Useful columns
- Subscriber name.
- Phone number (preferably the WhatsApp one).
- Zone or neighbourhood.
- Plan (for example standard or premium) and monthly amount.
- Date of the last payment, or last month paid.
- A free comment if needed.
Clean the phone numbers
Write all numbers in the same format: no spaces or dots, with the +237 country code. The same number written three different ways creates duplicates and prevents you from sending a message.
Harmonise the zones
If “Bonamoussadi”, “Bona” and “Bonamoussadi centre” mean the same neighbourhood, pick a single name. A clear list of zones makes the collectors’ rounds easier to organise.
Hunt down duplicates
Sort the file by phone number, then by name. If a person appears twice, keep the most recent line.
Test on a small sample
- First import about twenty lines.
- Check that names, zones and amounts display correctly.
- Fix the file if needed, then import the rest.
Check after the import
- The number of subscribers matches your notebook or your file.
- A few randomly picked subscribers have the right status (up to date or late).
- The zones are complete.