Keeping track of client contact information

[Hamacher]

What do you currently use for keeping track of client contact info. (i.e. address, email addresses, etc.)?

[Super Mom]

Small Biz

I'm just small, so I track it in my bookkeeping software, I can enter all that info when I print their invoices or later. When I'm ready to do mailings, I print labels from my software or if I need to call them I look them up in customer info.

[Mike Mac]

Tax software

Hopefully you could use your tax software. Proseries has a very good "Homebase" data base to track that stuff.

[Super Mom]

Yes, my ATX has something good too, but I don't use it.

[dyne]

I use a Record of Conversation which can be bought in pads of 100 from Tax-Aid, Inc.
upon which I record notes of the interview, etc.

[Hamacher]

Tax Prep

I use CCH ProSystem Fx... I'm not sure they offer a good tool for contact info. If they do it might be an add on.

[erchess]

Drake // Chaos

Drake software will print mailing labels if I want to write to a list of clients. It also gives me client's emails and there may be a way to save my contacts in say csv format in order to import them into something else. I don't use that function and I'm not sure it exists.

I receive my email and manage contacts with Chaos Intellect and its Legal Billing Module. If I decide to call a client I generally get their phone number out of Drake and then call but if I decide to email a client I first enter all their contact info in Intellect then send the email. Same thing if I decide to send someone an invoice. I rarely send an invoice though because if I did a return in Drake then Drake printed a bill and I collected full fee before I gave them their package or efiled the return. If I give someone audit service or write a tax opinion I normally get paid all at once without having to invoice. I invoice if asked to and I invoice in the rare cases where I agree to let people make monthly payments.

[MAMalody]

I keep all mine in Outlook.

[Maribeth]

Drake software will print mailing labels if I want to write to a list of clients. It also gives me client's emails and there may be a way to save my contacts in say csv format in order to import them into something else. I don't use that function and I'm not sure it exists.

I receive my email and manage contacts with Chaos Intellect and its Legal Billing Module. If I decide to call a client I generally get their phone number out of Drake and then call but if I decide to email a client I first enter all their contact info in Intellect then send the email. Same thing if I decide to send someone an invoice. I rarely send an invoice though because if I did a return in Drake then Drake printed a bill and I collected full fee before I gave them their package or efiled the return. If I give someone audit service or write a tax opinion I normally get paid all at once without having to invoice. I invoice if asked to and I invoice in the rare cases where I agree to let people make monthly payments.

Love, love, love Time & Chaos. It has so much more functionality than Outlook and for such a smaller, smaller, smaller price. It is our bible, everything runs through it except for time & billing. I keep telling myself that we need to incorporate its billing module but it hasn't happened yet. <<sigh>>

Maribeth

[PIGLEE]

A second vote for Time & Chaos, ChaosSoftware.com. I have tried other things but keep coming back to T & C. The cost is about 50.00, and you only have to pay again if they come out with a newer version, which for me was about 3 years ago. You used to be able to get a free trial version so you can give it a good try. I also paid extra so I can sync it to my IPod, which is really nice.

[Uncle]

Another vote for Intellect

A second vote for Time & Chaos, ChaosSoftware.com. I have tried other things but keep coming back to T & C. The cost is about 50.00, and you only have to pay again if they come out with a newer version, which for me was about 3 years ago. You used to be able to get a free trial version so you can give it a good try. I also paid extra so I can sync it to my IPod, which is really nice.

We use Intellect (Time & Chaos with email). We switched from the Legal Billing module to Peachtree Quantum for some extra bells and whistles.