In version 6 and above, we have combined our Buyers & Consignors into the single status of Customers. If you are coming from an older version of Auction Flex, many of the areas will still look familiar, while some will be slightly different or moved into more efficient locations you can still access. This section will go over the creation and maintenance of Customers in Auction Flex.
You can access the Customer Center by going to the 'Auction' drop-down menu, or clicking on the Customer Center icon from either of the navigators: 
(Customer Center Icon)
The Customer Center allows you to view all of your Customers in a grid, with searchable fields in the top portion of this form. After highlighting a particular customer, you will see some of their basic information, like the Customer Code and other Customer Information to the right-hand side.
To create a new customer, click on the New Customer button on the bottom of this form: 
Next you will be directed to the Customer Maintenance form:
Under this first GENERAL Tab, you can:
a. enter the demographics for a particular customer (address, phone, email, DOB, etc.). You will notice there is a separate address available for shipping.
b. assign a Reserved Bid Card Number. 
By clicking on the Question Mark (?) next to Reserved # field, the software will automatically assign this Customer the next available Bid Card Number.
c. select a Hear About Us value. 
- Hear About Us values are determined by you in the Settings and Options Maintenance under the Customer->Buyer Settings Tab. Enter in different ways that your Customers may have heard about your auctions (i.e. Radio Commercial, Newspaper Ad, Flyer, etc.) and separate each with a comma. These choices will then appear under this drop-down menu.
d. set the customer to be a consignor. Marking the Consignor checkbox will allow you to run reports based on consignors only.
e. enter an Alert that will appear every time the Customer checks-in or cashes-out (i.e. Cash Only, or Need Deposit). 
f. determine a Customer's tax-status.
If a Customer is tax-exempt, simply make sure the 'Taxable 1' (and/or 'Taxable 2') box is unchecked. You may enter the Customer's Tax Exempt number in the next field if you wish.
You Can also access a Customer's Tax Status under the 'Buyer Settings/Reserved & Tax' Tab.
You can set the Buyer's Premium to a different rate than that of the auction buyer's premium and store a Preferred Payment Method for this buyer.
The next area in the Customer Maintenance form is Consignor Settings. This area allows you to set the Customer's commission and buyback rates. The first option is for you to allow the Customer to inherit the Default Commission and Buyback Settings designated in the Settings & Options Maintenance. You may also choose to Set Specific Commission and Buyback Settings. For more information on what Commission/Buyback Structures to set, please see our Understanding Commission and Buyback Schedules.
The Mail Lists Tab 
allows you to add or remove Customers to and from your generated mail lists.
The Image Tab 
is where you can store up to two different images for your Customer. You can use the capture utility buttons to acquire the image from a variety of sources (i.e. webcam, digital camera, scanner, etc.) and even hold copies of the Customer's driver's license on file electronically. You can also order ID Cards from Auction Flex from this area as well.
The following tabs 
, under Buyer History, all keep a total, running history of your Customers' purchasing activities. It shows any auction they've attended and any alternate bids, purchases, invoices, and deposits they are associated with.
The Consignor History Tab will give you a complete history of your Customers' consignment history including a list of their COs (Consignment Orders), Consignments, and Projections. 
The 'Lock Customer Code' check box 
should be checked if you want the Customer Code to be fixed (see Resetting Customer Codes).