Merging Duplicate Customer Records

15 minutes

Tutorial 3.6: Merging Duplicate Customer Records

Introduction

Duplicate customer records happen in any busy salon. The same customer might book online with their email one time and give their phone number the next, or a receptionist might accidentally create a new profile instead of finding an existing one. Luminate helps you find and merge these duplicates so each customer has one complete profile with all their history.

This tutorial shows you how to review potential duplicate groups, decide which records are genuinely the same person, and merge them into a single consolidated profile.

Who this is for: Owner, Admin, Manager What you'll learn:

Recognise the duplicate warning panel on customer profiles
Access the Potential Duplicates page
Understand match types (email, phone, similar names)
Understand confidence levels (high, low)
Review a duplicate group using the two-step dialog
Resolve field conflicts when merging
Dismiss false positives (families sharing contact details)
What happens to appointments, transactions, and messages when you merge

Time to complete: 15 minutes

Prerequisites

Logged in with Owner, Admin, or Manager permissions
Complete Tutorial 3.1 (Adding and Managing Customer Profiles)
Have existing customer data in your salon

Step-by-Step Instructions

Duplicate Warning on Customer Profiles

When you view a customer's profile, you may see an amber warning panel near the top of the page. It displays the heading "Potential Duplicate" followed by a description such as:

"1 other customer shares the same email address."

The message adapts to the match type (email address, phone number, or name) and the number of matching customers. This panel appears automatically when the customer you're viewing is part of a duplicate group. This is a convenient way to discover and resolve duplicates while you're already working with a customer's record.

Actions from the warning panel:

Button	What It Does
Review & Merge	Opens the same two-step merge dialog described below. You can select which customers to merge and resolve any conflicts.
Dismiss	Opens a confirmation dialog. If you confirm, the duplicate group is dismissed and the warning panel disappears.

After completing an action:

After merging, you'll stay on the customer profile (the primary/survivor customer)
After dismissing, the warning panel simply disappears and you remain on the same page

This feature means you don't have to visit the Duplicates page to handle a duplicate you've discovered while viewing a customer. However, for a comprehensive review of all potential duplicates in your salon, use the Potential Duplicates page described below.

Real-Time Duplicate Warnings on Create and Edit Forms

Luminate also checks for duplicates as you create or edit customer records, helping you catch potential duplicates before they're saved.

How it works:

Open the Add Customer or Edit Customer form
As you type an email address or phone number, Luminate checks for matches in the background (there is a brief delay of about half a second to avoid checking on every keystroke)
If a match is found, an amber "Potential Duplicate" panel appears on the form

The warning panel shows:

A message such as "1 customer with same email. You can still save this customer."
The name of each matching customer, shown as a link you can click to open their profile in a new tab
If there are both email and phone matches, both are listed separately

Key points:

The warning is informational only -- you can still save the customer. This is useful for families who share a phone number or email address.
On the Edit form, the current customer is excluded from the duplicate check, so you won't see a warning about the record you're already editing.
The links open matching customer profiles in a new tab, so you can check whether the customer truly exists before creating a new record.

Tip: Train your team to check the duplicate warning before saving new customers. A quick glance at the matching profile can save you from creating a duplicate that needs to be merged later.

Step 1: Access the Potential Duplicates Page

Click Customers in the sidebar
Click the Manage Duplicates button in the top-right header area
The Potential Duplicates page displays groups of customers that may be the same person

The page shows each group with:

The shared identifier (email address, phone number, or similar names)
Number of customers in the group
Match type and confidence level
Quick actions (Dismiss, Review Group)

Step 2: Understanding Match Types

Luminate detects duplicates based on three criteria:

Match Type	Description
Email	Multiple customers share the exact same email address (case-insensitive)
Phone	Multiple customers share the exact same phone number (normalised, ignoring formatting differences)
Name	Customers have very similar names (e.g., "Sarah Thompson" and "Sara Thompson")

Each match type is shown with a small icon badge on the Duplicates page (a mail icon for email, phone icon for phone, and person icon for name matches).

