> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Configure CRM settings > Set up CRM stages, customer types, sources, and vendor types so leads and customers are organized in a way your staff understands. CRM settings help your team organize leads, customers, and follow-up work. You do not need to know sales software terms to use this page. Think of CRM settings as the labels and stages your team uses to answer: * Who is interested in becoming a customer? * Where are they in our process? * What type of customer are they? * How did they find us? * When should we follow up? ## What you will accomplish * Name the follow-up stages your team uses (for example **New Lead**, **Contacted**, **Active Customer**). * Group stages as **Lead**, **Customer**, or **Former Customer** so the [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) board stays organized. * Set auto due dates so follow-up does not slip through the cracks. * Create **Customer types**, **Customer sources**, and **Vendor types** so staff pick consistent labels. * Confirm the same stage names appear in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) **Board** view. ## Before you start * Write down the real steps your team uses from first inquiry to active customer. * List the customer types your facility serves, such as storage, events, detailing, or marketplace. * List common lead sources, such as referral, website, phone call, auction, event, or social media. * Decide how quickly staff should follow up at each stage. ## Open CRM settings Go to [Settings > CRM](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/crm). The CRM settings page autosaves changes. You may see **Autosaves changes**, **Saving...**, or **Saved** near the top of the page. ![CRM settings showing Lead, Customer, and Former Customer columns with sample contacts, an Add Stage button, and Customer types for Storage, Events, and Detailing](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0/images/settings/settings-crm-stages-page-sep22.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0\&q=85\&s=ae515514b0512367f2a139ffd10ea710) ***CRM stages** become columns on the contacts board. The green **Lead** lane here follows up after 3 days. Click **Add Stage** to add another step.* Jump links at the top of the page include **Stages**, **Customer types**, **Customer sources**, and **Vendor types**. ## Set up CRM stages CRM stages become the lanes on your customer relationship board. **1. Find CRM stages** On [Settings > CRM](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/crm), find the swimlanes named **Lead**, **Customer**, and **Former Customer**. **2. Review existing stages** Read each stage name. Keep names simple. Good examples include **New Lead**, **Contacted**, **Tour Scheduled**, **Proposal Sent**, **Active Customer**, and **Former Customer**. **3. Click a lane to edit it** Click a lane to change its name, description, and auto due date. The due date is in days. For example, **3** means follow up within 3 days. **Why this matters:** When a customer sits in **Lead** too long, your team may forget to call back. Auto due dates turn quiet leads into visible reminders on the [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) board. **4. Add or reorder stages** Click **Add Stage** to create a new stage. Drag the handle on a lane to reorder stages into the order your team follows. **Expected result:** Your relationship board shows stages in the same order your team describes the sales process on the phone. > [!TIP] > > **Keep stages action-focused** > > Good stages tell staff what needs to happen next. For example, **Needs Follow-Up** is clearer than **Pending**. ## Confirm stages on the Contacts board **1. Open Contacts** Go to [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts). **2. Open Filters & settings and choose Board** Click **Filters & settings** near the search bar (on a phone it may show only the filter icon). In the panel that opens, click **Board**. **Expected result:** You see columns (lanes) with the same stage names you set in CRM settings. **3. Drag one test card (optional)** If you have a test customer in an early stage, drag their card to the next column once to confirm the board groups match your **Lead**, **Customer**, and **Former Customer** lanes. ![Contacts page with Filters and settings open, Board view selected, and CRM stage filters for Lead, Customer, and Former Customer](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0/images/settings/settings-crm-contacts-board-sep22.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0\&q=85\&s=08a17bf22d2276e2f08aee72e0cc718e) *On [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts), click **Filters & settings**, then **Board**. The same **Lead**, **Customer**, and **Former Customer** groups you named in CRM settings appear as columns.* > [!TIP] > > **Who uses Board view?** > > **Sales or relationship leads** often live in Board view to track follow-up. **Front desk staff** may prefer the table or card list when they need phone numbers quickly. Both views use the same CRM stages you configure here. ## Set up customer types Customer types help your team group customers by what they use your facility for. **1. Find Customer types** On [Settings > CRM](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/crm), scroll to **Customer types**, or click **Customer types** at the top of the page. **2. Review the names** Use names staff will understand, such as **Storage**, **Events**, **Detailing**, **Marketplace**, or **Concierge**. **3. Add or edit a type** Click a card to edit it, or add a new type. Use the description field to explain when staff should choose that type. If a type has been used before, consider turning it off instead of deleting it. **Expected result:** When you open a customer record, staff can pick a type that matches how your facility thinks about that relationship. ![CRM settings Customer types cards for Storage, Events, Detailing, Ancillary Services, and Marketplace, plus Customer sources below](https://mintcdn.com/carstoragesoftware/i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0/images/settings/settings-crm-customer-types-sep22.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=i8C8ltdi21A8xYJ0\&q=85\&s=0a46ba0aa811af55515d6fd30c0ff209) ***Customer types** and **Customer sources** are cards you can drag to reorder. Use the words your staff already say on the phone.* ## Set up customer sources Sources describe where a lead or customer came from. **1. Find Customer sources** Click **Customer sources** at the top of [Settings > CRM](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/crm). **2. Add the sources your staff asks about** Common examples include **Referral**, **Website**, **Phone Call**, **Instagram**, **Auction**, **Existing Customer**, and **Event**. **3. Reorder sources** Put the most common sources near the top so staff can find them quickly. **Expected result:** When staff add or edit a contact, they can choose a source from your list instead of typing a different answer every time. ## Set up vendor types (optional) If you work with transporters, detailers, or other vendors, use **Vendor types** so those contacts stay labeled clearly. **1. Find Vendor types** Click **Vendor types** at the top of the CRM page. **2. Add types your shop actually uses** Examples: **Transporter**, **Detail Shop**, **Insurance Adjuster**, **Auction House**. Skip this section if you do not track vendors separately. ## What success looks like * CRM stages match your real sales and customer follow-up process. * Each stage sits in the right swimlane: Lead, Customer, or Former Customer. * Auto due dates remind staff when follow-up should happen. * Customer types help group customers by the services they use. * Sources help your team understand where new leads come from. ## Simple example setup > [!NOTE] > > If you are not sure where to start, try a simple setup first: > > **Stages:** New Lead, Contacted, Tour Scheduled, Proposal Sent, Active Customer, Former Customer. > > **Customer types:** Storage, Detailing, Events, Marketplace, Other. > > **Sources:** Referral, Website, Phone Call, Social Media, Event, Existing Customer. > > You can improve these later after your team uses the CRM for a few weeks. ## Troubleshooting > [!WARNING] > > **Changes did not save** > > Watch the save message near the top of the page. If it stays on **Saving...** or shows an error, refresh the page and try again. Avoid closing the page while it is saving. > [!WARNING] > > **A stage appears in the wrong place** > > Check which swimlane the stage sits in. A lead stage should live under **Lead**, an active customer stage under **Customer**, and a former customer stage under **Former Customer**. > [!TIP] > > **Staff are confused by a label** > > Rename the label in plain language or add a description. Use the words your team already says in daily work. > [!TIP] > > **I want to remove an old label** > > If the label has been used on real customer records, turning it off is usually safer than deleting it. This keeps history easier to understand. ## What to do next After CRM settings are ready, review your customer records in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts). Use [Manage contact tags and CRM fields](/docs/contacts/manage-contact-tags.md) when staff need flexible labels on individual customers. If you are still setting up the app, continue with [Review security settings](/docs/settings/review-security-settings.md). This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.