Search for a Customer

Access

Use this screen to search for existing customers in the system.  You can search by any of the following for the customer:

• name,

• phone number (home, work, or cell),

• email address,

• social security number, or

• the first letter or letters of the customer's last name.

If you search by customer name, the Customer Name Information Window appears where you can further refine your name search. If no names in the system match your criteria, the message "Cross Reference not found" appears. Click on OK to return to the Search for a Customer window. You can try another search, or if you click on the Exit button, the Customer Settings screen appears where you can create a new customer on-the-fly. If you don't want to create a new customer, exit from Customer Settings to return to the original entry routine.

 The Customer Name Information window appears if the CUSTOMER SEARCH - Search Last Name Only field is unchecked in Point of Sale Control Settings.

When creating customers on-the-fly Performed simultaneously, in the midst of another routine., the system automatically assigns a customer code based on the number of the order.

If the search finds a credit application co-applicant who is not a customer, the grid displays the

    - co-applicant's name and address and the

    - primary applicant's customer code appended by a plus sign (+).

If you double-click on one of the above grid items, you access the primary applicant's information, not the co-applicant's.  

If a customer does not display on the search list, you can check and see if the customer was merged by going to the Inactive Date field on the Advanced tab in Advanced Customer Settings.  If the customer has been merged it displays the date the customer became inactive.

Search Method

You can search for customers using either of the following methods:

• Starts With - If you check the box at the Starts With field, the program searches for customers whose last name begins with the characters you enter into the Last Name field.  

• Soundex - If you leave the Starts With field blank, the program uses the Soundex method to search for customers.

To specify the default search method for the Search for a Customer screen, use the Default Search Type field on the Customer tab in the Point of Sale Control Settings.

Selecting a Customer

The results of your search appear in the grid.  If you double-click on a grid item, you select that customer and return to the original routine where the customer's information appears on the screen and you can proceed with the order.  

 If you access this screen directly from a menu, the grid is display-only and you cannot directly access the Customer Settings or any other program (for example, Sales Order Entry) by double-clicking on a grid item.

Last NameTo search for a customer code by name, enter the customer's last name here. The system uses the SoundEx method to search the database. The Customer Name Information window prompts for additional information you can use to narrow the search.
 

Starts WithTo search for customers whose last name begins with the characters you enter into the Last Name field, check the box at this field.  This search is not case-specific.  Note that this search ignores names containing an apostrophe.

To search for customers via the SoundEx An algorithm that assigns letters to a numerical equivalent for the purpose of organizing together names that sound alike but are not spelled alike. STORIS uses Soundex in the Search for a Customer and Vendor Name Search screens. method, leave the box blank.

Phone

EmailTo search for the customer code by email address, enter the customer's email address in this field.  Note that the program searches by primary email address only, and not by additional email address.

SSNTo search for the customer code by social security number, enter a minimum of four digits and a maximum of nine digits into this field.  

After you initiate the search (by name, phone #, email address, or social security number), the following fields activate:

CityThis field is available only when the grid is populated with initial search results. To filter A pattern through which data is passed. Only data that matches the pattern is allowed to pass through the filter. the search results to display only those customers the grid within a specified city, enter a city.

Zip CodeThis field is available only when the grid is populated with initial search results. To filter A pattern through which data is passed. Only data that matches the pattern is allowed to pass through the filter. the search results to display only those customers the grid with in a specified zip code, enter a zip code.

Finance ProviderThis field is available only when the grid is populated with initial search results. To filter A pattern through which data is passed. Only data that matches the pattern is allowed to pass through the filter. the search results to display only those customers in the grid with a specified finance provider, enter a finance provider. If you click on the arrow, a list of available finance providers appears, from which you can make a selection.

This field is active only if you have active finance providers in your system.