Kirsty Gray founded Family Wise after she saw an opportunity to make genealogy and people finding into a career.
After previously working as a maths and science teacher, Kirsty started the company in 2012 as a solopreneur. She now employs close to 40 staff members around the world and the company has a High Street presence in the market town of Calne, Wiltshire.
The company offers four core services to assist clients with both genealogical and legal needs. These are probate research, family history, people finding, and DNA analysis.
Their probate services assists clients in tracing missing heirs when someone has passed away without leaving a will. In such cases, the deceased’s name is often added to the Bona Vacantia List, and the company helps locate rightful heirs.
Their family history services involve creating family trees and locating historical records for clients. This can include compiling all relevant information into binders, offering a comprehensive view of family history.
Relying on memory and spreadsheets
A key part of their operations involved tracking and managing tasks. David Walsh, Case Management and Training Support Lead explains that when the company first started the research team relied on a mix of spreadsheets and memory.
He said: “The research team is superb at holding information in their heads. In the early days we used to make mental notes about who called and when was best to call them back.
“Our numbers were smaller back then so this method was just about working for us.”
However, this quickly became inefficient as their case numbers increased and their business scaled and expanded.
To keep up with this demand, Managing Director, Kirsty needed to find a product that streamlined their work processes ensuring that the team could focus their efforts on their primary task of serving their customers.
They needed a tool that stored customer data effectively but was still user-friendly. They were in the process of onboarding a lot of new staff and needed something they could roll out across their team quickly and efficiently.
David said: “You hear horror stories of businesses stuck using clunky systems with inefficient processes.
“They have to navigate different screens and lose data meaning they have to start all over again.”
They began using one solution but quickly realized it wasn’t right for their needs.
“It was awful, you had to input all your information manually, it took us forever. We needed a more flexible solution that better fit our needs.”
Finding customizable solutions with Tags and Integrations
Implementing Capsule quickly optimized their workflow. David explains “Sometimes you get lucky in business and other times you make your own luck but we got really lucky with Capsule. It gave us solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had.”
One of the key improvements came from their use of customizable fields that allowed Family Wise to tailor the system to their specific needs.
“We have 38 different customizable fields in Projects alone. This flexibility allows us to manage client information and project details more effectively and integrations allow us to keep client information up-to-date and consistent across all the relevant teams.”
By integrating the CRM with other applications, the team could automate various processes, and improve productivity. “We worked out we could use APIs to talk to other applications. That really changed the game” they noted, highlighting how these integrations optimized their workflow.
Capsule’s task management features transformed how Family Wise handled its workflow especially as its workload grew beyond what could be managed from memory. The introduction of automated tasks ensured that no follow-ups were missed, a critical element in maintaining strong client relationships.
Another standout feature was Capsule’s call integration, which streamlined communication and improved client interactions. When a client calls, the system instantly displays their profile, allowing the team to respond quickly and with personalized information. This feature improved response times but also allowed the team to deliver better service.
Saving time and money while building better relationships
Since implementing Capsule, Family Wise has seen significant operational improvement across multiple areas, including a notable boost in productivity. With the ability to filter and manage projects efficiently, the team could quickly identify what tasks needed the most attention helping them prioritize effectively without the need for manual tracking.
The CRM's reliability in keeping track of client engagements played a crucial role in maintaining steady business growth and preventing revenue loss. Without automated task reminders, Family Wise risked overlooking potential opportunities, which could have a negative financial impact.
David said: “If we didn’t have these tasks in place we could forget to follow up with customers to check whether they have received our paperwork or if they have any questions about the process.
“Every missed opportunity could result in the loss of five to ten thousand pounds worth of business easily.”
The user experience provided by Capsule CRM further contributed to Family Wise’s success. The platform’s intuitive and user-friendly interface allowed the team to work efficiently without interruptions.
David explains: “It’s one of those things that if you don’t notice it, then it’s working. We’ve never had to worry about people complaining about it around the office, it just works.”
The seamless experience meant that the team could focus on their work without being hindered by technical difficulties, making it a seamless part of their daily operations.
Looking to the future
The team at Family Wise is looking for new ways to implement Capsule by utilizing the software to support their marketing efforts. Maddy Bullock, Marketing Executive explains: "We're looking at creating targeted newsletters for specific markets, and Capsule will be useful for collecting this data and keeping track of who we've contacted and who we haven't.”
“It will help us identify who might be interested in our services and who has chosen not to engage with us allowing us to reach more effectively and ensure we’re targeting the right audience." By using Capsule, Family Wise aims to fine-tune its marketing strategy and maximize outreach success.
Key Takeaways
- Increased productivity: Capsule CRM's customizable fields and task management features enable Family Wise to efficiently manage projects and prioritize tasks, enhancing productivity across their team.
- Cost savings: By automating follow-ups, Family Wise reduced the risk of missed opportunities, preventing any potential negative financial impact.
- Improved client relationships: Capsule's call integration allows for personalized and timely responses, significantly improving client interactions and satisfaction.
- Scalable and user-friendly: The intuitive, user-friendly interface of Capsule makes it easy for Family Wise to onboard new staff and streamline operations without technical hurdles, supporting seamless growth.
Conclusion
Capsule CRM has been a game-changer for Family Wise, helping the company streamline its operations, boost productivity, and cut costs. By automating task management, integrating with other applications, and providing a user-friendly interface, Capsule allowed the team to focus on core tasks and avoid costly missed opportunities.