Filter by match type: Use the dropdown at the top of the page to filter groups by type:

All Match Types - Shows everything
Email Matches - Only email duplicates
Phone Matches - Only phone duplicates
Similar Names - Only name-based matches

Step 3: Understanding Confidence Levels

Each duplicate group has a confidence level indicating how likely the records are genuine duplicates:

Confidence	Badge Colour	When It Appears
High	Green	Email or phone number matches (exact match on a unique identifier)
Low	Default	Name similarity matches (similar but not identical names)

Email and phone matches are high confidence because these identifiers are typically unique to one person. Name matches are low confidence because similar names are common (e.g., "John Smith" appears frequently).

Priority recommendation: Start with high-confidence matches. These are the most straightforward to merge and give you quick wins for cleaning your database.

Step 4: Reviewing a Duplicate Group

Click Review Group on any row to open the two-step merge dialog.

Step 1 of the dialog: Select which customers are the SAME person

You'll see all customers in the group with checkboxes. Each customer card shows:

Full name (with a Primary badge on the pre-selected customer)
Email and phone (if recorded)
Number of appointments (with a calendar icon)
Total spend (with a banknote icon)
Last visit date

How to use this step:

All customers are pre-selected by default
Uncheck any customer who is a different person (for example, family members sharing a phone)
The summary at the bottom shows how many will be merged and how many will remain separate

Example: A phone number is shared by a mother and daughter. You would uncheck the daughter to keep her as a separate customer while still merging any other true duplicates.

When you're satisfied with your selection, click Next.

Step 2 of the dialog: Choose the primary record and resolve conflicts

In this step, you decide:

Which record to keep (Primary): Use the radio buttons to select the customer record that will survive. All other selected records will be merged into this one.
- Luminate pre-selects the customer with the most appointments
- The selected customer shows a Keep badge; others show a Merge badge
- You can change this by clicking a different customer's radio button
Resolve field conflicts: If the selected customers have different values for certain fields (like different notes or allergies), you'll see an amber Field Conflicts section. For each conflicting field:
- Choose which value to keep (each option shows the value and which customer it came from)
- Or select Combine all values if available (useful for notes and allergies)

Step 5: Completing the Merge

After reviewing conflicts, an amber summary message shows exactly what will happen, for example:

"15 appointments, 3 transactions, and 2 conversations will be linked to Sarah Johnson. 1 customer record(s) will be permanently deleted."

Click Merge Selected to complete the merge. The button also shows the number of customers included (e.g., Merge Selected (2)).

What happens:

All appointments, transactions, and messages from duplicate records are reassigned to the primary customer
The duplicate customer records are permanently deleted
Any customers you unchecked remain as separate profiles
The group is removed from the duplicates list

A success message confirms the merge is complete.

Step 6: Dismissing False Positives

Not every match is a duplicate. Families often share phone numbers, and some emails (like shared business addresses) are used by multiple people.

To dismiss a group:

Click Dismiss on the group row, or
Click Dismiss Group in the review dialog footer

What happens when you dismiss:

The group is hidden from the main duplicates list
The customers remain as separate records
You can view dismissed groups later by checking "Show dismissed"

Example: A husband and wife share a phone number. Dismiss this group so it doesn't appear in your duplicates review. Both customers keep their own profiles.

What Happens When You Merge

When customer records are merged:

Data Type	What Happens
Appointments	All appointments from duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Transactions	All transactions from duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Conversations	All message threads from duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Waitlist entries	Any waitlist entries from duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Skin tests	All skin test records from duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Gift vouchers	Any vouchers purchased by duplicates are reassigned to the primary customer
Notes/Preferences	You choose which to keep (or combine) during the merge
Allergies	You choose which to keep (or combine) during the merge
Badges	All badges from all merged customers are combined on the primary
Marketing preferences	If any merged customer had opted in, the primary customer is opted in
Transactional preferences	If any merged customer had opted out, the primary customer is opted out
Customer created date	The earliest created date from all merged records is used

The duplicate records are permanently deleted. Their IDs are no longer valid. Only the primary customer's ID remains.

Audit Trail

All merges are logged for accountability. Each merge log records:

Who performed the merge
When the merge occurred
Which customer was merged and which was kept as primary
A snapshot of both customer records before the merge
Which field values were chosen during conflict resolution
How many records of each type were transferred (appointments, transactions, etc.)

This audit trail helps you track changes and provides accountability for your customer data management.

