Overall Feedback after 35 days of trial period with lots of ups and downs.

Overall Feedback after 35 days of trial period with lots of ups and downs.

Hey Guys,
with this post I want to give you an overall feedback of what I recognized during the past 35 Days of trial.
This feedback is written by someone who worked for more than 10 years as trainer and consultant for one of leading CRM providers for veterinary hospitals and I have a very good IT understanding.

First of all: The Suite provided by Zoho One and its apps are awesome. I've never before seen such a wide range of apps with great features! Very big complement! I did really deep dives into CRM, Desk, Project, Marketing Hub, Campaigns, Flow, Creator and Books. Further I played around with SalesIQ, Sitebuilder, Social, Mail and PageSense.

Each of those do a really good job - even so I recognized some critical weaknesses here and there. - I guess some of the supporters of each App are already afraid if they read my name, I raised a lot of requests and suggestions within the last weeks.

I'm a nerd, so my understanding of software is usually very well and its easy to get my hands on it. But for sure, such a wide range of functionality can't be always self explaining. Therefore I like, that most applications are very well documented, even the API description are well maintained. Webinars, YT Videos and the help resources as well as this forum helped me a lot to gain a good understanding. 

However, with all the good things, there are two major weaknesses which relate to the whole suite of Zoho One:
"ZOHO One is not one!"
I guess you guys work with very independent teams on sprints or something similar and from being 10 years in software business I know it is not easy. BUT:
Please take care of these both points for your future development. Whenever I got really upset or frustrated, it was because of one these points:
1. Unique user experience
2. Persistant Integration of other Zoho Services

In Details
1. Using different apps is a nightmare, because every app is has a different user interface. Best example is the individual way into the settings menu: Sometimes it's a gear ⚙️ icon on the right top corner, sometimes on the left top corner, sometimes you need to lookout for two crossed tools and as this is not enough sometimes you need to click on your account picture to get to the settings. Similar behavior you can find for switching between the applications. Those are just very easy examples, but it continues with how lists and forms are displayed.

For another example compare the functionality and capabilities of creating a Modul in CRM vs creating a Module in Creator. I know it makes sense to give someone more flexibilities in Zoho Creator but why don't you provide the same events and trigger? Why can't I add a "on Form Load" event in Zoho CRM? Why cant I populate the entries of a dropdown field via Deluge function like in Creator? Why cant I provide a filter for Lookup field in CRM?

Why can't I see my tasks from Zoho Desk in Zoho CRM?

Why does addresses have sometimes different Labels? like: Zip and Postcode? Sometimes there is Street1 and Street2, sometimes Address1 and Address2. 

Why is there a PHP wrapper for CRM, but for most other Apps not? Why does Marketing Hub not provide an API?

2. The integration of the different apps is a nightmare at least (but most-likely not only) for beginners who want to have an intense hands on on the whole suite of apps. At first, I thought there is just one Client Record where each application references its individual informations to. But it is ridicules bad: It is a nighmare of one-way sync, two-way sync, push and pull operations. Some in realtime, some with several hours in between of two sync. For some I can quiet good configure the field mapping and can even provide custom data (e.g. the leadsource) and for some I just can enable some random style "add lead to crm". As leads and contacts are coming from different sources and are edited from different interfaces all those connections are terrible to understand (in their dependences) and get fucked up very easily.


Many thanks for reading till here! Even so there are questions above, I'm not asking for individual answers. Please just take this feedback as a very qualified suggestion list for the future. I kind of know why the things are as they are (individual product development, independent teams, outdated and new technology in older and newer developments). Whoever this does not prevent you from being able to work on both points if you decide to.
From my point of view this is very critical as your app universe wont shrink, it will grow further but if you forget the baseline you won't be able to provide a better universe than the self created Zapier-integration-multi-provider-app-universes out there.

Even so I don't want individual answers, please correct me if i'm wrong at some point.
Last but not least, if you as User/Consultant/Partner share my opinion, please comment and like  
    • Sticky Posts

    • How to Add Users to your Organization in ZohoMail?

      A better clarity so you can create other users to start using Zoho Mail. You can directly Add Users from the Control Panel to your Organization. You can invite users with the existing email address. If the person (user) already uses ZohoCRM, then you can import users from Zoho CRM. You can also import them using a .csv file. (if you are planning to add them in Bulk)  In this topic, We will be discussing on how to Add and Invite users only.  The Import options are self explanatory. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Ability to Edit YouTube Video Title, Description & Thumbnail After Publishing

        Hi Zoho Social Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Social that enables users to edit YouTube video details after the video has already been published. Your team confirmed that while Zoho Social currently allows editing the
      • How do I remove a data source from Zoho Analytics?

        I am unable to find a delte option on a datasource that i put in the system as an error. On teh web it refers to a setup icon but I do not see that on my interface?
      • Add Employee Availability Functionality to Zoho People Shift Module

        Hello Zoho People Product Team, Greetings and hope you are doing well. We would like to submit a feature request to enhance the Zoho People Shift module by adding employee availability management, similar to the functionality available in Zoho Shifts.
      • Bigin, more powerful than ever on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26.

