> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Review customer activity and history
> See emails, texts, notes, billing, and event changes in one timeline on the customer record.
## What you will accomplish
You will find **what already happened** with a customer—messages, notes, invoices, contracts, and schedule changes—without opening Inbox, Payments, and Schedule separately.
Use this guide when:
* A customer calls and asks, "Did you send that invoice?"
* A teammate needs context before returning a call.
* You want to confirm a contract was sent or a car was moved last week.
The **Activity Feed** on each customer record is your shortcut. A larger **Activity** page opens when you need to search or scroll through more history.
**Activity vs Inbox**
**Inbox** is where you **reply** to messages. **Activity** is where you **look up** what already happened for one customer. Start on the customer record when someone calls about their own account.
## Before you start
* Open the correct customer on [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
* Know roughly what you are looking for (a message, invoice, contract, or event change).
## Customer Notes vs Activity Feed
These two areas answer different questions:
| Area | What it shows | Best question to answer |
| - | - | - |
| **Activity Feed** | Automatic log of messages, invoices, contracts, schedule changes, CRM updates, and market interests | "What did the system record that we did?" |
| **Customer Notes** (on the customer page) | Notes your team typed on purpose, with team-only or customer-visible setting | "What did we want the next person to know?" |
To add a new team note, scroll to the **Customer Notes** section on the customer detail page. See [Add and manage customer notes](/docs/contacts/add-and-manage-customer-notes).
**Last Communication** in **CRM Information** is a quick summary of the most recent contact. It updates from activity (such as Inbox messages). If the date looks wrong, scroll the Activity Feed or open the full **Customer activity** page for the full story.
*The full Customer activity page shows more history than the short feed on the customer detail page.*
## Open the Activity Feed on the customer record
From [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all), search for the customer and open their detail page.
**Expected result:** You see sections such as **Personal & Contact**, **Cars**, and **Activity Feed**.
Scroll to the **Activity Feed** section on the right side of the page (on wide screens) or below the cars area (on smaller screens).
**Why this matters:** This feed only shows activity tied to **this customer**. It is faster than searching all of [Inbox](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/inbox) when you already know who you are helping.
Each line shows what happened and when—for example an email sent, a text received, an invoice created, or a stage change.
**Expected result:** The newest items appear at the top. You can often answer a customer's question in seconds.
**Tip:** Check **Last Communication** in **CRM Information** on the same page for a one-line summary of the most recent message.
*The **Activity Feed** sits on the right side of the customer page. Use **View more activity** to expand the list, or **View all** to open the full Customer activity page.*
## Open the full Activity page
When the feed is not enough—long history, many event types, or you need more room to read:
In the **Activity Feed** section, click **View all** (or the expand arrow near the section title).
**Expected result:** A dedicated **Customer activity** page opens with a larger timeline. The page title at the top says **Customer activity** and shows the customer's name.
Click **Back to customer** in the top-right corner to return to the customer detail page.
**Why this matters:** You do not need to remember a web address—the button always takes you back to the same record you started from.
*The full Activity page gives more room to review long customer histories and use search and filters.*
## Search and filter on the full Activity page
On the full **Customer activity** page, you can narrow a long timeline:
Click **Filters** near the top of the activity list.
**Expected result:** Options appear to filter by category, date range, or search text.
Use quick category buttons—such as **Messages**, **Billing**, or **Schedule**—to show only that type of activity.
**Why this matters:** When a customer asks specifically about an invoice, filtering to **Billing** hides unrelated messages so you can find the answer faster.
*Open Filters on the full Customer activity page to narrow a long timeline by category or keyword.*
Type in the search box to find words like "invoice", a car name, or a teammate's note.
**Expected result:** The list shrinks to matching items. A count near the top shows how many entries match (for example, "3 of 24 entries").
**Why this matters:** Long-time storage customers may have hundreds of lines. Filters keep you from scrolling for several minutes on a phone call.
Click **Clear filters** to return to the full timeline.
**Expected result:** All activity types appear again.
## Click through to the original record
Many activity lines are **clickable**. When you see an item you need to act on:
On the feed or full Activity page, click an item that looks like a link (for example an invoice or message).
**Expected result:** The app opens the related page—such as the invoice in [Payments](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) or the conversation in [Inbox](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/inbox).
Reply to the message, resend the invoice, or review the contract from the page that opened.
**Why this matters:** Activity is your **map**. The linked page is where you **do the work**.
Use your browser back button or open [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all) again if you need more context on the same customer.
**Activity is mostly a read-only view**
You review history here. To reply to a message, open [Inbox](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/inbox). To edit an invoice, open [Payments](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices). Activity helps you **find** what happened and **jump** to the right place.
## What appears in activity
Activity pulls together work your team already did in other parts of the app. Typical items include:
* **Emails and texts** sent or received through [Inbox](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/inbox)
* **Notes** added on the customer or car record (see [Add and manage customer notes](/docs/contacts/add-and-manage-customer-notes))
* **Invoices and payments** when billing is enabled
* **Contracts and documents** sent or signed
* **Market interests** added or updated when a customer shares a buy-want
* **Schedule changes** such as new appointments or completed work
* **CRM updates** such as stage changes (also shown under **Last Communication** in CRM Information)
* **Car changes** such as parking moves or session updates when linked to this customer's vehicles
**New customer, empty feed?**
A brand-new record may show little or no activity until your team sends a message, creates an invoice, or schedules work. That is normal. If you expected an item, confirm the work was saved under **this** customer—not someone with a similar name.
## Tips for front-desk staff
**Before you call a customer back:** Open their record and scan the Activity Feed. You may see that a teammate already sent the invoice or texted an update.
**When a customer says "I never got it":** Look for an email or text line with a timestamp. If nothing appears, the message may not have been sent yet—check [Inbox](/docs/inbox/overview) or resend from the right page.
**When onboarding stalls:** Look for contract or portal-related items. Pair activity with [Invite a customer to the portal](/docs/contacts/invite-a-customer-to-the-portal).
**When two teammates worked the same account:** Activity shows who did what and when—helpful for handoffs at the start of a shift.
## Troubleshooting
**Activity looks empty**
New customers may have little history until your team sends messages, creates invoices, or schedules events. If you expect an item and do not see it, confirm you opened the correct customer and that the work was saved under their record (not another person with a similar name).
**I cannot find the Activity Feed section**
Someone may have hidden the **Activity Feed** block for the whole team. An admin can turn it back on in [Customize the contact page](/docs/contacts/customize-the-contact-page). You can still open activity from other pages, but the shortcut on the customer record will be gone until the block is shown again.
**I need to reply, not just read**
Click a message line to open [Inbox](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/inbox), or use the customer's email or phone from the top of their record for a direct call.
**I cannot find something older than a few weeks**
Open the full **Customer activity** page with **View all**, then use **Filters** and scroll down. The feed on the customer page shows only the most recent items by design.
## What to do next
* Send or review messages: [Respond to a conversation](/docs/inbox/respond-to-a-conversation)
* Add context for the team: [Add and manage customer notes](/docs/contacts/add-and-manage-customer-notes)
* Update customer details after a call: [Edit customer details](/docs/contacts/edit-customer-details)
* Leave context for the next shift: [Add and manage customer notes](/docs/contacts/add-and-manage-customer-notes)
* Export a roster for managers: [Export and use the customer report](/docs/contacts/export-and-use-the-customer-report)
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