Poll: Do you keep your clients' contact details in an organized manner? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep your clients' contact details in an organized manner?".
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| | | | Julian Holmes 
Japan
Local time: 15:19
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
In a systematically chaotic way. 
Besides, they are becoming fewer and fewer - I've sheded some who have turned into monster customers in the past few years. In terms of organization, it makes thngs a lot easier but makes me a little more worried that I might be putting all my eggs in one basket.
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In my own organized manner, not someone else...
| | | | EvaVer (X)
Local time: 08:19
Czech to French
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how could anyone manage without it? Unless they have a very low number of clients.
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 08:19
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
EvaVer wrote:
how could anyone manage without it? Unless they have a very low number of clients.
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 09:19
Turkish to English
+ ...
| I see no need | Oct 11, 2014 |
I have worked with vast numbers of clients over the years, some of whom I never hear from again and some of whom I do. I see no need to keep contact details. If somebody decides to work with me again, they invariably e-mail me and the chain of contact is thus re-established. As far as invoicing particulars go, I find the last invoice that I issued to that client and use it as a template - that is the only record I need.
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Of course, I would get totally stressed out if I did not work in an organized way with a system to find all details right away.
In the long run it pays off and saves time.
[Edited at 2014-10-11 12:24 GMT]
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 08:19
Member (2006)
German to English
I assign all customers a number for invoicing purposes, and that was it
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David Wright
Austria
Local time: 08:19
German to English
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| How organised is organised | Oct 11, 2014 |
The addresses are each in a separate word file serving as template for an invoice, but as for email addresses - I have to rely on autocomplete if it's someone I haven't heard from for a while!
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:19
Spanish to English
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I keep a folder for each client, which contains folders for each year, month, day etc. Their contact details will be in there somewhere, or in my email adresses.
I'm not really known for my organisational skills.
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I have an excel sheet with current clients on one page, old clients on another, and potential clients on the last. I don't use it very often, as most of that information is in the emails we exchange and each client has their own folder in my inbox.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 07:19
Member (2007)
English
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My excel spreadsheet is organised but it isn't quite up-to-date or complete. I doubt it ever will be.
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I record them in a searchable table in Word.
Some might call it chaotic, but it works fast and reliably for me.
There are columns for Name and Address and VAT no. formatted to be copied directly to an invoice, and a column for rates and one for comments.
This last means anything from Trados scale used, preferably mine, to 'Only pays when reminded' in large red letters, to 'merged with XX' and a date, or in one sad case, which I haven't the heart to delete, 'Bank... See more I record them in a searchable table in Word.
Some might call it chaotic, but it works fast and reliably for me.
There are columns for Name and Address and VAT no. formatted to be copied directly to an invoice, and a column for rates and one for comments.
This last means anything from Trados scale used, preferably mine, to 'Only pays when reminded' in large red letters, to 'merged with XX' and a date, or in one sad case, which I haven't the heart to delete, 'Bankrupt 2010'.
I do not delete them, because the comments are useful reminders about any who only turn up very occasionally. Some are great to work with, but only rarely need anything in Danish translated, and in other cases there are good reasons why I prefer to turn them down! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 07:19
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| My comments field is useful, too | Oct 11, 2014 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
a column for rates and one for comments.
This last means anything from Trados scale used, preferably mine, to 'Only pays when reminded' in large red letters
I hope our files aren't covered by those PC laws that say you can't hold derogatory comments about anyone .
| | | | | Yes, of course ... | Oct 12, 2014 |
Yes, of course I keep a record of my clients' full contact details - in a perfectly simple Word file arranged in alphabetical order, easy to search, update and add to, with a comments column. It's also useful when I get those Blue Board messages from Proz asking for information about outsourcers. I'm amazed to hear that some translators don't consider it necessary to keep such contact details.
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