Client Status Overview

Statuses are a powerful workflow tracking feature throughout myStratus, designed to keep things from falling through the cracks by organizing the many areas of your business - clients, communications, sessions, invoices, and tasks - into custom workflows. Basically, you create a workflow by defining the steps of a process from beginning to end. These steps are called "statuses."

Client Statuses are used to categorize your clients and can include a default duration (which myStratus uses to automatically generate a due date). Examples may include:

• Use a "Web Inquiry" status to track inquiries received on your website and prompt you to follow up.
• Use a "Prospect" status for potential clients that may need followup.
• Create a "Loyalty Client" status for clients that consistently give you repeat business or refer others to you. Send these clients special promotions to thank them.
  
  

Setting up Client Statuses

Follow these steps to set up your list of client statuses:

1. Go to Maintenance > Clients > Client Statuses to open your client status list.

   

2. Click New to add a status and complete the following:

   • Description - Enter a description for the status.

   • Default Duration - [Optional] Enter the number of days a client should remain at this status without being considered overdue. myStratus uses the default duration to automatically calculate the due date.

   • Include in Loyalty Rewards - [Optional] If you're using the Loyalty Rewards feature in myStratus, check the box if clients with this status should be included in the program.

   The following editing options are also available, either on the ribbon or directly from the grid:

   • Modify a Status - Double-click the status and then edit the description.

   • Delete a Status - Highlight the status and click Delete on the ribbon.

   • Change the Order - Highlight a status and use the Move Up and Move Down tools on the ribbon.

   • Make a Status Inactive - Check the Inactive box to hide a status you are no longer using (but may not want to delete).

3. You may also want to:

   • Hide Inactive Statuses - Click Hide Inactive on the ribbon to hide (or reveal) any inactive statuses.

   • Print the List - Click Print on the ribbon to generate a printed report of your client statuses.

   • Export the List to Excel - Click Export to Excel to export an Excel file that you can download.

4. Close the window when finished.
   
   

Using Client Statuses

Client Statuses

Client statuses are an great way to organize your clients by where they are in the client life-cycle. For example, some people might be at the "prospect" stage. Others may have become "customers." You also may have clients at the "web inquiry" stage. Maybe you have clients that have referred others to your business whom you consider "loyalty clients." Your loyalty clients can be treated with more care and effort than a normal client because of the sales they have helped generate. Here are some ideas of how you may want to use client status:

• Prospect - This person may have expressed an interest or may be a lead you acquired from somewhere.

• Client - This would be your standard client.

• Loyalty Client - The client has either referred a certain number of people, or perhaps they have been a customer for a certain length of time.

• Web Inquiry - People who have inquired about your company from your website.

• Inactive Client - Indicate when someone is no longer a customer.

• Upset Client - Handle upset clients cautiously, putting out fires before they escalate!

• First-Time Client - Identify first-timers to make sure their first impression is a great one.

• Business Partner - Track marketing partners, referral partners, etc.

Client Status Due Dates

Not only can you create a client status, but you can assign a due date for each status (the Default Duration in step 2 above). For example, you can set a due date for your web inquiry status to remind you to follow up in a timely manner. Just set the default duration of that status to the number of days you want to make sure someone has followed up by - 2 days, for example. You can also use your Clients hub to search by "Client Status" and "Status Due Date." You will be able to view all the clients at a certain status and quickly notice which ones require attention (especially helpful for "Web Inquiry" or "Prospect" statuses). Follow the steps below to search and sort your Clients hub by status and due date.

1. On the Clients hub, set the Search By option to "Client Status."

2. Choose the status from the drop-down list.

3. Add the Client Status Due Date column to the hub:

• Hover over a column header.

• Click the down arrow that appears.

• Choose "Client Status Due Date" from the Columns drop-down list.

4. Hover over the Client Status Due Date column.

5. Choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.

6. You have now searched for a client status and sorted the list by the status due date. Use this process to keep on top of your client follow-ups or general client maintenance.

Client Status Reasons

To keep track of why a client was put at a certain status, myStratus includes another field called "Client Status Reasons." Set them up in Maintenance > Client > Client Status Reasons. See also: Using Client Status Reasons