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

      • Kaizen #142: How to Navigate to Another Page in Zoho CRM using Client Script

        Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting Kaizen post. In this post, let us see how you can you navigate to different Pages using Client Script. In this Kaizen post, Need to Navigate to different Pages Client Script ZDKs related to navigation A.
      • Navigate with Ease: Announcing Improvements to Your Zoho CRM for Everyone's Setup Experience

        Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce new enhancements to the Setup Menu in our Zoho CRM for Everyone system, designed to simplify your workday and streamline your overall experience. What's New? Addition of a Setup Homepage Faster Search in Setup
      • Zoho Projects Webhook fails with HTTP Error 0

        Hello Zoho Community, I am pulling my hair out over this one. I have setup a very basic http(s) server that always responds "ok" and code 200 to incoming GET requests. It will accept any parameters, and any path. Really, all it does is say "ok," and log
      • API 500 Error

        Hello amazing ZOHO Projects Community, I get this message. How can we solve this? { "error": { "status_code": "500", "method": "GET", "instance": "/api/v3/portal/2010147XXXX/projects/2679160000003XXXX/timesheet", "title": "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR", "error_type":
      • ZOHO Campaignで表のカラムの幅を調整したい。

        表を作成した際、個々のカラムの幅を調整したいのですが、方法が分かりません。 どなたかご存じの方ご教示ください。
      • Auto-upload Creator Files to WorkDrive

        Hi everyone, I’m working on a workflow that uploads files from Zoho Creator to specific subfolders in Zoho WorkDrive, as illustrated in the attached diagram. My Creator application form has two multi-file upload fields, and I want—on successful form submission—to
      • Exciting Updates to the Kiosk Studio Feature in Zoho CRM!

        Hello Everyone, We are here again with a series of new enhancements to Kiosk Studio, designed to elevate your experience and bring even greater efficiency to your business processes. These updates build upon our ongoing commitment to making Kiosk a powerful
      • Kaizen #129 : Client Script Support for Blueprints

        Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. Today, let us discuss about how you can use Client Script during a Blueprint transtion to meet your requirements. This Kaizen post will provide solution for the post - Need non-mandatory fields in blueprint
      • Search Bar Improvement for Zoho Commerce

        Hey everyone, I've been using Zoho Commerce for a bit now, and I think the search bar could really use an upgrade. Right now, it doesn't show products in a dropdown as you type, which would make finding items a lot faster. On Shopify, for example, you
      • Making digital signatures accessible to all: Introducing accessibility controls in Zoho Sign

        Hi there! At Zoho Sign, we are committed to building an inclusive digital experience for all our users. As part of our ongoing efforts to align with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), we’re updating the application with support that will go
      • Account Owner Field From Accounts Module to be Displayed in Contacts module

        I have a field in the Accounts Module in the CRM called "Account Owner" i want that field to be also mapped into the Contacts Module custom single line field called "Account Manager".
      • Update a field in the ZOHO Form, basis numeric value in another field in the same form

        I am trying to create a questionnaire in ZOHO, where clients need to answer 10 questions, and basis response, values are assigned. I have created a total score field where the sum of the values is stored. But i am unable to create a rule whereby another
      • How to update "Lead Status" to more than 100 records

        Hello Zoho CRM, How do I update "Lead Status" to more than 100 records at once? To give you a background, these leads were uploaded or Imported at once but the lead status record was incorrectly chosen. So since there was a way to quickly add records in the system no matter how many they are, we are also wondering if there is a quicker way to update these records to the correct "Lead Status". I hope our concern makes sense and that there will be a fix for it. All the best, Jonathan
      • Meet up de Zoho en Bilbao

        Buenos días comunidad! Estamos estudiando hacer un Meet up en Bilbao desde zoho y varios Partners. Para que la experiencia sea excelente, queremos saber cuantas pesonas se vendrían a Bilbao al evento. Y para que sea lo mas útil posible, que temas dentro
      • Picklist reference value in REST

        picklist options can be configured to have a different reference value than the displayed one, should be helpful in things like multilanguage: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/customize-crm-account/translations/articles/translations is there a way
      • In Zoho inventory Converting sales return to cerdit note from using Api from Creator Error details: {"code":-1,"message":"Invalid Sales Return ID."}

        In Zoho inventory Converting sales return to cerdit note from using Api from Creator Error details: {"code":-1,"message":"Invalid Sales Return ID."} this is button Function used in the Creator map Inventory.Create_Credit_note(int CRE_ID) { return_value
      • How to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook's OnSend add-in?