Common Pitfalls

"I accidentally merged the wrong customers"

Unfortunately, merging cannot be undone. The duplicate records are permanently deleted. This is why the two-step review process asks you to confirm your selection carefully. If you're unsure, dismiss the group instead of merging.

"The same duplicate keeps appearing"

If a group reappears after dismissing, check that you fully dismissed it (confirmation required). If the issue persists, the system may have detected a new match based on updated customer data.

"I can't find the Duplicates page"

Look for the Manage Duplicates button in the header area of the Customers page. If you cannot see it, check your permissions - the Duplicates feature requires Owner, Admin, or Manager role.

"All customers are pre-selected but I only want to merge two"

Uncheck the customers who should remain separate before clicking Next. The summary shows how many will be merged.

"I don't see any field conflicts in Step 2"

Conflicts only appear when the selected customers have different values for the same field. If all values match (or are empty), no conflicts need resolving.

"The merge button is disabled"

You need at least 2 customers selected to merge. If you've unchecked everyone except one, there's nothing to merge.

Tips and Best Practices

Act on profile warnings immediately - If you see the amber duplicate warning when viewing a customer, take a moment to review and resolve it before continuing with your task
Review high-confidence matches first - These are most likely genuine duplicates and are quick to process
Don't rush name matches - Similar names don't always mean the same person (e.g., "John Smith" is common)
Check appointment history - Different service histories often indicate different people
Use dismiss for families - Shared phone numbers between family members are common; dismiss rather than merge
Review before deleting - Click through to customer profiles if you're unsure
Schedule regular reviews - Check the duplicates page weekly or monthly to keep your database clean
Train your team - Ensure staff know how to search for existing customers before creating new ones
Keep the primary selection thoughtful - Choose the record with the most complete information as primary

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can merge customers?

Owners, Admins, and Managers have access to the Duplicates page and can perform merges. Staff and Receptionists cannot merge customers.

Can I undo a merge?

No. Merging permanently deletes the duplicate records. The data is transferred to the primary customer, but the original records cannot be recovered. This is why careful review is important.

What if I dismiss a group by mistake?

Check "Show dismissed" on the Duplicates page to see dismissed groups. You can review and merge them if needed. (Note: If the underlying data changes, the group may reappear as a new match.)

How often should I review duplicates?

We recommend reviewing the duplicates page at least once a month, or whenever you notice your customer count seems unusually high. Some salons make it part of their weekly management routine.

Will merging affect reports?

Yes, positively. After merging, the customer's total spend, visit count, and history will be accurate because all their appointments and transactions are consolidated.

What happens to gift vouchers?

Gift vouchers are tied to customer records. When merging, any vouchers from duplicate customers will be associated with the primary customer.

Can customers share an email address legitimately?

Yes, though it's uncommon. Some couples share an email account. In this case, dismiss the group to keep them as separate customers. However, reminders and confirmations will all go to the shared email.

Why would I ever choose a record with fewer appointments as primary?

The customer with fewer appointments might have more complete profile information (address, allergies, preferences). You can always choose which field values to keep during conflict resolution.

Why do I see a duplicate warning on a customer's profile?

Luminate automatically checks if the customer you're viewing is part of a potential duplicate group. If they share an email address, phone number, or have a similar name to another customer, the amber warning panel appears. This helps you discover and resolve duplicates while working with customer records, without needing to visit the Duplicates page separately.

Can I dismiss the duplicate warning without going to the Duplicates page?

Yes. Click Dismiss directly on the warning panel, then confirm in the dialog. The warning will disappear and you'll stay on the customer's profile. The group will also be marked as dismissed on the main Duplicates page.

I dismissed a duplicate from the customer profile, but now I changed my mind

Check "Show dismissed" on the Potential Duplicates page to see all dismissed groups. You can still review and merge them from there if needed.

Can I prevent duplicate customers from being created?

Luminate shows a real-time warning on the Add Customer and Edit Customer forms when the email or phone you enter matches an existing customer. The warning includes links to matching profiles so you can check before saving. However, the warning does not block saving -- this is intentional, because families and couples sometimes share contact details. The best prevention is training your team to search for existing customers before creating new ones, and to check the duplicate warning when it appears.

Last Updated: February 2026