Method:Classic General Q&A

Re: Converting leads to customers

Method_Jason — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:57:59 GMT

Hi Mike,

After some more testing I have found that it is currently not possible to prevent a lead from converting to a customer when they are assigned as the parent to another lead. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be an action that converts the lead but an automatic process in the back end. If you like, I could submit a request to the team to add this feature as I can understand the usefulness of what you're trying to do.

- Jason

Re: Converting leads to customers

MikeB — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:09:20 GMT

OK, let's see if I get this straight:

I create a new lead that will act as a parent
I create another new lead that will be a job of the parent by using the field you identified
Upon assigning the job to the parent, the lead will become a Customer

In my Edit Customer screen I have a grid that shows all jobs (subaccounts) based on the Customer table. Can I assume that both the parent lead and the associated job will become customers, and that the job will show up in the grid that I mention?

Also, assuming I can add some customization that prevents the lead from becoming a customer once a job is added, is there a way for me to have a subaccount/job grid in the leads environment that will transfer over when ready?

The goal is to add leads, as well as the associated jobs, and to create proposals/estimates for some (or all) of the jobs. Upon conversion, the job hierarchy will transfer to the Customers table and the proposals/estimates will be able to be converted to sales orders. The idea would be to lay all the groundwork in the lead environment (ie. gather and assign all information and jobs) and then just convert.

Does that seem possible/reasonable?

Re: Converting leads to customers

Method_Jason — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:57:15 GMT

Hi MikeB,

You can assign a lead as a job of a customer. Simply edit the lead and select the parent customer in the Job of Customer dropdown menu as in the screenshot below. I believe what you are asking though is if you can assign a lead as the job of another lead. You can do this in the stock screens by selecting the parent lead in the same Job of Customer dropdown box (this dropdown will show customers and leads). However, the regular behaviour of Method is to convert the parent lead into a customer when you assign it a job.

If you would like the parent lead to stay a lead you may change this behaviour with some customization. Hope this clears up any confusion.

- Jason

Converting leads to customers

MikeB — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:30:42 GMT

Our customers have subbacounts (ie. QuickBooks Jop Names) whose "Types" are either "Main Account" or "Staff". These are housed as distinct rows (each one has a Record ID) in the Customer Table.

I realize that within the Leads environment, it's possible to create "Contacts", and when the lead is converted to a customer, those contacts are transferred and housed in the Contacts table.

However, I was wondering if there was an easy way to create subaccounts in the Leads environment (ie. they're "Jobs of the Customer") and have them all transfer over to the Customer environment as a parent account with subaccounts/jobs?