Merging Duplicates
J
Jesse Hull
There should be a mechanism that allows us to merge records even if the name is different but other information is the same and is for the same transaction. Examples would be a husband and wife send in separate leads for the same vehicle or purchase. This is also true for cosigners that send in leads via an application process but the information is for the same vehicle as the cosigner. By not allowing these to be merged, it creates multiple customers in the same household and creates a nightmare and unneeded follow up and also costs more in marketing dollars when we use the CRM to send email blasts or mailers. In every CRM I have used over 30 years, this is possible and is logical.
Shelby Parker
Hello Jesse Hull! I have a few more questions for you:
- What specific criteria should be used to identify records that can be merged despite having different names?
- How frequently do you encounter situations where merging records with different names is necessary?
- Are there any specific fields or data points that should be prioritized when determining if records should be merged?
J
Jesse Hull
Shelby Parker The same home address is an obvious one. Same home numbers or same email address. If a husband sends in a lead in his name and then 2 days later the wife fills out an finance application, the CRM creates a new lead as do all CRM's but Drive Centric does not allow us to merge the husband and wife even though it is the same transaction. This is also true when we need to get a cosigner for a buyer. They have different names but the leads are for the same transaction and therefore no need to have 2 leads in the system for follow up and marketing.