Skip to main content

Log a Customer Request

Log a customer request when a customer calls, emails, or messages you about a problem with a unit you've installed. The request lives on the Customer Requests page until somebody closes it or converts it into a work order.

You don't have to schedule the technician at this point — you're just capturing what the customer wants and which unit it's about.

Before you start​

  • You have the customer_requests.create permission.
  • The unit already exists in TuffOps. If it doesn't, add the unit first — every request is tied to a specific unit.

Steps​

  1. Open Customer Requests

    Select Customer Requests in the top navigation bar. The red badge next to the label shows how many open requests are waiting.

  2. Start a new request

    Select the green New button at the top-left of the list.

  3. Pick the unit

    • Unit — start typing a serial number, customer name, or company. The dropdown searches across all of them. Pick the matching unit.

  4. Describe the request

    • Request — what the customer told you, in their words. Keep it concise; you can add detail later as a note.

  5. Set the preferred date and time

    • Preferred Date — when the customer would like the technician on site.
    • Time — All Day, Morning, or Afternoon. This is the customer's preference, not a confirmed slot.

  6. Add the contact info

    • Contact Info — phone or email the technician should use to confirm the visit. If the unit has a customer attached, suggested contacts appear under the field — select one to fill it in.

  7. Save

    Select the green Create Request button.

What happens next​

  • The request is created with status Open and you're taken to its edit page.
  • An alert is created so other office users see it on the dashboard alongside "<customer name> requested service on <unit> -- <issue>".
  • The red badge next to Customer Requests in the top navigation bar increments by one.
  • The contact info shows a green Verified badge if it matches a phone or email already on the unit's customer record. Otherwise it shows Unverified — useful when the caller might not be the account holder.

Common situations​

SituationWhat to do
The customer doesn't know which unit they're calling aboutAsk for a serial number, an address, or anything you can search by. If you can't narrow it to one unit, pick the most likely one and clarify in a note on the request.
The customer is brand new and the unit isn't in TuffOpsStop. Add the customer (Add a Customer) and the unit (Add a Unit) first, then come back.
The caller is a tenant, not the account holderUse their phone or email for Contact Info — they're who the technician will coordinate with. The Unverified badge is expected.
You already know you'll dispatch a technicianLog the request anyway, then convert it to a work order right after. The request becomes the audit trail of why the work order exists.

Troubleshooting​

The Unit dropdown shows no results.

Type at least two characters and wait a moment — the search is debounced. If you still see nothing, the unit doesn't exist yet. Open Units in another tab and confirm. If the unit is there but doesn't show up in the search, try the customer's last name or company name.

Save fails with "The contact info field is required."

You need to enter a phone or an email. The verified-contact suggestions only appear after you pick a unit — pick the unit first, then either select a suggestion or type a value.

The contact info shows Unverified even though it's the customer's number.

TuffOps marks a contact as Verified only when it matches a phone or email already saved on the customer record. The match ignores formatting on phones ((340) 555-1212 matches 3405551212) and is case-insensitive on emails — but it does need to be the same number or email. If the customer gave you a new one, open the customer (Customers) and add it there. Future requests with that contact will show Verified.