in owner_only mode, users with VIEW_ALL_DEALS, VIEW_ALL_TICKETS, or VIEW_ALL_TASKS permissions can see all records regardless of ownership. These permissions override the location visibility setting.

How to fix it:

• Check with your administrator whether your location uses owner_only or location_wide mode.
• If you need to see other users' records in an owner_only location, ask your administrator to grant you the appropriate VIEW_ALL_* permission.
• If your entire team should be able to see each other's records, the administrator can change the location's visibility mode to location_wide.

Deal Issues

Deal values show $0

Problem: One or more deals in your pipeline show a value of $0.00, and the weighted pipeline total seems lower than expected.

Why this happens: The Deal Value field is optional when creating a deal. If the field is left blank or set to zero, the deal will have a $0 value. This is technically valid — some businesses use the pipeline for tracking purposes without attaching dollar values — but it means the deal contributes nothing to weighted pipeline calculations.

How the weighted value is calculated: The weighted value for a deal is calculated as:

Weighted Value = Deal Value x Stage Probability / 100

For example, a $10,000 deal in a stage with 50% probability has a weighted value of $5,000. A $0 deal in any stage always has a weighted value of $0.

How to fix it:

1. Open the Customer Form for the customer associated with the deal.
2. Go to the Deals tab.
3. Double-click the deal with the $0 value to open the Deal dialog.
4. Enter the correct value in the Deal Value field.
5. Click Save.

The pipeline summary on the CRM Dashboard will update the next time you refresh it (press F5).

Deal is stuck in a stage I cannot change

Problem: You try to move a deal to a different stage but the stage dropdown does not respond, or you receive an error when trying to save.

Why this happens: This typically occurs for one of these reasons:

1. Permission issue: You need the CRM_EDIT_DEAL permission to modify deals. Without it, the deal opens in read-only mode.
2. Deal is Won or Lost: Deals that have been marked as Won or Lost are in a terminal state. To reopen a closed deal, you may need to use the "Reopen" option if available, or create a new deal.

How to fix it:

• Verify you have the CRM_EDIT_DEAL permission by checking with your administrator.
• If the deal is in a Won or Lost state and needs to be reactivated, contact a user with CRM_MANAGE_PIPELINE permission to assist.

Task Issues

Auto-tasks are not being created when I move deals

Problem: You move a deal from one pipeline stage to another, but no automatic task is created even though you expected one.

Why this happens: Auto-task creation depends on three configuration settings on the destination stage. All three must be properly set for auto-tasks to work.

How to fix it — check these three things:

1. Is Auto-Task Enabled checked? Open Pipeline Settings (CRM menu > Pipeline Settings). Find the target stage in the list and verify that the Auto-Task Enabled checkbox is checked. If it is unchecked, auto-tasks will not be created for that stage.
2. Does the stage have an Auto-Task Title? In Pipeline Settings, check that the Auto-Task Title field for the stage is not empty. The auto-task feature uses this title as the name of the automatically created task. If the title is blank, the system cannot create a properly named task.
3. Are you moving the deal TO that stage? Auto-tasks are triggered when a deal enters a stage, not when it leaves a stage. If you move a deal from Stage A to Stage B, the auto-task configuration on Stage B is what determines whether a task is created. Stage A's auto-task settings are irrelevant for this transition.

For detailed configuration instructions, see the Auto-Tasks & Stage Automation article.

Tasks are not showing as overdue

Problem: You have tasks with past due dates, but they do not appear highlighted in red or listed in the overdue section of the Dashboard.

Why this happens: Only tasks with a status of "Open" or "In Progress" can be overdue. If a task has been marked as "Completed" or "Cancelled," it will not appear in the overdue list regardless of its due date. Additionally, the Dashboard may need to be refreshed to reflect the current date.

How to fix it:

1. Open the CRM Dashboard and press F5 to refresh all panels.
2. If the tasks still do not appear, open the customer's Tasks tab and check the status of the tasks in question. Completed and cancelled tasks are not shown as overdue.
3. If the task was mistakenly completed, double-click it and change its status back to Open, then save.

Ticket Issues

Ticket is stuck in a status I can't change

Problem: You try to change a ticket's status (for example, from Open to In Progress) but the status dropdown does not allow the change, or you receive an error.

Why this happens: There are two common causes:

1. Permission issue: You need the CRM_EDIT_TICKET permission to modify ticket status. Without this permission, the ticket opens in read-only mode.
2. Status flow confusion: Ticket statuses follow a general flow: Open > In Progress > Resolved > Closed. While the system allows you to move backwards (for example, from Resolved back to In Progress if an issue recurs), the status dropdown shows all available options. If a particular status is not appearing, it may be a permission or configuration issue rather than a flow restriction.

How to fix it:

• Confirm you have the CRM_EDIT_TICKET permission.
• If you need to reopen a Closed ticket, check whether your role has the appropriate permission. Some organizations restrict the ability to reopen closed tickets to managers.
• If the status dropdown appears empty or disabled, try closing and reopening the ticket dialog.

Dashboard Issues

Dashboard shows stale data

Problem: The CRM Dashboard is displaying information that seems out of date — deals that have been moved, tasks that have been completed, or tickets that have been resolved are still showing in their old state.

