Consolidating Duplicates
Over time, duplicate customer records can accumulate in your Rolodex through data entry errors, multiple team members adding the same contact, or customers providing slightly different information across projects. Consolidating these duplicates maintains data quality and ensures accurate customer history.
Quick Start: Merge Duplicates
- Search Rolodex for potential duplicates
- Open both contact records in separate tabs
- Compare and verify they're the same customer
- Choose the primary record to keep
- Transfer unique data to primary record
- Reassign all projects to primary record
- Delete the duplicate record
Why Duplicates Occur
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| Name variations | "John Smith" vs "J. Smith" vs "Smith, John" |
| Business vs personal | "ABC Construction" vs "John Smith (ABC)" |
| Phone formatting | "(555) 123-4567" vs "555-123-4567" |
| Address abbreviations | "123 Main Street" vs "123 Main St" |
| Typos | "Smith" vs "Smtih" |
| Multiple data entry | Two team members add same customer |
Finding Potential Duplicates
Search Methods
| Search By | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Phone number | Same number, different names |
| Email address | Same email, different records |
| Physical address | Same address, different contacts |
| Name variations | Similar spellings or formats |
| City | Multiple records in same city |
Step-by-Step: Find Duplicates
- Go to Rolodex
- Search by phone number (most reliable)
- If multiple results, compare records
- Also search by email and address
- Note suspected duplicates for review
Red Flags for Duplicates
| Indicator | Why Suspicious |
|---|---|
| Same phone in multiple records | Phone numbers are unique |
| Same email in multiple records | Emails are unique |
| Same address, similar names | Likely same customer |
| Few projects each | One customer split across records |
| Similar names, same city | Could be same person |
Phone numbers and email addresses are the most reliable duplicate indicators since they're typically unique to each customer.
Reviewing Before Merging
Comparison Checklist
| Compare | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Names | Same person/business? |
| Addresses | Same location? |
| Phone numbers | Any matching? |
| Emails | Any matching? |
| Project history | Same property locations? |
| Notes | Any contradicting info? |
Step-by-Step: Verify Duplicates
- Open first contact in one browser tab
- Open second contact in another tab
- Compare side-by-side:
- Names and addresses
- Phone and email
- Project locations
- Notes and history
- Confirm they're the same customer
- If uncertain, keep records separate
Different people can have similar names or even share addresses (family members, business partners). Always verify project locations match before merging.
When NOT to Merge
| Scenario | Keep Separate |
|---|---|
| Same name, different cities | Different people |
| Family at same address | Different individuals |
| Business partners | Track separately |
| Projects at different locations | May be different customers |
The Merge Process
Choosing the Primary Record
| Factor | Choose Record With |
|---|---|
| More projects | Better history preservation |
| More complete info | Less data entry needed |
| More recent activity | More current data |
| Better notes | More valuable context |
Step-by-Step: Consolidate Records
-
Identify Primary Record
- Open both contacts
- Compare project counts
- Check completeness of info
- Choose one as primary
-
Transfer Contact Information
- Copy unique phone numbers
- Copy unique email addresses
- Update address if secondary is more current
- Add any missing contact persons
-
Transfer Notes
- Copy all notes from duplicate
- Add merger note with date
- Preserve historical context
-
Save Primary Record
- Review all transferred data
- Click Save
Project Reassignment
Why Reassignment is Critical
| If You Don't Reassign | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Delete duplicate first | Projects lose customer link |
| Leave projects on duplicate | History split between records |
| Forget some projects | Incomplete customer history |
Step-by-Step: Reassign Projects
- Open duplicate contact
- Note all associated projects
- Open each project one by one
- Go to project Main tab
- Change customer to primary record
- Save each project
- Verify all projects reassigned
Reassignment Checklist
| Item | Action |
|---|---|
| Proposals | Update customer link |
| Open projects | Update customer link |
| Completed projects | Update customer link |
| Invoices | Verify billing recipient |
Complete all project reassignments BEFORE deleting the duplicate record. Once deleted, project associations cannot be recovered.
Data Preservation Best Practices
Before Deleting Duplicate
| Check | Verify |
|---|---|
| All projects reassigned | Project count on primary increased |
| Notes transferred | All history preserved |
| Contact info merged | No unique data lost |
| Invoices updated | Billing recipient correct |
Creating Audit Trail
Add a note to primary record:
[DATE] Merged duplicate record #[NUMBER].
Original records: #[PRIMARY], #[DUPLICATE]
Reason: Same customer, entered twice.
Projects reassigned: [LIST]
Step-by-Step: Delete Duplicate
- Verify all data transferred
- Confirm all projects reassigned
- Open duplicate contact
- Click Delete
- Confirm deletion
- Verify primary record is complete
Preventing Future Duplicates
Before Adding New Contact
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Search Rolodex by phone number |
| 2 | Search by email address |
| 3 | Search by name |
| 4 | Only create new if no match found |
Data Entry Standards
| Field | Standard Format |
|---|---|
| Phone | (555) 123-4567 |
| Business names | Include "Inc.", "LLC" consistently |
| Addresses | Use full words or standard abbreviations |
| Names | First Last (not Last, First) |
Team Practices
| Practice | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Search before adding | Prevents most duplicates |
| Consistent formatting | Easier to find matches |
| Designated maintainer | Regular cleanup |
| Monthly review | Catch duplicates early |
Troubleshooting
Can't find duplicate?
- Search by phone number
- Search by partial email
- Search by street address only
- Check for spelling variations
Projects still linked to deleted contact?
- Contact may not have been fully deleted
- Check for hidden/inactive records
- Contact support if projects orphaned
Not sure if records are duplicates?
- Compare project locations
- Check if notes mention same property
- When in doubt, keep separate
Lost data after merge?
- Check primary record notes
- Review recent activity log
- Contact support to restore from backup
Invoice went to wrong customer?
- Update invoice billing recipient
- Verify correct email on primary
- Resend invoice to correct address
Related Topics
- Rolodex Overview - Navigate customer database
- Adding Contacts - Create new customers
- Customer History - View project history
- Contact Types - Understanding designations