If You Aren’t Using This Customer Search Option, You Absolutely Should

Sometimes, I struggle to come up with ideas for these blog posts. Other times, an idea drops into my lap so perfectly and with such obvious urgency that the post basically writes itself. Today’s topic is one such post. It pertains to an Institution Option regarding customer searches in CIM GOLD that is such an improvement over the alternative that it should, frankly, just be mandatory for all clients.*

The institution option we’re highlighting today is called OP15 SNML - Use Long Short Names in CIF. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it doesn’t have to sound pretty to be useful. Now, what SNML does is change the way you can search for customer names using the Name field on the Customer Search screen in CIM GOLD (see above):

• If this option is NOT in use, you can only enter search phrases in the format "XXXX YZ" where XXXX is the full last name, Y is the first initial, and Z is the middle initial. You can choose to search for just the last name ("XXXX") or just the last name and first initial ("XXXX Y"), but you cannot search for customers using their full first name.
• If this option IS in use, you can enter search phrases in the format "XXXX YYYY Z" where XXXX is the full last name, YYYY is the full first name, and Z is the middle initial. You can choose to search for just the last name ("XXXX") or just the last and first name ("XXXX YYYY").

The benefits of this option should be readily apparent, and can be concisely summed up as “It actually lets you search for first names.” Not only can you not search for first names without it, but trying to search for a first name without it will actually return bad results because of how the search is formatted (with “YZ” looking for a first and middle initial, not the first two letters of a name).

And…that’s all I have to say about SNML, really. Using this option makes the customer name search FAR more intuitive and gives you much more control in searching and accuracy in the results. If your institution isn’t using this option, get on the phone with your GOLDPoint Systems account manager today and make the change. I can’t think of a single good reason why you wouldn’t.

*I’m actually pretty sure we turn on this option for all new clients by default, but a few institutions have been with GPS longer than this option has existed. If you are with such an institution, thank you so much for our long and storied partnership! Now go get this option turned on.