Client management: building your customer database

Client management in QueenBees transforms your customer database from scattered notes into an organized system that streamlines order processing and strengthens your relationship to customer.

QueenBees is designed for queen breeders who juggle individual customers, commercial clients and beekeeping union-wide sales. The client management system ensures you have accurate contact information, shipping addresses, and order history at your fingertips.

Understanding client management

A client in QueenBees represents anyone who purchases queens or any product from your apiary - individual beekeepers, beekeeping union members, or business customers requiring more formal approach.

What you can track for each client

• Core contact information: name (first and last), phone number for delivery coordination, email address and complete shipping address
• Business details (for commercial clients): Company legal name, tax identification number and separate company billing address if needed
• Organizational connections: beekeeping club membership or union affiliation
• Relationship management: Order history, cooperation status (reliable, issues, blocked) with custom notes and special requirements

Reviewing list of the clients

Creating your first client

Prerequisites

Before adding clients to QueenBees, ensure you have:

• Active QueenBees account with client management access
• Basic customer information (name and at least one contact method)
• Optional: existing customer list for bulk import

Step-by-step client creation

Method 1: Add client during order creation (recommended for new customers calling in)

When creating an order and you don’t find the customer in search:

1. Click ‘Add new client’ in the customer section of order panel
2. Enter essential information:
   • First name and last name (required)
   • Phone number (for delivery coordination)
   • Email (for order confirmations)
   • Address (if shipping required)
3. Save the client - they’re instantly added to your database and order

Method 2: Add client from client list

For building your database in advance:

1. Navigate to Orders > Clients from main menu
2. Click the (+) button in bottom-right corner - ‘Add new client’
3. Fill in client details:
   • Basic contact information (name, phone, email)
   • Complete shipping address
   • Company details if business client
   • Club/union membership if applicable
4. Save the client to your database

Importing existing customer data

If you have existing customer lists from spreadsheets or other systems, we can import that for you.

Client search and filtering

You can quickly find clients using the search bar and filters in Clients list, as well as during order creation.

But the most important part is search for client orders from orders list. You can search by client name, phone number, email, or address details.

Client cooperation status

Mark clients based on your experience working with them to streamline future order decisions:

Status levels:

• All good (default) - reliable cooperation, no issues
• Warning - minor issues requiring attention (late payments, special handling)
• Block list - serious problems, avoid future orders

Updating client information

Quick edits from client list:

1. Find client in overview
2. Click three-dots menu next to name
3. Select ‘Edit’ to update details
4. Modify any information needed
5. Save changes

Editing during order processing:

• Update address directly from order panel
• Modify contact details without leaving order
• Changes save immediately to client list

Assigning clients to organizations

During client creation you can select beekeeping club or union or from dropdown. Union assigned to client will be automatically added when he’s ordering refunded order from union.

Data quality and maintenance

Keeping information current

Regular maintenance tasks:

• Update contact information at any moment - clients might change details during next call
• Add notes about preferences or special requirements
• Verify addresses before shipping to prevent delivery failures

Productivity and data quality best practices:

• Use consistent name formatting for easy searching
• Update phone numbers promptly for delivery coordination
• Record address changes immediately
• Try to store client email addresses for automated confirmations

Privacy and data protection

Protecting client information

QueenBees implements comprehensive data protection measures:

Security features:

• Access control - only authorized team members view client data
• Data separation - client information stored securely and separately from other accounts
• Secure transmission - data transfers use HTTPS encryption
• Regular backups - automatic data backup for disaster recovery

Troubleshooting common issues

Can’t find a client in search?

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Check spelling - try variations of name
2. Search by alternative fields - phone number, email, partial address
3. Look for similar names - clients might have registered differently
4. Check orders from previous seasons - may help identify correct based on order history
5. Check if client is active - inactive clients might be in archived

If client truly doesn’t exist:

• Start with order and add new client from order panel
• Double-check with customer their data
• Consider they may have ordered under different name or with a package for other beekeeper

Next steps: expanding your client operations

Explore related features:

• Basic order processing - Create orders using client data
• Refunded orders - Handle subsidy programs with organizational tracking
• Order analytics - Analyze customer patterns and trends

Getting help

Questions or need assistance?

• Contact support team
• Visit Contact page for all support options
• Free client data import service available

Remember: effective client management grows with your business. Start with basic contact tracking, then leverage advanced features like analytics and bulk operations as your customer base expands. The platform supports operations from small hobby breeders to large commercial queen production businesses.