Add a New Case

The “Add a New Case” feature in Case Management module of Retention CRM allows Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Nonprofits to create and manage cases for their contacts by tracking and resolving issues or providing ongoing support to members, donors, volunteers and other stakeholders.

General Functionality of “Add a New Case” Feature

Here’s a breakdown of the options and fields within “Add a New Case”.

General Fields:

• Open Case: This checkbox marks the case as active and ready for work.
• *Constituent: (Mandatory) Select the contact person associated with the case. In a nursing association, this could be a member nurse, patient (if allowed by privacy regulations), or a volunteer.
• *Activity Medium: (Mandatory) Choose how the case was initiated (e.g., phone call, email, walk-in).
• Location: (Optional) Specify the physical location related to the case (e.g., hospital, association office).
• Details: Provide a detailed description of the case and any relevant information.
• *Subject: (Mandatory) Enter a concise title summarizing the case (e.g., “Medication Concerns – John Smith”).

Case Management Fields:

• *Case Type: (Mandatory) Select a pre-defined category for the case (e.g., “Professional Development Inquiry,” “License Renewal Assistance,” “Workplace Conflict”).
• *Case Status: (Mandatory) Choose the current stage of the case (e.g., “Open,” “In Progress,” “Resolved”). You can also edit the available case statuses if needed.
• *Case Start Date: (Mandatory) Enter the date the case was opened.
• Attachment(s): Upload relevant documents related to the case (e.g., referral letters, medical records with proper consent).
• Activity Duration (minutes): (Optional) Track the time spent working on the case.

Using “Add a New Case” Feature in Association Management

Hypothetical Scenario:

A nurse member, Sarah Jones, calls the nursing association’s helpline concerned about ethical dilemmas she’s facing at her workplace.

Using the “Add a New Case” Feature:

1. Open Case: Checked.
2. Constituent: Sarah Jones (Nurse Member).
3. Activity Medium: Phone Call.
4. Location: Not applicable (phone call).
5. Details: Sarah describes her ethical concerns and requests guidance from the association.
6. Subject: “Ethical Concerns at Workplace – Sarah Jones”.
7. Case Type: “Workplace Ethics Consultation”.
8. Case Status: “Open”.
9. Case Start Date: Today’s date.
10. Attachment(s): Not applicable at this stage.
11. Activity Duration: 30 minutes (time spent on the initial call).

The association staff member can then use this information to:

• Assign the case to a qualified staff member for further investigation or advice.
• Track the progress of the case with updates and notes.
• Attach relevant resources or documents to the case for Sarah’s reference.
• Change the case status as it progresses (e.g., “In Progress” while gathering information, “Resolved” after providing guidance).

More Use Cases for Associations

Membership Issue Resolution

A member of a hiking association contacts them via email because they’re having trouble renewing their membership online. The association uses the “Add a New Case” feature to:

• Constituent: Association member (identified by email address).
• Activity Medium: Email.
• Case Type: “Membership Renewal Issue.”
• Details: Member describes the problem encountered while renewing.
• Subject: “Membership Renewal Problem – [Member Name]”.

The association staff can then:

• Assign the case to a membership specialist for investigation.
• Track progress with updates on troubleshooting steps.
• Resolve the issue and update the case status.

Event Registration Support

A participant registered for a conference organized by a historical society but needs to change their dietary restrictions. They call the society’s helpline. The staff uses “Add a New Case” to:

• Constituent: Event participant (identified by name or registration details).
• Activity Medium: Phone Call.
• Case Type: “Event Registration Update.”
• Details: Participant’s request to modify dietary restrictions.
• Subject: “Dietary Restriction Change – [Participant Name] – [Event Name]”.

The staff can then:

• Update the registration details with the new dietary requirement.
• Attach a confirmation email to the case for the participant’s reference.
• Change the case status to “Resolved.”

Volunteer Coordination

A volunteer for an animal shelter signs up to walk dogs but has a question about the process. They submit a question through the shelter’s website form. The staff utilizes “Add a New Case” to:

• Constituent: Volunteer (identified by contact information from the form).
• Activity Medium: Website Form.
• Case Type: “Volunteer Inquiry.”
• Details: Volunteer’s question about the dog walking procedure.
• Subject: “Dog Walking Volunteer Inquiry – [Volunteer Name]”.

The staff can then:

• Assign the case to the volunteer coordinator for a response.
• Attach relevant dog walking guidelines or training materials to the case.
• Change the case status to “Responded” once the volunteer’s question is answered.

This scenario demonstrates how the “Add a New Case” feature can be a valuable tool for a Nonprofit, Chamber of Commerce or Association to support its members, donors, volunteers and other stakeholders, and address their concerns effectively.