Customer Groups

Customer Groups allow you to segment customers into logical groups for pricing, visibility, marketing, and reporting purposes.

Overview

Customer Groups enable you to:

• Segment customers by criteria
• Apply group-specific pricing
• Control product visibility
• Target marketing campaigns
• Generate segment reports
• Manage group permissions

Accessing Customer Groups

Navigate to CRM → Customer Groups from the main menu.

Customer Group List

Viewing Groups

Customer Groups

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Group Name       │ Customers │ Pricing │ Visibility │ Status   │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ VIP Customers    │ 45        │ VIP     │ VIP        │ Active   │
│ Gold Tier        │ 89        │ Gold    │ Standard   │ Active   │
│ Silver Tier      │ 156       │ Silver  │ Standard   │ Active   │
│ Wholesale        │ 234       │ Wholesale│ Wholesale │ Active   │
│ Retail           │ 567       │ Standard│ Standard   │ Active   │
│ New Customers    │ 78        │ Standard│ Limited    │ Active   │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Total Groups: 6
Total Customers: 1,169

[+ New Group]

Creating Groups

New Customer Group

1. Click New Group
2. Enter group details
3. Set criteria (optional)
4. Configure benefits
5. Save group

Group Form

New Customer Group

Basic Information:
├─ Group Name: [_________________________]
├─ Group Code: [_________]
├─ Description:
│  [                                                    ]
└─ Status: [Active ▼]

Parent Group (optional):
[Select Parent ▼]
├─ (None - Top Level)
├─ VIP Customers
├─ Gold Tier
└─ ...

Group Type:
○ Manual (assign customers manually)
○ Automatic (rule-based assignment)
○ Hybrid (rules + manual overrides)

[Continue to Settings]

Automatic Assignment Rules

Automatic Assignment Rules

Rule Logic: [Match ALL ▼] conditions

Conditions:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Field              │ Operator      │ Value                     │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total Purchases    │ Greater than  │ $50,000                   │
│ AND                │               │                           │
│ Account Age        │ Greater than  │ 12 months                 │
│ AND                │               │                           │
│ Payment History    │ Equals        │ Excellent                 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[+ Add Condition] [+ Add Group (OR)]

Preview:
├─ Matching Customers: 45
└─ [View Matching Customers]

[Save Rules]

Group Settings

Pricing Configuration

Group Pricing: VIP Customers

Pricing Method:
○ No special pricing
○ Price List assignment
● Percentage discount
○ Fixed price adjustment

Discount Settings:
├─ Discount Type: [Percentage ▼]
├─ Discount Value: [15]%
├─ Apply To: [All Products ▼]
└─ Stack with promotions: [x]

Price List Assignment:
[VIP Price List ▼]

Minimum Order:
├─ Require minimum: [ ]
├─ Minimum Amount: $[________]
└─ Minimum Quantity: [________]

[Save Pricing]

Product Visibility

Group Visibility: VIP Customers

Product Access:
○ All products visible
● Specific visibility groups
○ Custom product selection

Assigned Visibility Groups:
├─ [x] Standard Products
├─ [x] VIP Exclusive Products
├─ [x] Early Access Products
└─ [ ] Wholesale Only

Hidden Products: 0
Exclusive Products: 45

Portal Access:
├─ Portal Login: [x] Enabled
├─ Shop Access: [x] Full
├─ Quote Requests: [x] Enabled
├─ Order Placement: [x] Enabled
└─ Invoice Access: [x] Full

[Save Visibility]

Payment Terms

Group Payment Terms: VIP Customers

Payment Options:
├─ [x] Credit Card
├─ [x] ACH/Bank Transfer
├─ [x] Wire Transfer
├─ [x] Net Terms
└─ [ ] Cash/Check

Net Terms Settings:
├─ Terms: [Net 30 ▼]
├─ Credit Limit: $[100,000]
├─ Auto-approve orders under: $[10,000]
└─ Require PO: [ ]

Early Payment:
├─ Discount: [2]% if paid within [10] days
└─ (2/10 Net 30)

[Save Payment Terms]

Group Details

Viewing Group

Customer Group: VIP Customers

Group Information:
├─ Name: VIP Customers
├─ Code: VIP
├─ Type: Hybrid (Rules + Manual)
├─ Status: Active
├─ Created: January 1, 2024
└─ Customers: 45

Benefits Summary:
├─ Pricing: 15% discount on all products
├─ Visibility: VIP + Standard products
├─ Payment Terms: Net 30
├─ Credit Limit: $100,000
└─ Early Pay Discount: 2/10

Group Members:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Customer           │ Since      │ Purchases  │ Assignment     │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Acme Corporation   │ Jan 2024   │ $245,678   │ Rule + Manual  │
│ TechStart Inc      │ Mar 2024   │ $189,456   │ Rule           │
│ Global Supplies    │ Jun 2024   │ $156,789   │ Manual         │
│ Enterprise Ltd     │ Aug 2024   │ $134,567   │ Rule           │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Edit Group] [Add Customers] [View Report]