        Hot on the heels of Apple’s latest OS updates, we’ve rolled out several enhancements and features designed to help you get the most from your Apple devices. Enjoy a refined user experience with smoother navigation and a more content-focused Liquid Glass
      • Really want the field "Company" in the activities module!

        Hi team! Something we are really missing is able to see the field Company when working in the activities module. We have a lot of tasks and need to see what company it's related to. It's really annoying to not be able to see it.🙈 Thx!
      • Delay in rendering Zoho Recruit - Careers in the ZappyWorks

        I click on the Careers link (https://zappyworks.zohorecruit.com/jobs/Careers) on the ZappyWorks website expecting to see the job openings. The site redirects me to Zoho Recruit, but after the redirect, the page just stays blank for several seconds. I'm
      • Is Desk Down?

        Across department - always an error. [Status Mode] - error [Table View and the rest] - working
      • How do I change the wording of the tile of SignForm?

        When my user opens a SignForm url, the title that is presented is always "SignForm signer Information" and a form is displayed asking for the username and email address. This can be confusing to the end user. How can I change the title at least (Or at
      • How to link tickets to a Vendor/Vendor Contact (not Customer) for Accounting Department?

        Hi all, We’re configuring our Accounting department to handle tickets from both customers and vendors (our independent contractors). Right now, ticket association seems to be built around linking a ticket to a Customer / Customer Contact, but for vendor-originated
      • Problem with CRM Connection not Refreshing Token

        I've setup a connection with Zoom in the CRM. I'm using this connection to automate some registrations, so my team doesn't have to manually create them in both the CRM and Zoom. Connection works great in my function until the token expires. It does not refresh and I have to manually revoke the connection and connect it again. I've chatted with Zoho about this and after emailing me that it couldn't be done I asked for specifics on why and they responded. "The connection is CRM is not a feature to
      • Automatic Matching from Bank Statements / Feeds

        Is it possible to have transactions from a feed or bank statement automatically match when certain criteria are met? My use case, which is pretty broadly applicable, is e-commerce transactions for merchant services accounts (clearing accounts). In these
      • Clone Recurring Expenses

        Our bookkeeping practices make extensive use of the "clone" feature for bills, expenses, invoices, etc. This cuts down significantly on both the amount of typing that needs to be done manually and, more importantly, the mental overhead of choosing the
      • Unify Overlapping Functionalities Across Zoho Products

        Hi Zoho One Team, We would like to raise a concern about the current overlap of core functionalities across various Zoho applications. While Zoho offers a rich suite of tools, many applications include similar or identical features—such as shift management,
      • Automation #7 - Auto-update Email Content to a Ticket

        This is a monthly series where we pick some common use cases that have been either discussed or most asked about in our community and explain how they can be achieved using one of the automation capabilities in Zoho Desk. Email is one of the most commonly
      • Ticket to article and Ticket to template

        Hello! I would like to know if it is possible (and how) to do the following actions: 1. To generate an article from a ticket (reply + original message) 2. Easy convert an answer to an email template
      • Is there API Doc for Zoho Survey?

        Hi everyone, Is there API doc for Zoho Survey? Currently evaluating a solution - use case to automate survey administration especially for internal use. But after a brief search, I couldn't find API doc for this. So I thought I should ask here. Than
      • Windows Desktop App - request to add minimization/startup options

        Support Team, Can you submit the following request to your development team? Here is what would be optimal in my opinion from UX perspective: 1) In the "Application Menu", add a menu item to Exit the app, as well as an alt-key shortcut for these menus
      • Kaizen #225 - Making Query-based Custom Related Lists Actionable with Lookups and Links

        Hello everyone! Welcome back to another post in the Kaizen series! This week, we will discuss an exciting enhancement in Queries in Zoho CRM. In Kaizen #190, we discussed how Queries bridge gaps where native related lists fall short and power custom related
      • WebDAV / FTP / SFTP protocols for syncing

        I believe the Zoho for Desktop app is built using a proprietary protocol. For the growing number of people using services such as odrive to sync multiple accounts from various providers (Google, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, etc.) it would be really helpful
      • Non-responsive views in Mobile Browser (iPad)

        Has anyone noticed that the creator applications when viewed in a mobile browser (iPad) lost its responsiveness? It now appears very small font size and need to zoom into to read contents. Obviously this make use by field staff quite difficult. This is not at all a good move, as lots of my users are depending on accessing the app in mobile devices (iPads), and very challenging and frustrating. 
      • [Free Webinar] Learning Table Series - AI-Enhanced Logistics Management in Zoho Creator

        Hello Everyone! We’re excited to invite you to another edition of Learning Table Series, where we showcase how Zoho Creator empowers industries with innovative and automated solutions. About Learning Table Series Learning Table Series is a free, 45-60
      • Customizable UI components in pages | Theme builder

        Anyone know when these roadmap items are scheduled for release? They were originally scheduled for Q4 2025. https://www.zoho.com/creator/product-roadmap.html
      • Feature Request - Set Default Values for Meetings

        Hi Zoho CRM Team, I would be very useful if we could set default values for meeting parameters. For example, if you always wanted Reminder 1 Day before. Currently you need to remember to choose it for every meeting. Also being able to use merge tags to
      • How to use Rollup Summary in a Formula Field?

