Adding a Homeowner Customer

Overview

Homeowner customers are your bread and butter for residential contracting. Adding them to BlueClerk lets you create tickets, schedule jobs, send invoices, and maintain a complete work history at their properties. The new smart customer input makes adding homeowners faster - just start typing a name and BlueClerk searches existing records, suggests matches, and lets you create new customers with Google Places address autocomplete.

NEW: Disposable Email Protection - BlueClerk now blocks throwaway email addresses (yopmail, mailinator, tempmail, etc.) when creating homeowner customers in production. This prevents fake customer records and keeps your database clean. A yellow "NEEDS REVIEW" badge appears next to any existing customers with disposable emails so you can verify their legitimacy.

NEW: Phone Number Formatting - All phone numbers in the customer list now display in a consistent xxx-xxx-xxxx format, regardless of how they were originally stored (with parentheses, spaces, dashes, or no separators). This applies to phones imported from QuickBooks or pasted in any format.

Quick Add with Smart Customer Input

How It Works

1. Go to Customers in the main navigation
2. Click "Add Customer" or the + button
3. Start typing a name in the smart input field
4. See suggestions appear - BlueClerk searches existing homeowners by name
5. Select an existing customer or click "Add as new customer"

Adding a New Homeowner

When you click "Add as new customer":

1. The customer detail page opens with name pre-filled
2. Enter email address - BlueClerk validates the email and blocks disposable addresses
3. Enter phone number - Accepts any format (xxx-xxx-xxxx, (xxx) xxx-xxxx, etc.)
4. Use Google Places autocomplete to find and verify the address
5. Add optional notes about the customer
6. Click "Save"

What Happens After Saving

• Customer is created with name, email, phone, and address
• A property is created automatically if address was provided, including geocoded lat/lng
• You're taken to the customer detail page where you can create tickets, jobs, or invoices
• Phone number is stored in its original format but displays consistently as xxx-xxx-xxxx in lists

Linking to Existing Properties

If the Homeowner Already Owns a Property

When adding a homeowner customer with an address that matches an existing property:

1. BlueClerk detects the match during property creation
2. Links the customer to the existing property instead of creating a duplicate
3. Work history is preserved - all past jobs and tickets remain visible
4. Both the homeowner and any contractors who worked there can see shared history (based on permissions)

Disposable Email Validation

What Gets Blocked

BlueClerk prevents these disposable email domains:

• yopmail.com, mailinator.com, guerrillamail.com
• 10minutemail.com, tempmail.com, throwaway.email
• And 50+ other throwaway email services

How It Works

1. You enter an email when creating a homeowner
2. BlueClerk checks the domain against the disposable email list
3. If blocked: Error message appears, save is prevented
4. If allowed: Customer is created normally

Existing Customers with Disposable Emails

If you have customers created before this feature:

• Yellow "NEEDS REVIEW" badge appears in the customer list
• Click the customer to review their details
• Update email to a real address or delete if it's spam

Finding Homeowners Later

Searching Your Customer List

1. Go to Customers in the navigation
2. Type in the search box - searches by name, email, phone, or address
3. Click any customer to view details, create work, or send invoices

From Tickets and Jobs

When creating a ticket or job:

1. Start typing the customer name in the customer field
2. Select from suggestions - existing homeowners appear instantly
3. Or create a new homeowner if they're not in your system yet

Tips for Managing Homeowners

Keep Contact Info Updated

• Add multiple phone numbers if needed (work, mobile, home)
• Update emails when customers change them
• Add notes about preferred contact methods or times

Multiple Properties

Some homeowners own multiple properties:

• Rental properties
• Vacation homes
• Investment properties

Each property gets its own work history, but all link back to the same homeowner customer.

Privacy and Permissions

• Homeowners can only see work history at properties they own
• Other contractors see limited history based on your company's sharing preferences
• You control what information is visible to whom

Questions

Q: What if I add a customer with the wrong name? A: Edit the customer from the customer list - click the customer, then click "Edit" to update their name, email, phone, or address.

Q: Can I add a homeowner without an address? A: Yes - address is optional. You can add just a name and phone, then add the property later when you schedule work.

Q: Why does BlueClerk block disposable emails? A: Disposable emails are temporary throwaway addresses that can't receive invoices or important communications. Blocking them keeps your customer database clean and ensures you can reach customers when needed.

Q: What if a customer's phone number is stored differently than how it displays? A: BlueClerk automatically formats all phone numbers as xxx-xxx-xxxx in lists for consistency, regardless of how they were originally entered. The underlying data is preserved, but the display is standardized.

Q: What happens if two contractors add the same homeowner? A: If both contractors use the same email address, BlueClerk will create a single homeowner user account that both contractors can link to. This prevents duplicate customer records and allows the homeowner to see work from all their contractors in one place.