At MGR, customer data integrity and operational continuity are at the core of our platform’s design. As such, the system does not allow deletion or inactivation of customers once created. This article explains the reasons behind this decision, outlines possible consequences of inactivation or deletion, and provides case study examples to reinforce best practices.
Why Customer Deletion Is Not Allowed
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Historical Traceability
Every customer record is linked to a wide range of activities, such as:-
Repair history
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Invoices and payments
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Communications and SMS/email logs
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Loyalty point earnings. prepaid credit and redemptions
Deleting a customer would result in the loss of vital data that could impact business reporting, audits, customer disputes, and internal tracking.
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Legal & Accounting Compliance: In many jurisdictions, financial transactions must be retained for a minimum of 6 years. Since invoices and payment records are tied to customer profiles, removing them could lead to non-compliance.
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Customer Re-engagement Potential: Inactive or dormant customers may return in the future. Having their history accessible allows for better support and marketing opportunities, including win-back campaigns or reactivating loyalty programmes.
Why Customers Should Not Be Marked as Inactive
While it may seem appropriate to “hide” old customers by marking them inactive, MGR intentionally prevents this for several key reasons:
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Data Collision on New Customer Creation: If a new customer is added with the same name, email, or phone number as an “inactive” one, the system will detect the conflict and block the creation, yet the user will not be able to see the original record. This leads to confusion and duplicate-handling issues.
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Prepaid Credit or Loyalty Points
Customers often have:-
Prepaid balances from deposits or credit notes
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Loyalty points pending use
Marking them inactive can prevent utilisation or redemption, which may:
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Lead to customer service issues
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Risk disputes or financial liabilities
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Technician and Staff Performance Tracking: Many performance reports rely on historical customer data. Inactivating a customer would skew reporting on repeat business, customer satisfaction, and technician KPIs.
Use “Watch Out” Notes Instead
To handle sensitive or noteworthy customers without deleting or hiding them, MGR provides a feature called “Watch Out” notes.
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These notes can be added directly to the customer record.
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They are prominently displayed when you select the customer via a:
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Ticket
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Lead
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Estimate
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They also appear whenever the customer is being modified or updated.
This allows your team to be instantly aware of:
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Disputes or difficult history
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Special handling instructions
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Internal alerts such as “Only accept upfront payments” or “VIP client – prioritise response”
It’s a far more effective and traceable solution than removing or obscuring customer records.
MGR’s Recommended Approach
- Use “Watch Out” notes for behaviour-related flags or internal cautions.
Case Studies
📘 Case Study 1: Lost Invoice Trail
Scenario: A shop wanted to delete a customer after a complaint.
Outcome: Doing so removed the associated invoices and voided the payment trail. During an audit, this led to gaps in financial records and delays in compliance certification.
📗 Case Study 2: Duplicate Confusion
Scenario: A staff member couldn’t find a customer because they had been previously made inactive. They created a new record.
Outcome: This led to confusion over loyalty points, duplicate repair tickets, and a misreported lifetime value for that customer.
📙 Case Study 3: Unused Credit
Scenario: A customer with £45 in prepaid credit was marked inactive after not visiting for a year.
Outcome: When they returned, the credit was missed, and the customer was charged again, resulting in a complaint and refund processing.
📕 Case Study 4: Problematic Customer Flagged with “Watch Out” Note
Scenario: A customer had a history of chargebacks.
Action Taken: Staff added a “Watch Out” note: “Only accept bank transfers, no card payments”.
Outcome: When a new staff member selected the customer via a lead, the warning was immediately visible, and the policy was followed, avoiding future issues.
Summary
MGR enforces non-deletion and non-inactivation of customers to:
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Preserve history
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Comply with regulations
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Maintain accurate reporting
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Avoid data duplication
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Honour financial obligations (credit, loyalty, etc.)
Instead of removing customers, use tools like:
- “Watch Out” notes to handle special cases internally
This approach protects your business and ensures operational consistency across your team.
