Introduction

The Data Import is the last step before going live and using Gingr for day-to-day operations. It's crucial for users to carefully review and clean up their data before importing, regardless of the chosen method. Each option has its advantages and drawbacks, and users should select based on their technical proficiency, time constraints, and data cleanliness. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Customer Support Specialist with any additional questions. 

Paid Import

If you are not tech-savvy, or don’t have the time – we can do it for you!

If you choose to do a paid import, we will do all the work for you for a fee of $350. From start to finish, this takes up to 4 business days. You will need to obtain and send us your backup file, and from there we will work on formatting that data so that it fits well within Gingr. 

• Timeline

  • 4 business days once we receive the files from you. 
    
    

• Pros

  • Formatting your data into our data import template can be time-consuming and challenging if you do not feel confident working with spreadsheets and more advanced features in Excel, such as VLOOKUP. With this option, we take care of formatting the data for you - saving you several days worth of work. 
    
    

• Cons 

  • We import whatever is given to us. Our customers who complete an import are consistently surprised at how outdated their information can become. We highly advise that your existing data is scoured with a fine-toothed comb before being given to us in order to eliminate customers you haven't seen in years. Deceased pets, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses should all be reviewed in addition to any information that you’re unsure about. This can be a time-consuming process. There are innumerable differences between the ways different software systems store and label data, as well as how each business utilizes the various data fields in its software. We cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. 
    
    

• How It Works
  • Paid Imports are prescheduled.
    
    
  • When you are ready, you will send us a copy of the backup file from your existing software.
    
    
  • Once we receive your file, we will get straight to work preparing your data for import. We will reach out to you if we have any questions about the data, or how you may want it to appear in Gingr.
    
    
  • Any data that you collect after sending us your files will not be included in the import. This data includes:
    
    

    • New customers & pets
      
      

    • New, edited and canceled reservations/appointments
      
      

    • Packages purchased and package credits used
      
      

    • Deposits collected or refunded 
      
      

    • Customer balances (credits and debits)
      
      

    • Updated immunization records
      
      

    • Notes
      
      

• What Gets Transferred
  Each import is as unique as the software it's being pulled from; however, if the information is available, we can transfer the following categories of data:
  
  

  • Client Information

    • Addresses, Phone Numbers, Email Addresses & Emergency Contacts
      
      

    • Customer Sources (Referral Sources) & Date Created
      
      

    • Account Balances
      
      

    • Notes (public and private)
      
      

    • Email and SMS Preferences
      
      

  • Pet Information
    
    
    • Breed, Species, Color/Markings, Weight, Birthday
      
      
    • Gender (If gender is not available in your file, they will import as Male)
      
      
    • Fixed Status (If this is not available in your file, all pets will be marked as Not Fixed)
      
      
    • Vet Information
      
      
    • Shot Expiration Dates
      
      
    • General Notes (public and private)
      
      
    • Feeding Notes, Grooming Notes, Medication Notes, Allergies, etc.
      

      Notice:  We do not import deceased or inactive pets.

  • Future Reservations (starting on your go-live date)
    
    
    • Reservation Type & Created Date (does not include additional services)
      
      
    • Check IN/OUT Date & Time
      
      
    • Run Name
      
      
    • Deposits Collected
      
      
    • Notes
      
      
  • Remaining Package Credits
    
    
    • Positive Balances Only
      
      
    • Expiration Date
      
      
  • Point of Sale
    
    
    • Product Name & Description
      
      
    • Selling Price and Product Cost
      
      
    • UPC/Sku
      
      
    • Quantity on Hand
      
      
    • Vendor & Manufacturer Information
      
      
    • Image URL

Free Import

If you run a tight ship and have experience with Excel – this option is for you! 

It's important to remember that this is the FINAL step before going live. We cannot wipe out test transactions once an import has been completed. Please ensure that your staff has had a chance to practice in the application before moving forward. If you're unsure if you're ready to go live, then please check with your Customer Success Specialist or refer to this article: Going Live.

• Timeline
  
  

  • 2 business days once we receive the completed template from you. 
    
    

• Pros
  
  

  • As long as you have access to exporting your current data, this method avoids manually entering data into Gingr and it is a free service.
    
    

• Cons
   

  • We import whatever is given to us. Our customers who complete an import are consistently surprised at how outdated their information can become. We highly advise that your existing data is scoured with a fine-toothed comb before being given to us in order to eliminate customers you haven't seen in years. Deceased pets, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses should all be reviewed in addition to any information that you’re unsure about. This can be a time-consuming process. There are innumerable differences between the ways different software systems store and label data, as well as how each business utilizes the various data fields in its software. We cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. 
    
