Pause before combining
Two records may describe the same person, two people sharing an email address or an old and new contact route. Keep the source records intact while an authorized coordinator checks the evidence. A duplicate-looking row is not itself proof that information can be combined or deleted. Avoid using sensitive details simply to make matching easier.
Compare the operational history
Look at the date and source of each enquiry, the contact route and the relevant conversation history available to the authorized reviewer. Identify any outstanding invitation or promised response. The important risk is not just a duplicated name; it is losing an action or sending conflicting messages when records are changed.
Review product matching rules
Current LACRM form help explains how intake and update submissions behave differently. Matching and owner permissions can affect whether a new record appears. Consult that behavior before blaming the volunteer for submitting twice. Any merge or deletion should follow your organization’s authorized process and preserve the information needed to explain the result.
Worked review
A fictional household uses one shared email address. Two people submit different role interests. The coordinator keeps separate people records and confirms the preferred communication arrangement rather than assuming one response replaces the other. The record design should make that distinction understandable to someone covering the inbox later.
Resolve identity before merging meaning
Two enquiries with similar names may be different people. A shared household email may not identify one volunteer. Review the permitted matching evidence and the source of each record before using any merge function. Keep current commitments, preferences and conversation references distinguishable until the responsible coordinator resolves the ambiguity. If you cannot establish identity safely, leave a review exception rather than combining the records for a cleaner count. This guide does not prescribe a vendor-specific merge operation or authorize deleting records; confirm the current product behavior and your organization’s process first.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- LACRM intake and update forms — Merchant documentation · lessannoyingcrm.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-10-01
- LACRM group filtering — Merchant documentation · lessannoyingcrm.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-10-01