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Customers
FretTrack includes customer management tools to help repair shops keep customer records connected to jobs, instruments, repair history, communication notes, and future work.
Customers are central to the repair workflow. A job is not just an instrument and a task. It is also tied to a person, their contact information, their repair history, and the shop’s relationship with them.
The Customers module helps shops avoid scattered records, duplicate names, lost phone numbers, and the ancient repair-shop tradition of writing important customer information on whatever paper was closest to death.
Customer records can store the information a shop needs to identify and contact the person connected to a repair job.
A customer record may include:
- Customer name
- Phone number
- Notes
- Related jobs
- Instrument history
- Repair history
- Communication context
Keeping this information inside FretTrack helps the shop find the customer quickly and connect new work to previous repairs.
A customer may return with the same instrument, a different instrument, or questions about past work.
Good customer records help answer:
- Who owns this instrument?
- What jobs has this customer brought in before?
- What work was done last time?
- What phone or email should the shop use?
- Are there notes about customer preferences?
- Did this customer previously approve certain work?
- Is there repair history that matters for the current job?
Without customer records, shops end up relying on memory, old texts, paper tags, or the vague hope that someone remembers “the guy with the blue Strat.” Technology has not advanced this far just for us to keep doing that.
Customers can be created during job intake or from the Customers area, depending on the current workflow.
A typical customer record includes:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Notes
Use enough information to identify the customer later.
At minimum, a useful customer record should usually include a name and at least one contact method.
The Customers module can help shops find existing customer records.
Search may be useful when:
- A returning customer brings in another instrument
- A new job needs to be connected to an existing customer
- The shop needs to review repair history
- The customer calls about a previous job
- A staff member needs contact information
Before creating a new customer, search for the customer first to avoid duplicates.
Duplicate customer records make repair history harder to follow, which is exactly the sort of tiny administrative rot that eventually eats a shop alive.
Each repair job should be connected to the correct customer whenever possible.
This allows the shop to see:
- Jobs connected to the customer
- Instruments the customer has brought in
- Previous repair work
- Current job status
- Pickup or follow-up needs
- Notes related to past work
Connecting jobs to customers helps create a repair history over time.
Customer history can help when a customer returns.
Examples:
- A customer brings back a guitar that was previously set up.
- A customer asks what strings were installed last time.
- A customer wants the same setup on a second guitar.
- A customer has recurring electronics problems.
- A vintage instrument returns for additional work.
- A customer asks when a previous repair was completed.
With job history connected to the customer, the shop can review older records instead of reconstructing the past from memory and mild panic.
Customer notes should be practical and professional.
Useful notes might include:
- Preferred contact method
- Pickup availability
- String preference
- Setup preference
- Communication notes
- Approval requirements
- Special handling notes
Good examples:
- “Prefers text updates.”
- “Uses 10–46 strings on electric guitars.”
- “Wants low action but no buzzing when possible.”
- “Call before replacing parts.”
- “Touring musician; confirm deadline before promising date.”
Avoid rude, unnecessary, or personal notes. Customer records should remain professional.
The app is for repair workflow, not emotional graffiti.
Keep customer contact information clear and current.
Common contact fields include:
- Phone
- Notes
If a customer changes phone number or email address, update the record before creating more jobs.
Bad contact information leads to missed approvals, missed pickups, delayed repairs, and customers wondering whether the shop vanished into the marsh.
During New Job intake, the customer information helps connect the repair to the right person.
The intake workflow may allow the shop to:
- Search for an existing customer
- Select a customer
- Create a new customer
- Enter contact information
- Add customer notes
- Connect the customer to the job
If the customer already exists, use the existing record rather than creating a duplicate.
Returning customers are one of the biggest reasons customer records matter.
For returning customers, check:
- Existing customer record
- Past jobs
- Previous instruments
- Previous notes
- Communication preferences
- Any relevant repair history
This makes the shop feel organized and helps the customer feel remembered, which is apparently important to humans and, annoyingly, often good business.
Customer records may contain personal contact information.
Handle customer data carefully.
Shops should avoid storing unnecessary sensitive information in customer notes. Keep notes focused on repair workflow, communication preferences, and job-relevant details.
Examples of appropriate notes:
- “Prefers email.”
- “Call before ordering parts.”
- “Usually drops off after 5 PM.”
Examples to avoid:
- Personal gossip
- Medical details
- Unnecessary private information
- Insults or rude labels
- Anything that would look terrible if shown to the customer
If a note is not useful for shop workflow, it probably does not belong in the customer record.
Customer actions may depend on shop role and permissions.
Depending on access, users may be able to:
- View customers
- Search customers
- Create customers
- Edit customer details
- Link customers to jobs
- View customer job history
Owners and admins usually have broader customer access.
Technicians may have access to customer and job information needed for repair work.
Viewers may be able to see customer information but should not be able to edit it.
If a customer action is unavailable, the current user may not have permission for that action.
Customer records support shop communication.
A shop may use customer information to:
- Call about estimates
- Send pickup updates
- Request approval
- Confirm appointment times
- Follow up after parts arrive
- Discuss repair options
- Notify when a job is complete
Future FretTrack features may expand customer-facing communication, including email or SMS-based updates, confirmations, and public job or invoice links.
For now, the customer record should be treated as the source of truth for contact information.
Customer information can be useful when creating schedule events.
Examples:
- Intake appointment for a returning customer
- Pickup appointment for a completed repair
- Follow-up reminder for estimate approval
- Customer callback after parts arrive
When schedule events are connected to jobs, the customer context becomes easier to find.
Customers are not directly part of inventory, but customer jobs may use inventory parts.
For example:
- A customer’s Stratocaster uses a new output jack.
- A Les Paul repair uses replacement pots.
- An acoustic repair uses bridge pins or saddle material.
- A setup includes a specific string set.
When inventory is connected to jobs, and jobs are connected to customers, the shop has a clearer repair and parts history.
Recommended customer workflow:
- Search before creating a new customer.
- Use the existing customer record when possible.
- Keep phone and email current.
- Add useful customer notes.
- Avoid unnecessary personal details.
- Connect each job to the correct customer.
- Review customer history when they return.
- Keep duplicate records to a minimum.
A clean customer list makes the rest of the app more useful.
For this wiki page, useful screenshots include:
- Customer list
- Customer search
- Customer form
- Customer linked to New Job
- Customer job history
- Customer detail view
Two to five screenshots are enough.
Check your shop role and permissions. You may not have customer write access.
Use the correct customer record going forward. If merge tools are added later, duplicate cleanup may become easier.
Your role may allow viewing but not editing.
Try searching by name, email, or phone number if supported. The customer may have been entered under a different spelling or contact method.
Edit the job or customer link if your role allows it. If not, ask an owner or admin.
The Customers module helps repair shops keep customer information, contact details, notes, and repair history organized.
Use customer records to connect people, instruments, jobs, communication, scheduling, and repair history.
A clean customer record saves time, reduces mistakes, and prevents the shop from depending on memory, sticky notes, or the spiritually bankrupt phrase “I think I wrote that down somewhere.”