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Customer Management

Introduction​

The Customer Management section allows you to maintain a complete database of your freight customers. This is the foundation of your freight operations, as customers are required for creating bookings, shipments, and invoices.

Customer Management

Accessing Customer Management​

Navigation:

  1. Log in to your Blockpeer account
  2. Click Customer in the left sidebar
  3. The customer list page will display

Customer List Overview​

Understanding the Customer Table​

The customer list displays all your customers in a table format with the following columns:

NAME

  • Customer's full name
  • Click to view/edit customer details

CONTACT

  • Customer's phone number
  • Used for communication

EMAIL

  • Customer's email address
  • Used for sending shipping instructions and invoices
  • Must be valid for email communications

ACTION

  • Edit Button (Blue pencil icon): Modify customer information
  • Delete Button (Red trash icon): Remove customer from system

Table Features​

Search Functionality

  • Search box in top right corner
  • Search by name, contact, or email
  • Real-time filtering as you type

Pagination

  • "Entries Per Page" dropdown (top left)
  • Options: 10, 25, 50, 100 entries
  • Navigation arrows at bottom
  • Shows "Showing X to Y of Z entries"

Export Options (Top right buttons)

  • Download (Cyan button): Export customer list
  • PDF (Pink button): Generate PDF report
  • Print (Orange button): Print customer list

Adding a New Customer​

Step-by-Step Process​

Step 1: Open Create Form

  1. Click the + (Plus) button in the top right corner
  2. The "Create Customer" form will open

Step 2: Fill Customer Information

Fill in the following required fields:

Name (Required)

  • Customer's full name or company name
  • Example: "ABC Shipping Co."

Contact (Required)

  • Customer's phone number
  • Include country code if international
  • Example: "1234567890"

Email (Required)

  • Customer's primary email address
  • Must be valid format
  • Used for all system communications
  • Example: "customer@example.com"

Step 3: Save Customer

  1. Review all entered information
  2. Click Create button
  3. Customer will be added to the list
  4. Success message will appear

Tips for Adding Customers​

✅ Do:

  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Verify email addresses are correct
  • Include complete contact information
  • Double-check spelling

❌ Don't:

  • Leave required fields empty
  • Use invalid email formats
  • Duplicate customer entries
  • Use temporary or fake email addresses

Editing Customer Information​

How to Edit​

Step 1: Locate Customer

  1. Find the customer in the list
  2. Use search if needed
  3. Identify the correct customer row

Step 2: Open Edit Form

  1. Click the Edit button (blue pencil icon)
  2. Customer information will load in edit form

Step 3: Modify Information

  1. Update any field as needed
  2. All fields are editable
  3. Maintain required field rules

Step 4: Save Changes

  1. Review modified information
  2. Click Update button
  3. Changes will be saved
  4. Customer list will refresh

Common Edits​

Updating Contact Information

  • Change phone number
  • Update email address
  • Modify customer name

Correcting Errors

  • Fix spelling mistakes
  • Update outdated information
  • Correct email addresses

Deleting Customers​

When to Delete​

Delete customers when:

  • Customer is no longer active
  • Duplicate entry exists
  • Test data needs removal
  • Customer requested removal

Deletion Process​

Step 1: Locate Customer

  1. Find customer in the list
  2. Verify it's the correct customer
  3. Check for existing bookings/shipments

Step 2: Delete Customer

  1. Click the Delete button (red trash icon)
  2. Confirmation dialog will appear
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Customer will be removed

Important Warnings​

⚠️ Before Deleting:

  • Check if customer has active bookings
  • Verify no pending shipments
  • Ensure no unpaid invoices
  • Consider archiving instead of deleting

⚠️ Deletion Impact:

  • Customer data cannot be recovered
  • Historical records may be affected
  • Associated bookings may lose customer link
  • Email communications will fail

Customer Management Best Practices​

Data Entry Standards​

Naming Conventions

  • Use official company names
  • Be consistent with capitalization
  • Avoid abbreviations unless standard
  • Include legal entity type if needed

Contact Information

  • Always include area/country code
  • Use standardized format
  • Keep emergency contacts if available
  • Update regularly

Email Management

  • Use primary business email
  • Verify email before saving
  • Keep multiple contacts if needed
  • Update when changes occur

