CSV import
A CSV import loads the rows of a comma- or semicolon-separated text file (CSV), saved from a spreadsheet, into a program, such as bringing customers from Excel into a CRM.
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What does CSV import mean?
Before importing, the columns have to be matched to the CRM's fields: which column is the name, which the email address, which the phone number. This is called field mapping.
The two most common problems are character encoding (odd symbols in place of accented letters) and duplication: if the import adds the same customer a second time, the list soon becomes unusable. It is worth trying a few rows first.
Why does it matter to a small business?
Most small businesses keep their customer list in a spreadsheet or an old program today. The CSV import is the step the switch depends on: when the data comes across easily and without duplicates, the team works in the CRM from the first day, not in two places side by side.
What does it look like in practice?
Details
Suppose a car repair shop in Veszprém keeps 1,500 customers in a spreadsheet with "Name", "Phone" and "Plate number" columns. It saves the sheet as CSV, loads it, maps the plate number column to a custom field, checks the preview and starts. A month later it loads the updated sheet again, and nobody is added twice.
How does HelloCRM handle it?
Details
In HelloCRM Contacts → Import recognises Hungarian and English column names, lets you map the rest, and shows a preview before starting. On a repeat import, rows with an email address are updated rather than duplicated; deals can be imported separately. CSV import is part of the free plan.
A CRM for small businesses in Hungary
HelloCRM is an online CRM made in Hungary for small and mid-sized businesses there, in Hungarian and English: the core CRM is free for good, with no time limit and no card, and it can be tried without signing up in a demo company full of example data.
Questions
What is CSV import, in one sentence?
A CSV import loads the rows of a comma- or semicolon-separated text file (CSV), saved from a spreadsheet, into a program, such as bringing customers from Excel into a CRM.