Overview and Setup of Customer Service

The Customer Service Module tasks are used mainly for inquiries into serialized items service records. 

 

The information in the Customer Service module is normally entered via a sales order in the Order Processing module.

 

Information is recorded into the Customer Service Module via two methods:  1) The sale of a serialized machine, or 2) the service on a serialized machine.  The Customer Service module can also be used in conjunction with "meter billing".  The Customer Service module master files are automatically updated when orders in the Invoiced Order Holding File (Task 2 in O/E) are posted to the A/R module.  

 

 

Parameters:

Before beginning the use of the Customer Service Module, some parameters must first be setup properly.

 

One of the features in the Customer Service parameters is a screen, which allows the service for items to be tracked by report class.  What this allows is a search of the service history files for the last service performed on a particular machine that is tied to a report class.

 

The key to how this works is having the right report class tied to the item in the Item Master (field 24 in Task 17 of the Inventory module).  The report class for the item ties it to the Service History file when an invoice for the item is generated and the screen displays the information pertaining to what services have been performed, per the report class groupings.

 

The groupings shown on the screen are controlled by parameter file settings in the Customer Service module.  Go to:

 

Customer Service (Module 8)

System Management Functions (Task 32)

Modify Parameter Files (Sub-task 22)

Customer Service  - General (Option 1)

 

 OWNER INITIALIZATION FLAGS

 

CLASS01=04           ; Report class to use in service

CLASS02=08           ; Report class to use in service

CLASS03=10           ; Report class to use in service

CLASS04=17           ; Report class to use in service

CLASS05=29           ; Report class to use in service

 

The class specified here should equal the report class that may or may not be used for the service items.  The settings here determine what will display on the screen when the "work needed" category is selected when using the F3 key at the beginning of a sales order. 

 

It is recommend that the report classes set in this table match the report classes tied to the items. 

 

 

Enter Existing Serialized Machines: (Important – see document titled Enter Existing Serialized Machines & Service Records for step-by-step instructions on how to enter existing serialized machines)

 

• Enter the serialized machine into inventory (Task 1 in Inventory module). 
• Sell the machine to the customer through Order Entry and Editing  (Task 1 in O/E module). 
• Post the sales into A/R (Task 2 in O/E).
• Delete the sales when they are moved to A/R Sales Entry and Editing (Task 1 in A/R)

    

 

Performing these steps will create an owner record in the Owner Master File and a machine record in the Machine/Vehicle Master File, all found in the Customer Service Module.

 

The same procedure can also be used to enter Service History (Task 19) on a serialized machine.  This is done after the serialized machines have been entered and posted.  The only difference in entering service is the use of a service department number on an order.  The document titled:  Enter Existing Serialized Machines & Service Records  explains this process too.

 

****NOTE****

The service department must be set-up properly for Service History to transfer to Customer Service.  Some parameters must be set, go to:

• Order Processing (Module 6)
  • System Management Functions (Task 32)
    • Modify Parameter Files (Sub-task 22)
      • O/E - General (Option 1).

 

Look for the parameter:  SRV'DPT'NUM=      List of the service department(s) number(s) which are valid to update Service History.  Use specific 2-digit department numbers to control the updating of machine and service history.

Enter CAO to Create-All-Owners regardless of the department (remember, using CAO will create an owners record for all sales orders, the department number could be any number, not just a Service Department number)

Enter NX is you want to turn off the owner/customer cross-check for name and address differences.  i.e. if “owners” are drop-ships or "subs"

 

NON'SERVICE'SERIAL=Y/N/W   Should 'Serial #' on the shipping screen be allowed on non "service" department orders ?  (where the department is NOT in the parameter SRV'DPT'NUM described above)   Valid options are: Yes, No, Warn only (Y/N/W)

 

 

 

Warranty Start Dates and Codes:

 

Warranty start dates and codes are entered when the item is sold through the Order Processing module.  However, first a table should be set up in:

 

Order Processing (Module 6)

System Management Functions (Task 32)

Modify Application Tables (Sub-task 17)

Warranty Codes (Option 17)

 

This table determines the warranty code selections that will appear when an order is placed for a serialized item.  There is a maximum of 20 different codes allowed; each code can only be one character (alphanumeric), and the description of the code being 40 characters maximum.  See below for example:

 

"*" , "Manufacturer's warranty"

"N" , "No warranty"

"1" , "1 year parts / 1 year labor   "

"2" , "2 years parts / 2 years labor "

"3" , "3 years parts / 3 years labor "

"A" , "Extended warranty 4yrs/40 thousand miles"

 

 

 

Service Labels:

 

The task of gathering the information needed to perform billing for services can be accomplished several different ways:  one is using the Service Labels function (Task 11) in the CS module.  The other way to track repetitive billing is to use Contract Pricing (Task 21) in the OE module.

