When multiple staff members work with the same client, keeping track of who is responsible for what prevents missed messages, duplicate work, and communication gaps. Thryv Business Center lets you assign primary and additional staff to every client card, configure automatic assignment rules for new and returning clients, and control what each staff member can see on the client cards they are assigned to. This article covers how staff assignment works, how to change the primary staff on a client card, how to configure auto-staff assignment rules, and how to manage staff view permissions.

How Primary and Additional Staff Assignment Works

Every client card in your CRM supports two types of staff assignment. The Primary staff member is the default assignee for that client. When the client sends a message, shares a document, or submits a generic payment that is not associated with an invoice or booking, the interaction is assigned to the primary staff member. The staff member who creates a new client record becomes the primary staff for that client by default.

Additional staff are staff members who have at least one recorded interaction with the client, such as completing an appointment or issuing an invoice to the client. Additional staff members are added to the client card automatically when an interaction is recorded. A client card can have one primary staff member and any number of additional staff members.

How to View and Change the Primary Staff on a Client Card

To view the staff members assigned to a client, click Clients in the left-hand navigation to open your client list. Find the client and click the client's name to open the client card. The staff assignment information appears in the left-hand column of the client card, showing the current primary staff and any additional staff members assigned to the client.

To change the primary staff member, click Change next to the current primary staff member's name. A list of staff members will appear. Select the staff member you want to assign as the new primary staff. The primary staff can only be changed by the current primary staff member, admins, managers, or collaborators. Changing the primary staff manually overrides any automatic staff assignment rules that are configured in your settings.

When a staff member is added as an additional staff member through a recorded interaction, a note is automatically added to the client's conversation thread confirming the change.

How to Configure Auto-Staff Assignment Rules

Auto-staff assignment rules control how client interactions are automatically assigned to staff members. The rules apply separately to new clients and returning clients. To access the assignment rules, click Settings in the left-hand navigation, then click Staff. Click the Assignment rules tab.

The following assignment rules are available to configure:

• Default assignee - Select the staff member who will automatically become the primary staff for new clients. When a new client submits a contact form, shares a document, or makes a payment, the interaction is assigned to the default assignee and that staff member becomes the primary staff for the new client. Note that this rule does not apply to new bookings if a different staff member is selected when the appointment is created.
• Returning client interactions - Choose whether non-booking interactions from returning clients are assigned to the default staff member or to the last staff member the client worked with.
• Returning client bookings - Choose whether appointments from returning clients are automatically assigned to the last staff member the client worked with, or whether clients are prompted to choose a staff member when the staff selection option is enabled on your booking page.

How to Manage Staff View Permissions

View permissions control what information a staff member can see on the client cards they are assigned to, whether as primary staff or additional staff. To view and edit a staff member's view permissions, click Settings in the left-hand navigation, then click Staff to open your staff list.

Hover over the staff member whose permissions you want to review or update. Click the three-dot menu icon that appears to the right of the staff member's name. In the dropdown that appears, click Staff settings. Click the Roles and Permissions tab. The staff member's current role is shown in the dropdown at the top of the page. From this tab, you can define which client information and interactions the staff member is permitted to view.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can change the primary staff member on a client card?
Only the current primary staff member, admins, managers, and collaborators can change the primary staff on a client card. Other staff roles do not have permission to reassign the primary staff.

Does changing the primary staff manually override the auto-assignment rules?
Yes. Manually changing the primary staff on a client card overrides any automatic staff assignment rules configured under Settings then Staff then Assignment rules.

Does this article cover how to add new staff members to Thryv Business Center?
No. This article covers staff assignment on client cards and assignment rule configuration only. For instructions on adding a new staff member to your account, see how to add a new staff member in Thryv Business Center.