Notifications are auto-generated text, used to communicate financial or customer care information to existing or prospective customers, created in batch mode and based on conditions and criteria, set by the user. Notifications are sent through CRM.COM by email or SMS or by using a third party external system, such as a mobile app or portal.

Notifications Glossary

Term	Description
Communications	A Communication refers to any interaction with a physical person or company through the CRM.COM software. Within the context of Notifications, Communications refer to outgoing Communications sent either by Email or SMS.
Communication Queue	A list of all Communications, either completed or that require additional processing from CRM.COM or an External System. Once a Notification is created, a Communication is also created along with an entry in the Communication Queue.
Communication Templates	Templates used during the creation of new Communications to generate the Communication Subject or Body. The Templates may include Communication Tags.
Communication Tags	Tags used to dynamically generate the subject or content of a Communication based on data kept on the associated Contact Information or other referred business entities. e.g. the name of the notified Contact Information.
Authorisation Settings	Settings which provide the customer's preferences with regards to being contacted for Marketing purposes through Notification Runs.
Notification Classification	The Classification defines the nature of the Notifications, which can either be Financial (e.g. reminding customers of their unsettled Balance) Customer Care (e.g. welcoming customers as new Rewards Participants or Subscribers) or Reward Offers (e.g. informing participants of new Reward Offers that are applicable to them)
Notification Type	Information related to the generation as well as the content of Notifications, such as the Communication Template to be used, the email or phone Type that the Communication will be sent to and more.

Notifications Key Processes and Concepts

Processes / Concept

Description

Communicate with multiple customers simultaneously by using Notification Runs

Notifications are used to enable digital communication with customers, through email or SMS, in a way similar to Communications.

They can be created in a batch mode, based on user defined conditions, enabling the user to simultaneously generate Communications for multiple customers.

View Notification Run Definitions for more information.

Customer Care Notifications Versus Financial Notifications

Notifications can either be used for Marketing, Informational or Billing Purposes. Depending on the content to be communicated to customers, there are three different Classifications to choose from:

- Customer Care: Notifications that can provide general information about the entity that is being notified. For example, a welcoming email to new subscribers providing information on the services and hardware.
- Financial: Notifications that can provide financial information about the entity that is being notified. For example, a reminder email to subscribers that have an unsettled amount.
- AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R12.0.0 Reward Offers: Notifications that provide information about Reward Offers to eligible participants
Notifications in CRM.COM can be created for following entities:

Customer Care	Financial	Reward Offers AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R12.0.0
Subscriptions Jobs Activities Rewards Participants Award Transactions Spend Transactions Award Expiration Transactions Leads Service Requests Payment Gateway Cards Payment Gateway Requests Payments Buy in Advance	Subscriptions Bills Wallets Wallet Product Consumption	Reward Offer

Personalize content included in communications generated through Notification Runs

The text included in the communication with the customer, which is generated through the Notifications, is pre-written and provided in Communication Templates.

Even though the Notifications are created in a batch mode, the pre-written text can be personalised by using Communication Tags, which are replaced by the actual values for each of the recipients.
The Tags included in the Communication Templates are specific to the Classification of the Notification Type:

Financial Notifications use Notification, Contact Information and Accounts Receivable Tags
Customer Care Notifications use Notification and Contact Information Tags as well as Tags of the entity that is included in the related Notification item.

Notifications handled by External Systems

Although CRM.COM can send Emails and SMS directly from its interface, it is also possible to notify customers by using third party External Systems. The External Systems have access to the data saved in CRM.COM, such as private SMS Gateways or custom made CRM.COM portals.
Notifications (email or SMS) with a pre-defined External System, will be accessed by that System using CRM.COM WEB APIs and processed accordingly, instead of being handled internally and sent by CRM.COM.

Communication Authorisation Settings

CRM.COM enables its users to contact their customers for marketing and informational purposes through Customer Care Notifications.