 

As an example, here is how to perform the function in the Customer Service module.  Go to:

 

• Customer Service (Module 8)
  • Service labels (Task 11)

 

This function prints Owner Mailing labels for service records based on an item number and a cutoff date.

The labels can be printed as mailing labels or to the screen for review, or on plain paper for billing and/or follow-up.

 

 

 

Track Retail Sale Owners:

 

The Customer Service module is driven by the orders generated in the Order Processing module.  The customer/owner information is entered on the Shipping Screen of a given order. 

 

When the order is posted, the customer information entered is assigned an owner # and will be in the Owner Master file (Task 17 in CS module).  The orders can then be accessed by customer name, PO#, order # etc. from the Order Processing module.

 

To access order information by the above selections, go to:

 

• Order Processing (Module 6)
  • History Inquiry (Task 26)

 

Select the choice that suits your needs, an example could be by Date Order / Owner (Option 9)

                            

Meter Billing Using Dimensional Item

 

 When used in conjunction with the C/S module, type `M' (dimensional type - field 25 of Item Master record) items do the following:

-         Triggers entry of `current' meter reading on service orders

-         Automatically searches C/S service history for latest occurrence of the item # to find `last' meter reading.

-         Calculates line item quantity default (current - last)

-         Allows you to build into the I/C item an amount (qty) that is included at `no charge'.  i.e. usage=20000 and 500 is included at no charge, then line item amount is 15000.

-         Allows you to build into the I/C item a `minimum' charge amount (qty).  i.e. if total usage was 200 and items specifies a  minimum of 500, then line item amount is 500.

 

 

Setup Dimensional Type `M':

Go to:

 

• Inventory Control (Module 5)
  • System Management Functions (Task 32)
    • Modify Application Tables (Sub-task 17)
      • Dimensional Types (Option 18)

 

Example of the “M” dimensional type setup:  "M" , "Meter billing /LCU"

 

See the document titled: Meter Billing for complete instructions on how to set up a meter billing item.

 

 

 

Find Owner Information through O/E

 

When in Order Entry & Editing (Task 1 in O/E), Enter New/Change Existing Order (Sub-task 1) and the cursor is at field“1. Order #:”  options may be selected from the box on the screen.  F3 key is for Owner inquiry.  A new box will come up prompting:  “Please enter owner #:  If  the owner # is known,  simply type it in.  If not, the bottom of the screen displays three function keys that may used to search for the owner. 

F1 key – name search

F2 key – phone # search

F3 key – serial # search

When the owner’s name, address and phone # is on the screen, the system will prompt:   “Right entry?: Y.  Press the Enter key if this is the correct owner.  If this owner has any existing serialized machines in the customer service module a list of these will appear on the screen. 

 

 

To Record Service To An Existing Owner With Existing Serialized Machines

 

Refer to document titled:  Enter Existing Serialized Machines and Service Records on how to get the machine’s owner record into the Customer Service module.  Select the serial # by putting a Y (for Yes) on the line with the correct serial #.   At the bottom of the screen, the following prompts will appear:  “Enter option (left arrow to exit):”  “Y-Put owner info. On order    S-service records    W-work needed     M-Memo”.    By selecting Y, the system will put this owner’s name, address, phone #, correct customer # and this serial # on the next order opened up.  Once the order is started, select the correct service department on the first screen of the order.  The correct service department is determined by a parameter SRV'DPT'NUM=     

 

If the correct service department is NOT used on the front screen of the order, when the order is invoiced, the following message will appear:  “Set Department on front screen to “Service” for C/S tracking”.  The operator will not be allowed to leave the order until the correct department is used, unless the parameter: SRV'DPT'NUM=    is populated with an NX.

 

All items entered on this order will be recorded as “service”, for this serial #, after the invoice is posted out of the ‘Invoiced Order Holding File’ into the A/R module. 

 

 

Record a sale of a new serialized machine to an existing owner who already owns other serialized machines. 

 

When the list of the owner’s serialized machines appear on the screen, type an N for each of them.  The cursor will then go down to the bottom of the screen to: “Move owner information to order?(Y/N)”  answer the prompt with a “Y”.  Open up the new order, sell the serialized item, and invoice it.  The shipping screen of this order should have the owner information.  After this order is posted from Invoiced Order Holding File into A/R, this owner will have this new serialized item listed.