        Hi, I want to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook’s OnSend add-in. The extension should: Let the user select headers and footers from a taskpane while composing an email. When the user clicks Send, the extension should: Automatically insert
      • Marketing Tip #2: Recover lost sales with abandoned cart emails

        Did you know most online shoppers don’t complete checkout? Automated cart recovery emails are an easy way to bring them back. A simple reminder can recover sales you’d otherwise lose. Try this today: Enable abandoned cart emails in Zoho Commerce and set
      • Billing Management: #9 Usage Billing in IoTs

        We live in a world where connectivity has become a lifestyle rather than a luxury. From smart thermostats that adjust your home's temperature to GPS trackers monitoring end-to-end fleets and sensors that optimize energy grids, the Internet of Things has
      • {"code":1038,"message":"JSON is not well formed"}

        Today this began failing: sales_order_data = zoho.books.createRecord("salesorders",books_organization_ID,order_data); with this error message. {"code":1038,"message":"JSON is not well formed"} This code has been running for two years. Here is the input
      • How can I migrate Shared Mailbox from Zoho Mail to Team Inbox?

        I am unable to migrate mails from my shared mailbox in Zoho Mail to Team Inbox. I am the super admin of my Zoho One plan and yet I am getting an error saying only admins can do this? I don't understand the issue.
      • Remember all the ways we've posted?

        The world celebrates World Postal Day in 2025 with the theme “#PostForPeople: Local Service. Global Reach". The story of the “post” is a story of human connection itself, evolving from simple handwritten notes carried over long distances to instant digital
      • Add Support for Authenticator App MFA in Zoho Desk Help Center

        Hello Zoho Desk Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to request an enhancement related to security for the Zoho Desk Help Center (customer portal). Currently, the Help Center supports MFA for portal users via SAML, JWT, SMS authentication,
      • Can no longer upload my own Notebook cover

        I've had Notebook for over a year and have been able to create my own notebook covers, but when I tried to upload my own cover for a new notebook today, the upload feature has suddenly been starred, requiring me to upgrade my account. When did this
      • Zoho Desk - Cannot Invite or Register New User

        Hi who may concern, we encountered a problem that we cannot invite user or the visitor cannot register for a user at all through our help center portal, with the snapshot shown as below and the attachement. It always pops up that "Sorry, Unable to process
      • Custom domain issue

        I recently changed records for my support area custom domain for a few months, I then wanted to come back to Zoho, but now I can't connect it and I can't login as it's having an SSL issue. I cannot get a good response from support, as I've been notified
      • How do you generate personalized certificates and save them in dynamic folders using Writer's mail merge?

        Zoho Writer's mail merge feature can help you enhance the certificate management process. It's a great way to save time and effort! Merge certificates and maintain a well-organised repository with personalised certificates stored in separate folders for
      • Zoho Editor

        Zoho PDf Editor is not working I am clicking on EDIT PDf then it again bringing me back to the same page. again and again.
      • The present is a "present"

        The conversation around mental health has been gaining attention in recent years. Even with this awareness, we often feel stuck; the relentless pace of modern life makes us too busy to pause, reflect, and recharge. In the world of customer support, this
      • KPI Widget dashboard select periods

        I have a problem with selecting periods as a user filter. In the beste scenario I would like to have to have a period filter like Google Analytics has of Datastudio (see attachment). In the KPI widget I "Group by "inquiry_date" on week&Year". It selects
      • Search in Zoho Community Not Working

        I realize this is a bit of a meta topic, but the search for the various Zoho Communities appears to not be working. I'm under the impression that they run on some version of the Zoho Desk platform, so I'm posting this here.
      • Market cap

        Market cap formula?? Kaise nikale
      • Need Help to setup plugs along with codeless bot buidler. To send sms OTPs to users via Zoho Voice and to verify it

        Need Help to setup plugs along with codeless bot buidler. To send sms OTPs to users via Zoho Voice and to verify it. I get leads from our website and we need to make sure those are not junk. So we are using proactive chat bot and we need mobile OTPs to
      • Direct Integration Between Zoho Cliq Meetings and Google Calendar

        Dear Zoho Team, We’d like to submit the following feature request based on our current use case and the challenges we’re facing: 🎯 Feature Request: Enable meetings scheduled in Zoho Cliq to be automatically added to the host's Google Calendar, not just
      • Zoho sheet

        Unable to share zoho sheet with anyone on internet with editer option only view option is show
      • Mail and OS

        Jai Hind! Zoho is doing good by creating good software (made in india) on par with other tech giants. 🥰 Suggestion: 1. Whenever we sign up on zoho mail its asking for other mail id. It shouldn't be like that. You should ask general details of a user
      • Personal account created under org account

        Hi there, I am Jayesh. We are using ME Central, and we have an account by the email ID soc@kissht.com.. Now I have created a personal account., jayesh.auti@zohomail.in, accidentally. Can you help me to remove this jayesh.auti@zohomail.in from my organization
      • Add another account

        How to add another mail account to my zoho mail.
      • Recover deleted user

        Hi by mistake i have deleted an added user and his email associated. Please help me recover it thank you.
      • No connection to the server

        Hello! I can't add a new email address to my mailbox because your server is rejecting me. Please help. I took and added a screenshot of this problem Marek Olbrys
      • Next Page