The customers can select whether or not hey want to be contacted for Direct or Affiliate marketing. Direct Marketing refers to campaigns a company's / organisation's own products, while Affiliate Marketing refers to campaigns initiated by a company / organisation promoting its partners' products. In cases where it is imperative to communicate important information to customers, their selection can be disregarded.

For more information, check out Authorisation Settings of Managing Contact Information and Notification Types.

Contacts can also Subscribe (Opt-In) and Unsubscribe (Opt-Out) of Direct and/or Affiliate Marketing material automatically via email links.
For more information visit Understanding Communications - Email Tracking.

Consider Presentment Preferences Communication Media

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R12.0.0

CRM.COM allows its users to Notify Customers considering their Accounts Receivable's Presentment Preferences.

In cases that the Notification Run will consider the Customer's Presentment Preferences, then the Communication will be sent to the Customer only if the Communication Template's Media is relative to the Customer's Presentment Preference.

For more information, visit Configuring Notification Types

Notifications Access & Viewing Controls

Business Network Characteristics define the level of access for each record. i.e. whether it will be available for selection, viewing or editing.

Entity	Network Characteristics	Description
Notifications	Implicit Viewing Access Entities	Notification records can be accessed, viewed and modified by Users that belong to the Group defined at the Owned By Group of the related Contact Information, or that belong to a Group that collaborates with the specified Group, or by Super Users.

Notifications Related Modules

Interaction Entity	How
Communications	One communication is created per Notification. Communication Templates are used when defining Notification Types. Queue External Systems are used when defining Notification Types. APPLICABLE UP TO CRM.COM R9.0.0
Accounts Receivable	Financial Notifications are created for an Accounts Receivable.
Contact Information	Customer Care Notifications are created for a Contact Information.
Subscriptions	Customer Care and Financial Notifications can be created for Subscriptions.
Activities	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Activities.
Jobs	Customer Care & Financial Notifications can be created for Jobs.
Buy in Advance	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Buy in Advance Requests.
Wallets	Financial Notifications can be created for Wallets.
Rewards Participants	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Rewards Participants.
Service Requests	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Service Requests.
Payment Gateway Cards	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Payment Gateway Cards.
Payment Gateway Requests	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Payment Gateway Requests.
Payments	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Payments.
Award Transactions	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Award Transactions.
Spend Transactions	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Spend Transactions.
Award Expiration Transaction	Customer Care Notifications can be created for Award Expiration Transactions.
Bills	Financial Notifications can be created for Bills.
Reward Offers AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R12.0.0	Reward Offers Notifications are created and sent to participants that the offers are applicable for.

Notifications - Business Examples

The following section provides business examples of how the CRM.COM Notifications module is used.

Company ZX wants to set up a Notification for Unsettled Subscriptions

Company ZX wants to set up a Notification for Unsettled Subscriptions

Company ZX wants to communicate with subscribers with unsettled Subscriptions, on the first day of each month.

CRM.COM Solution

The following System configurations are necessary:

Set up a Configuring Communication Template with the Content and Subject that matches your business needs.
Set up a Configuring Notification Type.
1. Unsettled Subscriptions
2. Classification: Financial Transactions
3. Notification Information: Subscriptions
Create a new Financial Notification Run Definition
1. Name: Notify Unsettled Subscriptions
2. Notification Type: select the same Type that was created previously (Unsettled Subscriptions).
3. Under Criteria: specify all the criteria that will retrieve the subscribers with unsettled Subscriptions:
  1. Segments: whether they exist in other segments
  2. Notification History: whether they were notified previously
  3. Accounts Receivable:
    1. Outstanding amount: the amount for which a Subscriptions is considered as unsettled, for example €10.
    2. Classifications: which Classifications should be included, e.g. All except VIP.
  4. Subscription Criteria
    1. Type of Subscriptions to be included, e.g. London.
    2. Billing Term Schemes of Subscriptions to be included, e.g. Normal.
4. Under Scheduling
  1. Schedule the Definition to be executed on a specific date and time.
  2. Schedule the recurrence for each month.

Communication Templates Using Notification Tags

Communication Templates using Notification Tags

Business Requirement

Company ZX wants to send Notification emails to its customers regarding their Account Balance, Wallet Balance and to welcome new subscribers.

