Creating Contracts and Associating them with Accounts
Contract is an agreement between two organizations that states their rights and regulations for a specific period. It's often made between the seller or the business provider and the buyer or consumer. A contract is used in varied business relations such as sales, service, lease, renewals, and more.
Most service providers sign an agreement with their customers to specify the type of service they would provide and for how long. This sets a clear expectation between both parties. Some businesses even specify whether the contract is renewable or one-time and if the charges are subject to any change.
For example, when purchasing a new computer, the buyer could sign a service contract with the company that covers repairs or technical support for a predefined length of time. The contract will typically outline the specific services covered, how long the service agreement is valid for, and any additional fees that may be incurred with the services.
Importance of creating contracts
Managing buyer expectations: One of the major draws of creating a contract is it sets clear expectations for the buyer. The terms and conditions for the service on offer also ensure both parties agree upon the promised obligation, which eventually plays a major role in maintaining a professional relationship between the parties.
Documenting service obligations: Outlining essential details such as the service name, duration of the service, service cost, additional charges, and instances when the service will not be plied, etc are important in every business deal. It is also crucial from a legal standpoint as well.
Customized service plans: Most businesses offer a customized service plan depending on the product that is purchased or customer request. Sometimes, going by a standard service plan may not cover all the requirements and leaves a gap between the offered service and the expectation. Creating contracts provides the seller with an opportunity to list down different services in a single contract based on the purchased products, buyer's request, business guidelines, and more, which can be modified on a case to case basis.
Competitive advantage: One of the most important benefits of offering service contracts is to stand out amidst the competitors. Appropriate demonstration of commitment is often a major selling point for potential clients. Businesses can establish themselves as a reliable and trustworthy provider and build a strong reputation in the industry.
Availability
Creating contracts in Zoho Desk
Businesses can create customized contracts for their customers with a specific date for commencement and expiry, along with alerts that will keep the agents and their seniors notified about the expiry date. It helps to serve different customers differently and thereby improve customer satisfaction.
Contracts are associated with a Service Plan, which defines the service level agreement (SLA) where the service provider specifies the type and duration of guaranteed service that a customer is liable to receive. By signing a contract, both the business and the customer agree on:
- the time required to resolve tickets.
- the time required to send the first response.
- the time required to resolve critical or high priority issues and non-critical issues.
- whether resolution or response adhere only to the business hours.
In Zoho Desk, Contracts is a standard module similar to Contacts, Accounts, Activities, etc. It can be accessed from the top panel. A contract primarily comprises the following information:
- The department to which the contract applies.
- Desk user who created the contract.
- Start and end date of the contract based on which the validity is calculated. A future date can be selected as the contract start date. Such contracts will be marked as "Future" in the list view. Likewise, the expired and active contract will also display a label for easy identification.
- Account to which the contract is associated
- The support plan that is applicable for the particular contract.
- User to whom the expiry notification will be sent and how many days before expiry.
To create a contract
- Click the Contract module from the top panel.
- Click the + icon to Add Contract.
Alternately, you can create Contract from the Accounts detail page by clicking the SLA and Contract icon ().
- In the Add Contract page, fill out the fields under Contract Information.
- Enter a Description, if required.
- Under Contract Expiry Notification, select the users who should be notified and the no. of days before which the notification should be sent.
- Click Save.
To edit or delete a contract
- Navigate to the Contracts module and hover on the desired Contract from the list view.
- Click the Edit icon and make the changes.
- Click Save.
- Click the Delete icon and confirm to delete the Contract.
Deleting a contract does not delete the SLA policy associated with it.
Associating contracts with an Account
An account can be associated with multiple contracts. However, if the contracts share the same SLA, their time periods should not overlap. Although an account can have multiple contracts with different SLAs, even if their time periods overlap.
For example, a customer may purchase multiple products or subscribe to more than one service; if a business has a different contract for each service or product, then the customer must sign all the relevant contracts. In such cases, the customer will be associated with more than one contract with different SLAs.
In some cases, when a contract needs to be signed between multiple accounts, businesses can utilize the Support plans.
Note
- An SLA cannot be associated with more than one contract when they have overlapping validity periods.
- Account can be associated with a Contract only during creation or edit of a contract. To associate an account with multiple contracts, you must select the same account during contract creation or edit.
Terminating a contract
Sometimes, businesses decide to terminate a contract with its customers due to reasons, such as discontinuation of the service, customer request, inadequate manpower, non-profitable services, etc. Once a contract is terminated, it cannot be reverted.
To terminate a contract
From the Contracts module, click on the desired contract.
Click the More icon and select Terminate.
In the confirmation popup, click Terminate.
Sort and Filter Contracts
Similar to the other modules in Zoho Desk, even the Contracts module allows users to perform certain actions like sorting, filtering, and marking a view favorite.
However, you cannot create a custom view or perform any mass action in the Contracts module.
You can sort the contracts by:
- Account Name
- Contract Name
- End or Start Date
- Created or Modified Time
You can also sort the contracts by newest to oldest or oldest to newest.
You can filter the contracts by:
- Department
- Agents
The default list view displays all, expired, and my contracts.
Editing and deleting a contract
To edit a contract
- Click the Setup icon (
) in the top bar.
- In the Setup Landing page, click Support Contracts under Automation.
- In the Contracts List page, select the Edit icon (
) corresponding to a contract.
- Make the necessary changes to the contract.
- Click Save.
To delete a contract
- In the Contracts List page, hover your mouse pointer and click the Delete icon (
) corresponding to a contract.
- Click Ok to confirm.
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