The New Account Setup Checklist

Why this matters

A customer record set up wrong on day one causes friction on every job after it: an invoice sent to the wrong address, a tech dispatched to the billing address instead of the service address, a portal login that never worked. This checklist is what you run when a new customer is created, so the account is right before the first job rather than patched after the first complaint. The miss it prevents: a good first job undermined by an account full of small errors nobody caught.

Phase 1: Identity and contact (get it right once)

• Capture the correct legal or billing name and confirm the spelling.
• Record every contact method, and confirm at least one works before you rely on it.
• Note the preferred contact method and the best time. Do not guess.
• For a business account, record both the decision-maker and the person who actually approves work. They are often not the same.

Phase 2: Addresses and access (the two-address trap)

• Record the service address and the billing address as separate fields. They are frequently different.
• Capture access details: gate codes, lockbox, which door, where to park, pets on site.
• Note any site-specific hazard or condition a tech must know before arriving.
• Confirm the service address is mappable so dispatch and routing work on the first job.

Phase 3: Money and terms

• Set the payment terms and the accepted payment methods up front.
• Record tax status and any exemption with its documentation, so the first invoice taxes correctly.
• Note any pricing tier, membership, or agreement that applies, so quotes default to the right rate.
• If your process keeps a payment method on file, capture it through a secure channel. Never store card data in a free-text note field.

Phase 4: History, preferences, and access

• Record how they found you (the source) for your marketing math.
• Log any equipment, prior work, or known history relevant to service.
• Set up portal or communication access if you offer it, and confirm it actually works.
• If the work is cyclical, create the recurring service reminder now, so the relationship never lapses silently.

The rule to keep

The account is the foundation every future job stands on. A few minutes of accurate setup prevents an error on every invoice and every dispatch that follows. Confirm rather than assume, and keep sensitive payment data out of any note field.

References

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), customer records guidance
• Payment-handling and data-privacy norms (do not store card data in notes)
• See related: The Customer Property Walkthrough Checklist, Getting Paid Faster