How to add and import customers
Add customers one at a time as the calls come in, or bring an existing list over from another platform or a spreadsheet. This guide walks both, plus what you get on a customer record once they are in.
Add a customer by hand
Where to clickCustomersAdd Customer
Press Customers in the left sidebar, then press Add Customer at the top right of the list. A Create New Customer box opens over the page.
On a brand new account the same thing sits in the middle of the empty list, labeled Add your first customer. There is no ceiling on how many customers you keep, so nothing here needs rationing.
Fill in what Pillar needs
Where to clickCreate New CustomerCreate Customer
Six fields carry a star and have to be filled in: Customer Name, Phone, Street Address, City, State, and ZIP Code. Everything else can wait.
Email is the one contact field you can skip, and the hint under it says Optional - enables customer portal access. Add it whenever you want that customer to see their own estimates and invoices online.
Internal Notes are for your side only and are marked Not visible to customer. Press Create Customer and Pillar opens the record it just made.
What sits on a customer record
Where to clickCustomersView
Press View on any row of the customers list to open that person's record. The first card holds their contact details and Customer since, and Job History underneath lists every job you have run for them.
Communication History at the foot of the page has two tabs. Timeline holds calls, emails, and notes you record with + Log Communication, and SMS & Calls holds messages handled through Pillar.
Edit Customer at the top changes any detail and is also where Text message consent is recorded. If the customer has an email address and no portal login yet, Send Account Invitation sits beside it.
Bring your whole list over
Where to clickAdminData ImportNew Import
Press Admin at the bottom of the left sidebar, pick Data Import from the admin menu, then press New Import. Admin is owner only, so this one is for whoever owns the account.
Under Select Source Platform, pick where the data came from: ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, FieldEdge, ServiceM8, Workiz, Square, or Generic CSV / Excel for a plain spreadsheet.
Leave Customers selected under What are you importing?, drop the file in, and press Upload and Continue to Mapping.
Check the columns, then import
Where to clickMap ColumnsSave Mapping and ContinueValidate DataStart Import
Map Columns pairs each heading in your file with a field in Pillar, filled in for you when you named a platform. Underneath, Data Preview (first 5 rows) shows exactly what will land, which is where a swapped column gives itself away.
Press Save Mapping and Continue, then Validate Data. Pillar reads every row without saving anything and reports what it found under Validation Results.
Fix whatever it flags, or tick Skip rows with errors and import valid records only. Then press the import button with the row count on it and confirm with Start Import.
Common questions
How many customers can I keep in Pillar?
As many as you have. Customers are unlimited on every account, whether you are the only person using Pillar or you have a dozen people on it.
Does every customer need an email address?
No. Email is the one contact field you can leave blank, and the form says so: Optional - enables customer portal access. Add it later if you want that customer to approve estimates and pay invoices online.
What kind of file can I import?
The upload box takes CSV, Excel (.xlsx, .xls), and JSON files up to 50 MB. Column headings can say anything, because you match them to Pillar fields in the next screen.
What happens to customers I already have in Pillar?
Validation checks every row against your existing customers by email and by phone number, and flags anything that looks like a match as a potential duplicate. You can fix those rows in the file and upload again, or skip them.
Can I import anything besides customers?
Yes. The same four screens handle jobs, estimates, invoices, equipment, service agreements, price book items, categories, and staff. Press Read our Import Guide on the upload screen for the order that keeps records linked to each other.