Creative thinkers: any way to do a phone log in Entourage?

[MacGrrl]

I love Entourage enough to have found workarounds for its limitations
so far. However I need to manage my customer list for callbacks, log
etc. I know what I really want is a CRM app but I 1) can't afford it
right now and 2) really like Entourage and don't want to have to
switch between two apps.
I wish, wish, wish that Entourage had the capablility of a phone list
view with customizable colored flags (for call back, appointment,
follow up etc), with easy sort and easy preview of a phone log for
each contact. It's hard to keep track of a large number of calls
without this.
Suggestions? Creative ideas?
Thanks

 

[Jeff Zienowicz]

I love Entourage enough to have found workarounds for its limitations
so far. However I need to manage my customer list for callbacks, log
etc. I know what I really want is a CRM app but I 1) can't afford it
right now and 2) really like Entourage and don't want to have to
switch between two apps.
I wish, wish, wish that Entourage had the capablility of a phone list
view with customizable colored flags (for call back, appointment,
follow up etc), with easy sort and easy preview of a phone log for
each contact. It's hard to keep track of a large number of calls
without this.

How about this:

Create a project called Phone Log; you can have it open in its own window.
Create categories for Call Back, Appointment, etc.

Log each call as a Task or a Note (depending on whether you need the
Completed checkbox) in the Phone Log project.

- Jeff

 

[MacGrrl]

That's a good idea - I never considered doing it that way!
It's still limited in terms of viewing the log, but i can work with
that. I created notes for hte contact under the link function. Then,
in the phone log project "contacts" view, I clicked on the link icon
in the window and it brought up the notes. I wish it were possible to
see the notes below but for now that could work. I'll have to play
more with it to tweak it for functionality. But the colored
categories do serve as colored flags I can sort by. I wish there was
a way to add a text field to that view so I could add call notes that
could be viewed in the list. But adding a custom field to the view,
then typing the note into it in the contact, worked. Also, need to
see how this will work wtih a large number of contacts, or an imported
spreadsheet of contacts.
Now I will have to come up with ways to organize a customer contact
workflow system of followups and reminders. Welcome suggestions on
that from people out there.
Thanks a lot - this has been the missing piece that made Entourage
functional for what I am doing.

 

[MacGrrl]

I'm so excited I've finally figured out a way to do an Entourage phone
log! I played around with importing some contacts last night also.

Does anyone out there use Entourage in this way? CRM? To keep track of
customer followup? What is your workflow? Your methods? What has
been most helpful to you in keeping track of customers and staying
organized/ Tips and tricks? Words of wisdom? Advice for the
organizationally challenged?

 

[Diane Ross]

I'm so excited I've finally figured out a way to do an Entourage phone
log! I played around with importing some contacts last night also.

Does anyone out there use Entourage in this way? CRM? To keep track of
customer followup? What is your workflow? Your methods? What has
been most helpful to you in keeping track of customers and staying
organized/ Tips and tricks? Words of wisdom? Advice for the
organizationally challenged?

Please share!!!
--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>

 

[MacGrrl]

Please share!!!
--

Just what I shared in the earlier post about linking hte contacts to a
project and then viewing them in the contacs window, in the project
center, then creating notes linked to the contacts for a log that
shows up when you click on the 'links' icon. The color coded
categories work very well in place of colored follow up flags and
allow you to sort your list of contacts.