Why this happens: The CRM Dashboard loads data once when it is opened and does not automatically refresh in the background. If you leave the Dashboard open while making changes in other forms, the Dashboard will not reflect those changes until you manually refresh it.

How to fix it:

1. Press F5 while the Dashboard has focus. This reloads all four panels (pipeline, tasks, tickets, activities) with the latest data from the database.
2. If the data still appears incorrect after refreshing, check that the correct Location is selected in the filter dropdown at the top of the Dashboard. Selecting a different location will show data for that location only.
3. If you suspect a data issue beyond simple staleness, close the Dashboard entirely and reopen it from the CRM menu.

Dashboard panels are empty

Problem: You open the CRM Dashboard and one or more panels show no data, even though you know records exist.

Why this happens: This is usually a visibility or permission issue:

• If your location uses owner_only visibility mode, you will only see records that are assigned to you. Records created by other users will not appear.
• If you are a new user who has not yet been assigned any deals, tasks, or tickets, the panels will legitimately be empty.
• If the Location filter dropdown is set to a location where you have no CRM activity, the panels will be empty for that location.

How to fix it:

1. Check the Location filter dropdown and make sure it is set to your primary location.
2. Verify that you have CRM records by opening a customer and checking the Deals, Tasks, or Tickets tabs directly.
3. If you can see records on individual customer forms but not on the Dashboard, contact your administrator to verify your CRM visibility settings and permissions.

Configuration Questions

Tags button is not showing on the Customer Info tab

Problem: You have read about client tags but cannot find the Tags button on the Customer Info tab.

Where to find it: The Tags button is always visible on the Customer Info tab. It is located in the CRM Settings group section, which is on the right side of the Customer Info tab, below the Lead Source and Assigned Rep fields. Look for a button labeled Tags — it opens a dialog where you can check or uncheck tags for the current customer.

If you genuinely cannot find the button, try maximizing the Customer Form window. On small screens or low resolutions, the right side of the tab may be partially hidden and require scrolling.

How do I remove a tag from a customer?

Steps:

1. Open the Customer Form for the customer.
2. Go to the Customer Info tab.
3. Click the Tags button in the CRM Settings group.
4. In the Tags dialog, locate the tag you want to remove.
5. Uncheck the checkbox next to that tag.
6. Click Save to apply the change.

The tag will be removed from the customer immediately. The tag itself remains available in the system for use with other customers — removing a tag from one customer does not delete the tag definition.

I deleted a lead source and now some customers show blank

Problem: After deleting a lead source from CRM Settings, customers who were assigned that lead source now show a blank or zero value in their Lead Source field.

Why this happens: When a lead source is deleted, its database record is removed. Customers that referenced that lead source through a foreign key now point to a record that no longer exists, which causes the field to display as blank.

How to avoid this in the future: Instead of deleting lead sources, deactivate them. An inactive lead source is hidden from the Lead Source dropdown when creating or editing customers, so no new customers will be assigned to it. However, existing customers that already have the lead source assigned will continue to display it correctly because the record still exists in the database.

How to fix affected customers:

1. Open each affected customer's form.
2. Go to the Customer Info tab.
3. Select a new lead source from the Lead Source dropdown.
4. Save the form.

Unfortunately, the original lead source data cannot be recovered once the record is deleted. This is why deactivation is always preferred over deletion for reference data.

Activity not showing on the timeline

Problem: You logged an activity for a customer, but when you check the Activities tab on the Customer Form, the activity does not appear.

Why this happens: There are several possible causes:

1. Activity was not saved: If you opened the Activity dialog but closed it without clicking Save (for example, by pressing Escape or clicking Cancel), the activity was not recorded. Try creating the activity again.
2. Wrong customer: Activities are linked to the specific customer whose form was open when the activity was created. If you created the activity from a different customer's form, it will appear on that customer's timeline instead.
3. Grid not refreshed: The Activities tab may need to be refreshed. Click away from the tab and click back, or close and reopen the Customer Form to reload the data.

How to fix it:

1. Verify you are looking at the correct customer's form.
2. Close and reopen the Customer Form to force a data reload.
3. If the activity is still missing, recreate it. This time, make sure to click Save in the Activity dialog and wait for the confirmation before closing.

General Tips for Avoiding Issues

• Always press Save: CRM dialogs do not auto-save. If you close a dialog without clicking Save, your changes are lost.
• Refresh frequently: The CRM Dashboard and grids do not auto-refresh. Press F5 on the Dashboard or re-open tabs to see the latest data.
• Deactivate instead of delete: For reference data like lead sources, activity types, and ticket categories, deactivation preserves historical data while hiding the item from new selections.
• Check permissions first: If a feature is missing or a button is disabled, the most common cause is a missing permission. Contact your administrator.
• Use consistent data entry: Agree on tag naming conventions, activity type usage, and ticket categorization with your team to keep your CRM data clean and reportable.

What to Read Next

• CRM Permissions & Role Setup — Full list of CRM permissions and how to assign them to roles
• Introduction to AccuArk CRM — Start here if you are new to the CRM and want a complete overview of all features