»Wooden heart«

Do you know anyone who likes to move? – Neither do we. Nevertheless, every year around 10% of the population in Germany packs their bags and sets off for new shores – if you count the relocation of companies, that’s over 20,000 moves every day!

It’s no wonder that things get mixed up. After all, people who move usually have to deal not only with furniture, boxes, basements and rooms under the roof, but also with data: Who already has the new address, who still has to be informed, is the telephone number actually the old one, shouldn’t the fax be cancelled at the same time – and where is the current list on which you had noted all this down?

We speak from experience, because TOLERANT Software has just moved. The distance from the old address in Forststraße 7 to the new one in Büchsenstraße 26 is a piece of cake, and the reason is also pleasing – our positive business development. But the effort is great, and the details not necessarily pleasurable: You have to communicate with all the world at the same time, with craftsmen, customers, suppliers and partners, the commercial register, the Chamber of Commerce, the bank, the social insurances, the tax office, the trade licensing office, and so on. In the end, we were happy to have made it. We were backed up by the good old forwarding application – a tool that is unfortunately being used less and less, but which we strongly recommend. Further relaxation comes from the reassuring knowledge that, thanks to TOLERANT Move, the new address will reach the customer without our intervention. 

If you also want to be sure that your customer data is always up-to-date, we recommend a structured process in addition to our products. The be-all and end-all is regular contact. Everyone who talks to your customers should have the address data confirmed regularly (“We have the following address on file from you, is it still correct?”). Information about new addresses should be transferred to all relevant systems in a neatly documented process. Please also note that stricter rules apply to address changes in financial accounting than in your customer database. And if mail is returned as undeliverable, it is worthwhile to research the new address within the scope of legal possibilities or to make a second attempt at delivery so that no customer relationship is lost.

And last but not least, there is one more aspect that is often forgotten. Addresses can change even without a move. Approximately 0.5%-1% of the streets and municipalities in Germany are affected by incorporations and renamings every year. To ensure that your customer data remains up to date, you should have the total postal data checked and corrected at least once a year – e.g. with TOLERANT Post.