Multi-location CRM: one shared base or separate accounts
A customer writes to the network's shared page and nobody knows which branch should answer, while the same customer exists as two records in two branches. This guide chooses a multi-location CRM model: shared database versus separate accounts, rules for routing leads to branches, who sees what, branch switches, branch fields and two-level reporting.
Short answer
A multi-location CRM model starts with one question: does the customer belong to the network or to a branch? If a customer can go to any branch (clinics, car services, retail chains), one shared database with a "branch" field on each lead is the better choice. If branches run as separate businesses (franchises, different brands), separate accounts with a combined report on top are better. Either way, four rules must be written down: how a lead reaches a branch, who sees what, what happens when a customer switches branch, and how reports read at branch and network level.
Typical problems in a branch network
- A customer writes to the network's shared Instagram page and nobody knows which branch should answer.
- The same customer lives as two records in two branches, and their history is split.
- Branch managers see other branches' customers and sometimes "take" them.
- Head office cannot see network-wide sales because each branch keeps its own spreadsheet.
- A new hire at one branch gets access to the whole network's database.
Model 2: separate accounts with an overview
If branches are separate legal entities, trade under different brands or do not want to share their customer base, each branch works in its own account, and head office assembles the combined report separately. The advantage: data is clearly separated. The difficulty: the same customer appears twice in two branches and is not recognised network-wide.
How a lead reaches a branch
- By channelIf each branch has its own number or page, the lead lands in that branch automatically.
- By the customer's locationA customer writing to a shared channel is asked their area or nearest branch, and the answer goes into a lead field.
- By serviceIf a service exists in only one branch, the lead goes there.
- When unclearThe lead goes to a central queue and a coordinator passes it to a branch within 30 minutes.
How a lead is distributed between managers within a branch is covered in lead assignment rules.
Who sees what
- Branch manager: their own branch's leads and the related customer history.
- Branch head: all of their branch's leads and its report.
- Head office and network director: every branch, without editing records.
- Central coordinator: the shared queue and leads not yet passed to a branch.
Visibility rules matter for both fairness in sales and protecting personal data: every employee should see only what their work requires.
When a customer switches branch
A customer had a viewing at one branch and now wants to go to the one closer to home. In the shared-database model no new lead is created: the existing lead is handed to the second branch, the first branch's notes stay, and the reason for the handover is recorded. If the sale succeeds, which branch gets the credit should be written down in advance — otherwise two branches will claim the same sale.
Branch fields
- On the lead: branch, source channel, previous branch if handed over.
- On the customer record: main branch (where they come most), history across all branches.
- On the manager: the branch or branches they work in.
- On the sale: the branch the sale is credited to.
Branch and network reporting
Reports are read at two levels. Branch level: new leads, speed to first touch, win rate, loss reasons. Network level: the same metrics with branches side by side. Compare branches carefully: a different area, lead volume and service mix naturally make the numbers differ. Comparison is for help, not punishment. The CEO-level screen is described in CRM dashboard metrics for CEOs.
An illustrative example
This is an illustrative example. A dental clinic with four branches has one shared Instagram page and a phone number per branch. Previously one administrator at head office read Instagram messages and forwarded them to branches on WhatsApp, and patient records were kept separately in each branch.
In the new model a single shared database is set up. A patient writing on Instagram is asked for their nearest branch and the lead lands there; a call to a branch number is recorded straight to that branch. Branch managers see only their own leads, and head office reads all four branches side by side in the weekly report.
Common mistakes
- Not assigning an owner for leads from shared channels.
- Opening a separate database per branch and then asking for a network report.
- Giving every employee access to the whole database.
- Creating a new lead when a customer switches branch — the history splits.
- Not recording which branch a sale is credited to.
Limitations
No model fits every network: in a franchise, legal separation may rule out a shared database. Sharing personal data between branches should be checked against local law. The model also depends on team discipline: if the branch field is not filled in, no report will be right.
Branches in Vexvon
Vexvon has a parent–child company model: a child company shares the parent's subscription, with one level of nesting — for multi-brand networks and agencies. A user with access to several companies can switch the active company. Within a single company, the branch can be recorded on a lead as a category or extra field, and leads can be distributed to a responsible manager by channel. According to the security page, access rights are managed at role level. More on Vexvon CRM.
Next step
Write down the answer to one question: does your customer belong to the network or to a branch? Then take 20 leads from shared channels last month and check which branch each reached, and how fast. Call quality across branches is covered separately in call quality across branches. More articles are in the AI CRM section, and we can choose your model together during a demo.