2011 Administrator’s Guide Copyright

Renew a contract

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1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Service, and then click Contracts.
   
2. 
   In the View list, click Expired Contracts.
   
3. 
   In the list of contracts, open the expired or invoiced contract that you want to renew.
   
4. 
   In the contract form, in the Actions group, click Renew Contract.
   
5. 
   If you do not want to include canceled contract lines, in the Renew Contract dialog box, clear the Include canceled contract lines check box, and then click OK.
   

6. 
   Make any changes that are necessary.
   
7. 
   Click Save or Save and Close.
   

Related Topics Work with Contracts 87

Use the Closed Activity list

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Many record types allow for activities to be associated with them. For example, an opportunity might have an associated phone call activity. When you close any associated activity as completed, that activity shows up in the record history of the associated record. To view the record history, in the record, under Common, click Closed Activities.

You can do the following in the Closed Activities list:

• 
  While the record is in draft form, you can create a new activity for this record by clicking the New Activity button. You can no longer do this when the record is activated. Note that even though you create this activity from the Closed Activities list, it will be displayed in the Activities list while it is active. It will be displayed in the Closed Activities list after you set the status to completed.
  
• 
  You can also do standard tasks such as printing, exporting data, running a report, or assigning. For information about doing those tasks, see the topic What else can I do? More tasks...
  

• 
  To narrow down the list to a certain time period, such as Last 30 days, click Filter on.
  
• 
  To see completed activities for one particular record, click Include, and then select This Record Only.
  
• 
  To create a list of activities that are related to any record associated with the account or contact, select Related Regarding Records.
  

Supporting Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Work with Cases

As the first step of resolving a case, you can view the total amount of time spent on that case. You can view this information without actually resolving the case.

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1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Service, and then click Cases.
   
2. 
   In the Records group, click New. Or, to edit a case, open a case from the list.
   
3. 
   On the General tab, enter or modify information in the following boxes:
   

• 
  Title
  

• 
  Customer
  

• 
  Subject
  

• 
  Owner
  

• 
  Contract and Product Information
  

• 
  Assignment Information
  

4. 
   On the Notes and Article tab, enter all of the information that you have about this case and add related articles.
   
5. 
   Click Save or Save and Close.
   

If the system detects that your record might be a potential duplicate, instead of saving the record, Microsoft Dynamics CRM displays the Duplicates Detected dialog box.

6. 
   To open a record to make sure it is a potential duplicate, in the Potential duplicate records list, double-click the record.
   

• 
  If the duplicate-detection rule identified potential duplicate records in other record types, review records from each record type listed.
  

7. 
   If your new or updated record is not a duplicate, to create the new record, click Save Record.
   

If your new or updated record is a duplicate, to cancel your changes, click Cancel.

• 
  If you enter a duplicate record within a few minutes of entering the first record, Microsoft Dynamics CRM will not detect the duplicate record. The matchcodes for new and updated records are created every five minutes, rather than as a record is created.
  
• 
  Duplicate detection can take place only if duplicate detection is enabled in Duplicate Detection Settings and if at least one duplicate-detection rule exists for the record type. More information: Avoiding Duplicate Records
  

• 
  The first time that you save the case, Microsoft Dynamics CRM assigns it a unique case number.
  
• 
  When you complete an activity, be sure to record the amount of time that you spend on the activity in the Duration box. If this case is linked to a contract line, the durations of all of the activities for this case are tallied and updated automatically in the related active contract. The total, which includes the totals from any other cases relating to that contract, can be adjusted manually before billing the customer.
  

Related Topics Supporting Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 94 Work with Cases 94

This task requires permissions that are found in all default service security roles. More information about specific permissions and performing this task while offline: Service Permissions

After a case is created, it can be assigned to another user or to a team. After accepting a case, the assigned user can continue working with the customer.

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Service, and then click Cases.
   
2. 
   In the list of cases, select the case that you want to assign.
   

• 
  Select several records by pressing the CTRL key while you click each record.
  
• 
  Select a sequence of records by clicking the first record that you want, and then press the SHIFT key while you select the last record that you want.
  
• 
  Select all records on the page by selecting the Select/clear all records on this page check box at the top of the list.
  

1. 
   On the File menu, click Options.
   
2. 
   On the General tab, in the Records Per Page list, select the number of records to display per page.
   
3. 
   Click OK.
   

3. 
   In the Collaborate group, click Assign.
   
4. 
   In the Assign to Team or User dialog box, click Assign to another user or team.
   
5. 
   Click the Lookup button and select the record.
   
6. 
   Click OK.
   

An assigned case belongs to the user who created it until it is accepted by another user.

Related Topics Work with Cases 94 Supporting Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 94

This task requires permissions that are found in all default service security roles. More information about specific permissions and performing this task while offline: Service Permissions

When a problem has been solved or addressed to the customer's satisfaction, you can resolve the case and record the resolution and the amount of time to be billed to the customer.

Before a case can be resolved, all of its activities must be closed. If the case is linked to a contract line, the contract line must be active and have sufficient allotments to resolve the case. You can only resolve cases one at a time.

1. 
   Navigate to the list of cases.
   

- OR -

2. 
   In the list of cases, open the one you want to resolve.
   
3. 
   In the Actions group, click Resolve Case.
   

4. 
   In the Resolve Case dialog box, in the Resolution Type list, select how the case was resolved.
   
5. 
   In the Resolution box, type a short explanation of the resolution.
   
6. 
   The actual time spent on all activities, as recorded in the Duration box in each activity, for this case is filled out automatically in the Total Time box.
   

7. 
   In the Billable Time list, select the amount of time spent on the case to be billed to the customer.
   

8. 
   Type a longer description of the resolution and any other notes in the Description box.
   
9. 
   Click OK. The form closes.
   
10. 
    Click Close.
    

• 
  A Case Resolution activity is created in the Closed Activities area.
  
• 
  Resolved cases appear in the Resolved Cases view. A case can be reactivated at any time. It will be reassigned automatically to the customer service representative (CSR) who resolved it.
  

Related Topics Supporting Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 94 Work with Cases 94

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If additional actions are required for a resolved case, you can reactivate the case and modify it as needed. Microsoft Dynamics CRM reassigns the case to the customer service representative (CSR) who owned the case when it was closed. The benefit of reactivating the case is that you do not have to re-enter any data. In addition, you maintain the original history of the case.

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Service, and then click Cases.
   
2. 
   In the View list, click My Resolved Cases or Resolved Cases.
   
3. 
   In the list of cases, open the case that you want to reactivate.
   
4. 
   In the Actions group, click Reactivate Case.
   
5. 
   In the Reactivate the Selected Case dialog box, click OK.
   
6. 
   Modify the information on the form or add any activities that you want.
   

7. 
   Click Save or Save and Close.
   

• 
  Reactivated cases appear in the Active Cases view and the My Active Cases view of the CSR who owns the case.
  
• 
  A new activity is not created, but the Case Resolution activity is canceled.
  

Related Topics Supporting Customer Service with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 94 Work with Cases 94