How do I bulk import existing customers?

If you’re just getting started with getSoapy or have bought a new round (congrats by the way!), bulk importing customer data is quick and easy.

Use this method to import multiple customers from another system such as Squeegee or Cleaner Planner, or from a spreadsheet (CSV format).

The first step is to prepare the data you want to import, and then import it into getSoapy.

If your customers are in a round book or on paper, you can import them from photos instead.

Preparing your data

If you're importing customer data from another platform, you'll need to export your data as a single CSV file. This file should include all the customer details (name, address, phone number, etc.) and the details about their job (frequency, cost, etc.). It doesn't matter which order these columns are in.

If you're importing customer data from a spreadsheet, you'll need to export it as a CSV file (using the default settings should be fine).

In all cases, your CSV file should contain a single header row, with each column representing a different piece of information. Each customer should be on a separate row, with their details in the corresponding columns. You can see an example CSV below.

There are no strict rules about what columns you need to include, what they should be called, or which order they should be in. However, clear column names will help our AI match your data to the right fields in getSoapy.

If you're unable to get your data into CSV format, you can always drop us a message in the app and we'll help you out.

To export data from Squeegee go to the Reporting section then select 'All job data', and download the CSV. You'll import this CSV into getSoapy in the next step.

To export data from Cleaner Planner go to the Customer tab or Jobs tab and click 'Export'. Import either the Customers.csv or Jobs.csv into getSoapy in the next step but make sure you don't import both CSVs to avoid creating duplicate customers or jobs.

Importing your data

Once you've prepared your data in CSV format, you can import it into getSoapy:

The customers you import aren't sent any notifications unless you turn on Send customer notifications when you start the import. If you do, they'll get the customer notifications you have turned on, such as Customer Welcome.

Go to Tools > Settings > Data > Import or search for Import.
Click New import.
Choose Spreadsheet (CSV).
Under Import options, choose whether to Import customer balances, Use scheduled or next due dates and Send customer notifications. If your file needs a bit more explanation, for example which column holds business names, add it under Extra instructions for the AI.
Under Select a CSV file, click on the Upload icon.

Select the CSV file you'd like to import from your device.
It will take a second or two to upload (depending on the file size). Once it has, click Import.

Import customers - CSV file uploaded

Our AI will do its thing and match your CSV data to the right fields in getSoapy. Once the import is complete you'll be able to see a summary of the results. It might take a few more minutes for all the data to be visible, but if anything doesn't look right you can always drop us a message in the app and we'll help you out.

Import customers - results

You can also download a file with any customers we were unable to import (choose Not imported from the import's menu), so you can fix any issues and try again. Remember to remove any customers that were imported successfully to avoid duplicate records.

Example CSV

If you're not sure what your CSV should look like, here's an example.

Please note this is just an example. You don't need to follow it exactly.

Name	Address	Postcode	Balance	Phone	Email	Services	Frequency	Cost
John Smith	123 Fake Street	EH1 1AB	0	01234 567890	john@smith.com	Residential Window Cleaning	2 Weeks	20.00
Jane Doe	456 Made Up Road	EH2 2CD	- 10.00	09876 543210		Residential Window Cleaning	4 Weeks	30.00
Bob Wilson	789 Test Avenue	EH3 3EF	15.00	07123 456789	bob@wilson.com	Commercial Window Cleaning	Monthly	100.00
Sarah Jones	321 Sample Lane	EH4 4GH	0	07987 654321	sarah@jones.com	Residential Window Cleaning	8 Weeks	45.00
Sarah Jones	321 Sample Lane	EH4 4GH	0	07987 654321	sarah@jones.com	Gutter Cleaning	Annually	150.00
Mike Brown	654 Example Close	EH5 5IJ	-5.00	01234 987654	mike@brown.com	Residential Window Cleaning	4 Weeks	25.00

Importing from photos of paper records

If you keep your round in a book or on paper lists, take photos of the pages and our AI will read them. You don't need to type anything up first.

Imports can't be undone, so try a page or two first. If those customers look right, import the rest of the pages.

Go to Tools > Settings > Data > Import and click New import.
Choose Photos of paper records.
Choose your Import options, the same as for a CSV. If the AI needs to know something about your pages, add it under Extra instructions for the AI, for example "Each page is a different round, named at the top."
Under Photos, add up to 30 photos. On a phone, you can take them there and then. See taking good photos below.
Click Import. The import shows Reading while our AI reads your photos, which can take a few minutes. Then we import your customers the same way as a CSV.

Our AI looks for each customer's name, address, phone number, email, balance and notes. For their job, it looks for the services, how often, the price, the round, and when it was last done and is next due. It also follows how the page is laid out:

A heading, such as a round name or a street, applies to every customer below it.
Crossed-out entries are skipped.
If a customer has several visit dates, the latest one becomes their last done date.
A date only becomes the next due date if it's marked as next or due.

When the import has finished, choose All records from the import's menu to see exactly what was read from your photos. If a photo couldn't be read, you'll see a count under Photos not read. Retake those pages and import them on their own.

Taking good photos

One page per photo.
Lay the page flat and take the photo from straight above.
Use good light, and avoid shadows and glare from the flash.
Get the whole page in shot, with the writing sharp enough to read.