Organization Tips​

Regular Maintenance

  1. Review customer list monthly
  2. Update outdated information
  3. Remove duplicate entries
  4. Verify email deliverability

Categorization

  • Group customers by type
  • Track customer status
  • Monitor active vs inactive
  • Maintain customer notes

Data Quality​

Verification Steps

  1. Confirm email addresses work
  2. Test phone numbers
  3. Verify physical addresses
  4. Update contact persons

Accuracy Checks

  • Spell check all entries
  • Verify email format
  • Confirm phone number format
  • Review before saving

Using Customers in Freight Operations​

Customer Selection in Booking​

When creating a booking, you'll select customers for:

Bill To

  • Customer who receives the invoice
  • Responsible for payment
  • Can be different from Ship To

Ship To

  • Consignee receiving the shipment
  • Delivery destination customer
  • May be same as Bill To

Customer Data Usage​

Customer information is automatically used in:

Booking Requests

  • Bill To and Ship To fields
  • Contact information
  • Email communications

Shipping Instructions

  • Email recipient
  • Contact details
  • Delivery information

Invoice Generation

  • Billing information
  • Payment terms
  • Invoice delivery

eBL Forms

  • Consignee details
  • Contact information
  • Email notifications

Searching and Filtering​

Search Functionality​

Using the Search Box

  1. Locate search box in top right
  2. Type search term
  3. Results filter automatically
  4. Clear search to see all

Search Capabilities

  • Search by customer name
  • Find by email address
  • Locate by contact number
  • Partial text matching

Tips for Effective Searching​

Quick Find Methods

  • Type first few letters of name
  • Use unique identifiers
  • Search by email domain
  • Use contact numbers

Search Best Practices

  • Use specific terms
  • Check spelling
  • Try different keywords
  • Clear filters between searches

Exporting Customer Data​

Export Options​

Download (Excel/CSV)

  1. Click the Download button (cyan)
  2. File will be generated
  3. Save to your computer
  4. Open in spreadsheet software

PDF Export

  1. Click the PDF button (pink)
  2. PDF will be generated
  3. View or save document
  4. Suitable for printing

Print

  1. Click the Print button (orange)
  2. Print dialog will open
  3. Select printer
  4. Adjust print settings
  5. Print customer list

Export Use Cases​

Backup Purposes

  • Regular data backups
  • Offline access
  • Data archiving
  • Disaster recovery

Reporting

  • Customer analytics
  • Contact lists
  • Marketing purposes
  • Business intelligence

Integration

  • Import to other systems
  • Share with partners
  • Accounting integration
  • CRM synchronization

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Cannot Add Customer

Problem: Create button is disabled Solutions:

  • Fill all required fields
  • Check email format is valid
  • Verify contact number format
  • Remove special characters

Email Not Sending

Problem: Customer not receiving emails Solutions:

  • Verify email address is correct
  • Check spam/junk folders
  • Test email deliverability
  • Update customer email

Customer Not Appearing in List

Problem: Recently added customer missing Solutions:

  • Refresh the page
  • Check if creation was successful
  • Search for customer by name
  • Verify you're on correct page

Cannot Delete Customer

Problem: Delete button not working Solutions:

  • Check for active bookings
  • Verify no pending shipments
  • Ensure no unpaid invoices
  • Contact administrator if persists

Error Messages​

"Email Already Exists"

  • Customer with this email already exists
  • Search for existing customer
  • Use different email address
  • Update existing customer instead

"Invalid Email Format"

  • Email address format is incorrect
  • Check for typos
  • Ensure proper format (user@domain.com)
  • Remove spaces or special characters

"Required Field Missing"

  • One or more required fields empty
  • Fill all fields marked with *
  • Check for validation errors
  • Review form before submitting

Tips for Efficient Customer Management​

Daily Operations​

Quick Actions

  1. Use search for fast customer location
  2. Keep frequently used customers bookmarked
  3. Update information immediately when changed
  4. Verify email addresses before important communications

Workflow Optimization

  • Add customers before creating bookings
  • Batch update customer information
  • Regular data cleanup sessions
  • Maintain backup customer lists

Data Integrity​

Maintaining Quality

  1. Regular audits of customer data
  2. Remove duplicate entries
  3. Update stale information
  4. Verify contact details periodically

Prevention Measures

  • Standard naming conventions
  • Data entry guidelines
  • Validation before saving
  • Regular training for users