Managing Members

Adding Customers

Add Customers to Group: VIP Customers

Search Customers: [_________________________] [Search]

Available Customers:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [x] │ DataFlow Corp    │ $89,456 purchases │ Gold Tier       │
│ [x] │ InnoSystems      │ $78,234 purchases │ Silver Tier     │
│ [ ] │ SmartTech LLC    │ $45,678 purchases │ Retail          │
│ [ ] │ BuildRight Inc   │ $34,567 purchases │ New Customer    │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Selected: 2 customers

Options:
○ Add to this group only
○ Move from current group
○ Add to this group as primary

[Cancel] [Add to Group]

Removing Customers

Remove Customers from Group

Group: VIP Customers

Select Customers to Remove:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [x] │ Old Customer Inc │ No purchases 12+ months              │
│ [ ] │ Acme Corporation │ Active - $45,678 this year           │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

On Removal:
○ Move to default group (Retail)
○ Move to specific group: [________▼]
○ Remove group assignment (keep other groups)

Reason (optional):
[                                                    ]

[Cancel] [Remove from Group]

Group Hierarchy

Managing Hierarchy

Customer Group Hierarchy

├─ All Customers (default)
│   ├─ VIP Customers
│   │   └─ VIP Platinum (inherits VIP benefits + more)
│   ├─ Tiered Customers
│   │   ├─ Gold Tier
│   │   ├─ Silver Tier
│   │   └─ Bronze Tier
│   ├─ Wholesale
│   │   ├─ Distributor
│   │   └─ Reseller
│   └─ Retail
│       ├─ New Customers
│       └─ Returning Customers

Inheritance:
├─ Child groups inherit parent settings
├─ Child can override specific settings
└─ Pricing takes most favorable option

Inheritance Settings

Inheritance Settings: VIP Platinum

Parent Group: VIP Customers

Inherited Settings:
├─ [x] Pricing (override available)
├─ [x] Payment Terms (override available)
├─ [x] Visibility (additive)
└─ [x] Portal Access

Overrides:
├─ Pricing: Additional 5% (total 20%)
├─ Credit Limit: $250,000 (vs $100,000)
└─ Payment Terms: Net 45 (vs Net 30)

[Save Inheritance]

Group Reports

Group Performance

Customer Group Report: VIP Customers

Period: Last 12 Months

Performance Metrics:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Metric                    │ Value      │ vs All Customers     │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total Revenue             │ $1,234,567 │ 35% of total         │
│ Orders                    │ 456        │ 25% of total         │
│ Average Order Value       │ $2,707     │ +45% higher          │
│ Order Frequency           │ 10.1/year  │ +60% higher          │
│ Customer Lifetime Value   │ $27,435    │ +80% higher          │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Top Customers:
├─ Acme Corporation: $245,678
├─ TechStart Inc: $189,456
└─ Global Supplies: $156,789

[Export Report]

Group Comparison

Customer Group Comparison

                    │ VIP      │ Gold     │ Silver   │ Retail
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Customers           │ 45       │ 89       │ 156      │ 567
Revenue (12mo)      │ $1.23M   │ $890K    │ $567K    │ $456K
Avg Order Value     │ $2,707   │ $1,567   │ $890     │ $345
Orders/Customer     │ 10.1     │ 6.3      │ 4.1      │ 2.3
Retention Rate      │ 95%      │ 82%      │ 68%      │ 45%
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Discount Given      │ 15%      │ 10%      │ 5%       │ 0%
Net Margin          │ 22%      │ 25%      │ 28%      │ 32%

Promotion Targeting

Group-Specific Promotions

Create Promotion for Group

Promotion Name: [VIP Spring Sale]

Target Groups:
├─ [x] VIP Customers
├─ [x] Gold Tier
├─ [ ] Silver Tier
├─ [ ] Wholesale
└─ [ ] Retail

Promotion Type:
○ Additional discount
○ Free shipping
○ Free item
○ BOGO

Settings:
├─ Discount: [10]% additional
├─ Minimum Purchase: $[500]
├─ Valid From: [03/01/2026]
├─ Valid To: [03/31/2026]
└─ Stack with group discount: [x]

[Save Promotion]

Best Practices

Group Structure

• Keep hierarchy simple
• Use clear naming conventions
• Define criteria clearly
• Review assignments regularly

Pricing Strategy

• Align with business goals
• Consider margin impact
• Test before rolling out
• Monitor profitability

Customer Management

• Review group fit periodically
• Upgrade deserving customers
• Address at-risk customers
• Celebrate group members

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Customer not getting discount

• Verify group assignment
• Check group pricing rules
• Review product exclusions
• Check order date vs promotion

Rule not assigning customers

• Review rule conditions
• Check data quality
• Test with sample customer
• Run rule manually

Cannot add customer to group

• Check group capacity limits
• Verify customer status
• Review exclusion rules
• Check user permissions

Pricing conflicts

• Review group hierarchy
• Check promotion stacking
• Verify price list priority
• Test with sample order

Related Documentation

Learn about Visibility Groups to control product access.