I'm a noobie and using free CRM version. I've been reading all the help on the different capabilities but would like advice on which way would be best to proceed.
I want to record multiple pest treatment events (date, type of treatment, cost, other notes) for one Contact, and then I want to filter (or generate a list) of contacts who are due for their next annual treatment (e.g. 11 months on from their last treatment event).
Would this be best suited to Tickets or Tasks (or maybe Meetings)?
Short Answer: Use tasks. Following the application, set a due date for 11 months from the current date.
Longer Answer: If you're small, this will work for now but may become tedious. As you grow, you may want to be a bit more strategic in how you use HubSpot. Below is one possible way to do this with the free HubSpot portal. I operate my own side-hustle and use the HubSpot free CRM. This process and all the screenshots come from my free account.
Create a custom "Last Application" property.
In the main navigation Go to Settings > Properties. Then click the second tab Groups.
To keep your properties organized, I recommend creating a "Custom Property" group to store all custom properties in one place. I typically se the naming convention "businessname Custom".
Click the Properties tab then Create property (top right) to create the custom property.
Make the object type Contact and select your newly created businessname Custom as the property group. Label the property "Last Application" and click Next.
Select Date picker as the field type and click Create.
For custom properties, I always like to see them front and center in my contact info. To do this, go to any contact record and from the Actions dropdown menu, select View all properties.
Search for your new custom property Last Treatment and select Add to your view.
The "Last Treatment" property is now added to your view. NOTE: this applies to only your view. If you have others in your HubSpot portal who also want this added to their view, you will need to change the default view in settings.
To rearrange the order of properties, click the dots on the left and drag the property to the desired position.
Fill in your data. If you're just starting out, fill in the correct dates manually by going to their contact record. If you have a large amount of data to fill in, do an import with this information. Here's a HubSpot Academy Lesson on importing.
(I highly recommend the HubSpot Academy, especially if you're new).
Once you have all your data, now you can filter on the property "Last Treatment".
Go to Contacts > Contacts > Select Add filter and search for and select your custom property Last Treatment.
Now select is between and choose your dates for the 11-month window you're looking for. HubSpot will now show you contacts that meet the criteria you've specified.
Moving forward, you could create a Template that is along the lines of "it's been 11 months and it's time for your next application".
I encourage you to jump right in, get started and learn as you go - HubSpot is pretty intuitive. It may take a little time upfront to set things up, but you'll save time in the long run. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
I hope this helps. If it does, please mark it as a solution to help others in the community. Thank you!
Short Answer: Use tasks. Following the application, set a due date for 11 months from the current date.
Longer Answer: If you're small, this will work for now but may become tedious. As you grow, you may want to be a bit more strategic in how you use HubSpot. Below is one possible way to do this with the free HubSpot portal. I operate my own side-hustle and use the HubSpot free CRM. This process and all the screenshots come from my free account.
Create a custom "Last Application" property.
In the main navigation Go to Settings > Properties. Then click the second tab Groups.
To keep your properties organized, I recommend creating a "Custom Property" group to store all custom properties in one place. I typically se the naming convention "businessname Custom".
Click the Properties tab then Create property (top right) to create the custom property.
Make the object type Contact and select your newly created businessname Custom as the property group. Label the property "Last Application" and click Next.
Select Date picker as the field type and click Create.
For custom properties, I always like to see them front and center in my contact info. To do this, go to any contact record and from the Actions dropdown menu, select View all properties.
Search for your new custom property Last Treatment and select Add to your view.
The "Last Treatment" property is now added to your view. NOTE: this applies to only your view. If you have others in your HubSpot portal who also want this added to their view, you will need to change the default view in settings.
To rearrange the order of properties, click the dots on the left and drag the property to the desired position.
Fill in your data. If you're just starting out, fill in the correct dates manually by going to their contact record. If you have a large amount of data to fill in, do an import with this information. Here's a HubSpot Academy Lesson on importing.
(I highly recommend the HubSpot Academy, especially if you're new).
Once you have all your data, now you can filter on the property "Last Treatment".
Go to Contacts > Contacts > Select Add filter and search for and select your custom property Last Treatment.
Now select is between and choose your dates for the 11-month window you're looking for. HubSpot will now show you contacts that meet the criteria you've specified.
Moving forward, you could create a Template that is along the lines of "it's been 11 months and it's time for your next application".
I encourage you to jump right in, get started and learn as you go - HubSpot is pretty intuitive. It may take a little time upfront to set things up, but you'll save time in the long run. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
I hope this helps. If it does, please mark it as a solution to help others in the community. Thank you!