    

• How It Works
  
  

  • We will send you an Excel template to fill out with the information that you would like to transfer to Gingr.
    
    

  • You will then locate the backup file from your existing software and use that information to populate our template.
    
    

  • When finished, you will send the completed template to us for review. If corrections need to be made, we will send the template back to you with instructions.
    
    

  • Any data that you collect after sending us your files will not be included in the import. This data includes:
    
    

    • New customers & pets
      
      

    • New, edited and canceled reservations/appointments
      
      

    • Packages purchased and package credits used
      
      

    • Deposits collected or refunded 
      
      

    • Customer balances (credits and debits)
      
      

    • Updated immunization records
      
      

    • Notes
      
      

  • We suggest tracking any new data in an excel spreadsheet, so everything is neatly organized all in one place. Once your data import is complete, you can then manually enter this information in Gingr.
    
    

  • After the import is completed, your data will need to be verified and cleaned up. Services will need to be added to reservations and gap data will need to be added into Gingr. Once you’ve confirmed that everything transferred correctly and your data is cleaned up, you can start processing live transactions!
    
    

  • Once everything looks correct, we will import the data into your app within 2 business days. When finished, you can start processing live transactions!
    
    

• What Gets Transferred
  Each import is as unique as the software it's being pulled from; however, if the information is available, we can transfer the following categories of data:
  
  

  • Client Information
    
    

    • Addresses, Phone Numbers, Email Addresses & Emergency Contacts
      
      

    • Customer Sources (Referral Sources) & Date Created
      
      

    • Account Balances
      
      

    • Notes (public and private)
      
      

    • Email and SMS Preferences
      
      

  • Pet Information
    
    
    • Breed, Species, Color/Markings, Weight, Birthday
      
      
    • Gender (If gender is not available in your file, they will import as Male)
      
      
    • Fixed Status (If this is not available in your file, all pets will be marked as Not Fixed)
      
      
    • Vet Information
      
      
    • Shot Expiration Dates
      
      
    • General Notes (public and private)
      
      
    • Feeding Notes, Grooming Notes, Medication Notes, Allergies, etc.
      

      Notice:  We do not import deceased or inactive pets.

      
      
  • Future Reservations (starting on your go-live date)
    
    
    • Reservation Type & Created Date (does not include additional services)
      
      
    • Check IN/OUT Date & Time
      
      
    • Run Name
      
      
    • Deposits Collected
      
      
    • Notes
      
      
  • Remaining Package Credits
    
    
    • Positive Balances Only
      
      
    • Expiration Date
      
      
  • Point of Sale
    
    
    • Product Name & Description
      
      
    • Selling Price and Product Cost
      
      
    • UPC/Sku
      
      
    • Quantity on Hand
      
      
    • Vendor & Manufacturer Information
      
      
    • Image URL

Self-Registration

If you don’t have a backup file, or your records are out of date – customers can register online! 

If you’re planning to use the Customer Portal side of your Gingr app, you can have all of your customers register online. They can be invited to do so as they visit your facility or via email. Some facilities choose to have a tablet or inexpensive laptop (like a Chromebook) in their lobby devoted to customer self-registration.

• Pros

  • The great advantage of this approach is that you get 100% up-to-date, accurate information about your customers and their pets. It's a fantastic opportunity to start fresh with quality data that isn't overladen with deceased pets, inactive customers, and out-of-date contact information. Once your customers are in the system, it is not too challenging to enter future reservations, vaccination due dates, and existing credits. We've seen businesses have very happy results with this approach. Customers are often very enthusiastic about self-registering for a new system that provides all of the benefits Gingr does. Also, it's free.
    
    

• Cons

  • There are two downsides to this approach. 1) A fraction of your regular customers will not register immediately, and you may have to remind them. 2) You will be responsible for manually entering future reservations, credits, and balances owed, pets' vaccination due dates, and retail items. However, the amount of labor involved in this process is often less time-consuming and tedious than properly cleaning up and formatting years of data for a data import.

Manual Entry

If you’re coming from pen and paper, and you want to have your clients in Gingr before going live. 

If you are transitioning from a pen-and-paper system or only have a small amount of information to transfer, you may choose to manually enter this directly into Gingr.

• Pros
  
  
  • This option gives you full control over how data is entered into your system.
    
    
• Cons
  
  
  • Manual entry of data can be time-consuming and is always prone to some human error.

Related Resources

• Data Management Topic Outline
• Backup Your Database How-To
• Open Your Database Backup How-To
• Backup Your Files How-To
• Clear Local Storage How-To
• Clear Test Data How-To
• Merge Duplicate Animals How-To
• Merge Duplicate Veterinarians How-To
• Rebuild Search Index How-To
• Rebuild the Animal Immunizations Index How-To