        I created a Rollup Summary (Decimal) field in my module, and it shows values correctly. When I try to reference it in a Formula Field (e.g. ${Deals.Partners_Requested} - ${Deals.Partners_Paid}), I get the error that the field can’t be found. Is it possible
      • Zoho Creator to Zoho CRM Images

        Right now, I am trying to setup a Notes form within Zoho Creator. This Notes will note the Note section under Accounts > Selected Account. Right now, I use Zoho Flow to push the notes and it works just fine, with text only. Images do not get sent (there
      • CRM gets location smart with the all new Map View: visualize records, locate records within any radius, and more

        Hello all, We've introduced a new way to work with location data in Zoho CRM: the Map View. Instead of scrolling through endless lists, your records now appear as pins on a map. Built on top of the all-new address field and powered by Mappls (MapMyIndia),
      • Error Logs / Failure logs for Client Scripts Functions

        Hi Team, While we are implementing client scripts for the automation, it is working fine in few accounts but not working for others. So, it would be great if we can have error Logs for client scripts also just like custom functions. Is there any way that
      • Automate pushing Zoho CRM backups into Zoho WorkDrive

        Through our Zoho One subscription we have both Zoho CRM and Zoho WorkDrive. We have regular backups setup in Zoho CRM. Once the backup is created, we are notified. Since we want to keep these backups for more than 7 days, we manually download them. They
      • Zoho Books blocks invoicing without VeriFactu even though it is not mandatory until 2027

        I would like to highlight a very serious issue in Zoho Books for Spain. 1. The Spanish government has postponed the mandatory start of VeriFactu to January 1st, 2027. This means that during all of 2026 businesses are NOT required to transmit invoices
      • Problem : Auto redirect from zoho flow to zoho creator

        Hi there, I've been waiting for zoho team to get back on this for last couple of days. Anyone else have the problem to access zoho flow? everytime I click on zoho flow it redirects me to zoho creator. I tried incognito mode but it still direct me to zoho
      • Trouble with using Apostrophe in Name of Customers and Vendors

        We have had an ongoing issue with how the system recognizes an apostrophe in the name of customers and vendors. The search will not return any results for a name that includes the mark; ie one of our vendors names is "L'Heritage" and when entering the
      • Why am I seeing deleted records in Zoho Analytics syncing with Zoho CRM?

        I have done a data sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics, and the recycle bin is empty. Why do I see deleted leads/deals/contacts in Zoho Analytics if it doesn't exist in Zoho CRM? How can I solve this problem? Thanks
      • How to use MAIL without Dashboard?

        Whenever I open Mail, it opens Dashboard. This makes Mail area very small and also I cannot manage Folders (like delete/rename) etc. I want to know if there is any way to open only Mail apps and not the Dashboard.
      • Peppol: Accept Bill (Belgium)

        Hi, This topic might help you if you're facing the same in Belgium. We are facing an issue while accepting a supplier bill received by Peppol in Zoho Books. There is a popup with an error message: This bill acceptance could not be completed, so it was
      • Zoho Books is now integrated with Zoho Checkout

        Hello everyone,   We're glad to be announcing that Zoho Books is now integrated with Zoho Checkout. With this integration, you can now handle taxes and accounting on your payment pages with ease.   An organization you create in Zoho Checkout can be added to Zoho Books and vice-versa. Some of the key features and benefits you will receive are:   Seamless sync of customer and invoice data With the end-to-end integration, the customer and invoice details recorded via the payment pages from Zoho Checkout
      • Sync Issue

        My Current plan only allows me with 10,000 rows and it is getting sync failure how to control it without upgrading my plan
      • Add Zoho PDF to Zoho One Tool Applications

        It should be easy to add from here without the hassle of creating a web tab:
      • JOB WISE INVOICE PROCESS

        I WANT TO ENABLE JOB WISE TRACKING OF ALL SALES AND PURCHASE
      • PDF Template have QTY as first column

        I want to have the QTY of an item on the sales orders and invoices to be the first column, then description, then pricing. Is there a way to change the order? I went to the Items tab in settings but don't see how to change the order of the columns on
      • RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) Type Q+A Environment with Zoho Learn

        Hi All, Given the ability of Zoho Learn to function as a knowledge base / document repository type solution and given the rapid advancements that Zoho is making with Zia LLM, agentic capabilities etc. (not to mention the rapid progress in the broader
      • Next Page