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As a firm, we rely heavily on Permissions in Redtail CRM in order to separate out each Advisor's contact records.  There are many ways to add contact records, with some being straightforward and intentional, and others being much less obvious.

Here are six ways a record can be added in Redtail:

1. Quick Add '+'  at the top right of screen > Contacts > Add New Contact
2.  Contacts on Left Navigation > New Contact blue button
3.  Create Workflow > Contact Name box
4.  Create Activity > Contact Name box
5.  Add New Contact > Employer box
6. Within a contact record > Click the family name > Add Spouse or Add dependent > Contact Name box

Numbers 3 through 6 on that list are the most common ways that we end up with un-permissioned contact records in Redtail.  Each of them appears to function as a text box, but in reality, they are all search bars. If you cannot find a record via the search bar, then you're creating a new contact instead.

Since un-permissioned contacts are visible to every advisor in the database, we have a new system in place at HQ: every single record added no matter what is accessible by us, and if Servicing Advisor (the most common way to permission a new record) is not filled out, the record is automatically permissioned to a 'NEEDS ACTION' list.  An HQ member works this list every other day to correct the permissions, and give the advisor records back to their respective teams.

Thus, every time you accidentally (or maybe intentionally) create a new contact record via one of the ways in 3 through 6, you are not filling out the servicing advisor, and the record ends up in a holding cell until we can manually correct it.

Some tips and tricks to adding contact records:

• Always create a new record via either point 1 or point 2 - this means you always fill in servicing advisor
• Filling in servicing advisor on an existing record does not automatically permission them - it has to be a brand new record
• When attaching an employee to an employer business record, create the business contact first (only requires business name and Servicing Advisor), and then connect them to the employee individual record via number 5
• Just ask - anyone at HQ can re-permission a record, so send a help ticket or quick email!
• Just wait - we work the permissions list almost every day depending on team member scheduling, so your records will show back up if they disappear.

As always, please reach out with any questions to Nicola@GarrettAdvisors.com or submit a Help Ticket!