CRM.COM Suggested Solution

Create Templates using Notification available tags.

Unsettled Subscriptions

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to remind you that the outstanding amount of your account #Notification.accounts_receivable.number is #Notification.total_notified_amount, which is related to the following subscriptions
#Notification.subscriptions_notified_amount
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

Unsettled Accounts Receivable

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to remind you that the outstanding amount of your account #Notification.accounts_receivable.number is #Notification.total_notified_amount, which is related to the following bill
#Notification.bills_notified_amount
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

Wallet with low credit

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to remind you that the remaining amount in your wallets is the following:
#Notification.wallets_available_amount
 
This amount is estimated to be consumed by:
#Notification.wallets_estimated_consumption_date
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

Wallet Product Consumption near estimated date

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to remind you that the remaining amount of your prepaid services is the following:
#Notification.wallets_product_available_amount
 
This amount is estimated to be consumed by:
#Notification.wallets_estimated_consumption_date
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

New Subscribers

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to welcome you and congratulate you for subscribing with us. Your subscription information is the following:
#Notification.subscriptions_type
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

Completed Jobs

#Notification.number
 
Dear #Notification.contact_information.name
 
We would like to inform you that the following jobs have been completed successfully:
#Notification.jobs_type
 
Regards
Company ZX Co.

Completed Activities

#Notification.number

Dear #Notification.contact_information.name

We would like to inform you that the following jobs have been completed successfully:

#Notification.activities_type

Regards

Company ZX Co.

Allow Customers to choose not to be contacted for Direct Marketing

Financial & Marketing LCS

Business Requirement

Company ZX contacts its customers on a monthly basis to let them know about new offers and available channels. In addition to internal organisation (Direct) marketing campaigns, Company ZX also engages in (Affiliate) marketing campaigns for partners. Some of ZX's customers would like to be removed from the Affiliate and remain in the Direct Marketing campaign Mailing lists.

CRM.COM Solution

Configuration
- Include in Direct Marketing Campaigns
  
  Contact Information: The Authorisation Settings in Contact Information related to Marketing should be set as follows:
  - Send me Direct Marketing material: YES
  - Send me Direct Affiliate material: NO
  Notification Type: The Notification Type used for the monthly Affiliate Marketing campaign should have the Authorisation Settings set as follows (to take into consideration the Affiliate Marketing Contact Information settings):
  - Apply Contact Information Data Protection for Direct Marketing: YES
  - Apply Contact Information Data Protection for Affiliate Marketing: YES
  Notification Run: Use the Customer Care Notification Type created with the settings configured as above.
- System Process
  When the System executes the Notification Run with the Notification Type configured as described above, contacts that meet the criteria will be validated against the Notification's and Communication's criteria and then the Authorisation Settings. Those that are flagged 'YES' for Direct Marketing will be contacted.
- Exclude from Affiliate Marketing Campaigns
  
  Contact Information: The Authorisation Settings in Contact Information related to Marketing should be set as follows:
  - Send me Direct Marketing material: YES
  - Send me Direct Affiliate material: NO
  Notification Type: The Notification Type used for the monthly Direct Marketing campaign should have the Authorisation Settings set as follows (to take into consideration the Direct Marketing Contact Information settings):
  - Apply Contact Information Data Protection for Direct Marketing: YES
  - Apply Contact Information Data Protection for Affiliate Marketing: YES
  Notification Run: Use the Customer Care Notification Type created with the settings configured as above.
- System Process
  When the System executes the Notification Run with the Notification Type configured as described above, contacts that meet the criteria will be validated against the Notification's and Communication's criteria and then the Authorisation Settings. The ones that are flagged 'NO' for Affiliate Marketing will be excluded.

Related Areas

Page:

Understanding Notifications
Page:

Configuring Notification Types
Page:

Managing Notifications
Page:

Using Notification Run Definitions

CRM.COM Manual

Understanding Notifications

Table of Contents

What are Notifications?