Customer Profile and Information Tab
The Customer Info tab is the first tab on the Customer form and serves as the central hub for all of a customer's profile data. Every time you open a customer record, this tab is displayed by default. It contains the customer's contact information, mailing address, account type, location assignment, CRM relationship settings, credit settings, and tags.
This article walks through every field and control on the tab so you know exactly what each one does and how to use it.
Opening the Customer Form
You can open the Customer form in two ways:
- New Customer — From the Customers menu, select New Customer. The form opens with all fields blank and the title bar displays "New Customer."
- Existing Customer — From the Customers list, double-click a customer row or select a customer and click Edit. The form opens with all fields populated from the database, and the title bar displays the customer's name.
When editing an existing customer, the header area shows the customer's name in large text and an account number badge (for example, "Acct# 1042"). The created date is displayed in the footer area.
Header Area
The header panel spans the top of the form and contains three important elements:
- Customer Name / Title — Shows "New Customer" for a new record or the customer's full name for an existing record
- Account Number Badge — Displays the customer's unique account ID (for example, "Acct# 1042"), visible only for saved customers
- Print Card Button — Generates a printable customer card with the customer's contact information
- Account Disabled Checkbox — A red-text checkbox in the top-right corner. When checked, the account is marked as inactive. Disabled accounts may be excluded from certain searches and dropdowns
Contact Information Fields
The main body of the Customer Info tab contains the following contact fields. All fields are optional except the customer name, which is required to save the record.
| Field | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The customer's full name. This is the only required field. | Free text |
| Company | The customer's company or business name. | Free text |
| Phone | Primary telephone number. | Masked input: 1-(___)-___-____ |
| Mobile | Mobile or cell phone number. | Masked input: 1-(___)-___-____ |
| Primary email address. | Free text | |
| Fax | Fax number. | Masked input: 1-(___)-___-____ |
| Website | Customer's website URL. | Free text |
| Tax ID | Tax identification number for tax-exempt customers or businesses. | Free text |
| Notes | A multiline text area for general notes about the customer. | Multiline free text |
Phone, Mobile, and Fax fields use masked input controls that format the number as you type. You do not need to type the dashes or parentheses.
Mailing Address Group
Below the contact fields is a group box labeled "Mailing Address" that contains the customer's primary mailing address. This is separate from the shipping and billing addresses on the Addresses tab.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Address Line 1 | Street address or P.O. box |
| Address Line 2 | Suite, apartment, or building number |
| City | City name |
| State | State or province |
| Zip Code | Postal code with masked input (format: _____-____) |
| County | County name |
Location Assignment
Below the mailing address group is the Location dropdown. Every customer must be assigned to a location. The dropdown lists all locations that your user account has access to. In a single-location business, there is only one option. In a multi-location business, choose the location where this customer primarily does business.
The location assignment determines which users can see and work with this customer. Only users who have access to the customer's assigned location will see the customer in their customer list.
Account Type
The Account Type dropdown appears in the header area alongside the customer name. It categorizes the customer into a business-defined type. Account types are managed from the Customers menu under Account Types. Common examples include Retail, Wholesale, Contractor, and Government.
Select the appropriate account type from the dropdown when creating or editing a customer. If the type you need does not exist, you can create it from the Account Types management screen.
CRM Settings Group
The CRM Settings group box is located below the mailing address and location fields. It contains the fields that tie the customer into AccuArk's CRM system.
Lead Source
The Lead Source dropdown indicates how this customer first discovered your business. Values are populated from the configurable lead sources list (managed in CRM > CRM Settings). Common options include Referral, Website, Walk-In, Social Media, Phone Inquiry, and Trade Show.
Tracking lead sources across all customers allows you to analyze which marketing channels are most effective at bringing in new business.
Assigned Rep
The Assigned Rep dropdown assigns a sales representative or account manager to this customer. The dropdown is populated with users who have access to the customer's current location. Assigning a rep establishes ownership and determines who receives follow-up task notifications and whose name appears on CRM reports.
If no rep is assigned, certain CRM features (such as deal assignment) will default to the user creating the record.
Next Follow-Up
The Next Follow-Up date picker lets you set a reminder date for the next time someone should contact this customer. The date picker includes a checkbox. When the checkbox is unchecked, no follow-up date is set. Check the box and select a date to activate the follow-up. The CRM Dashboard can reference this date to surface customers who are due for outreach.
Preferred Contact Method
The Preferred Contact Method dropdown records how the customer prefers to be contacted. Options include Phone, Email, Mobile, and Any. This field is informational and helps team members choose the right channel when reaching out.
Best Contact Time
The Best Contact Time text field records when the customer prefers to be contacted. You can enter any text value, such as "Mornings," "After 3 PM," or "Tuesdays and Thursdays." This field is informational and displays on the customer record for reference.
Do Not Contact
The Do Not Contact checkbox is displayed in red text to draw attention. When checked, it signals that this customer should not be contacted for marketing, sales outreach, or cold calls. The flag is visible to all users who open the customer record, serving as a clear warning to respect the customer's wishes.
Tags
The Tags button opens a dialog where you can assign or remove colored tag badges from the customer. Tags are defined in CRM Settings and might include labels such as:
- VIP — High-value or high-priority customer
- At Risk — Customer who may be considering leaving
- New Customer — Recently acquired customer
- High Value — Customer with large order history
After you save the tag assignments, the selected tags appear as colored badges in a flow panel next to the Tags button on the Customer Info tab. Tags provide a quick visual classification that helps team members understand the customer's status at a glance.
Credit Settings Group
The Credit Settings group box appears alongside or below the CRM Settings group and controls the customer's credit terms.
Credit Limit
The Credit Limit field is a numeric input that sets the maximum amount of outstanding credit the customer is allowed. Enter the dollar amount (for example, 5000 for a $5,000 credit limit). A value of zero means no credit limit is set.
Enforce Credit Limit
The Enforce Credit Limit checkbox determines whether AccuArk actively enforces the credit limit. When checked, the system will prevent new invoices from being created if the customer's outstanding balance would exceed the credit limit. When unchecked, the credit limit is recorded for reference but not enforced.
The combination of Credit Limit and Enforce Credit Limit gives you flexibility. You can set a credit limit as a guideline without enforcement, or you can enable enforcement to prevent over-extension.
Footer Area
The footer panel at the bottom of the form contains:
- Created Date — Shows the date the customer record was first created (for example, "Created: 01/15/2025")
- Save Button — Saves all changes to the customer record
- Cancel Button — Closes the form without saving changes
The Save button validates that the customer name is not empty before saving. If validation fails, the form highlights the Name field and displays an error message.
Tips for New Users
- Always set a Lead Source — Even if you only use a few lead source values, tracking how customers find you is one of the most valuable CRM data points
- Assign a Rep early — Setting the Assigned Rep when you create the customer ensures that deals, tickets, and tasks are properly attributed from the start
- Use Tags for segmentation — Tags let you quickly filter and group customers in reports and lists. Define a small, consistent set of tags and apply them consistently
- Set follow-up dates — The Next Follow-Up field is easy to overlook, but it is one of the simplest ways to ensure no customer falls through the cracks
- Fill in the Mailing Address — The mailing address on the Customer Info tab is separate from shipping and billing addresses. It represents the customer's primary correspondence address
What to Read Next
- Managing Customer Addresses — How to add, edit, and manage shipping and billing addresses
- Logging Customer Activities — How to record calls, emails, meetings, and notes on the Activities tab