Learn more about the auto-matching feature and how to associate multiple registrations made by the same person.
Before we talk about matching, let's clarify that a person makes a registration for a program. A person (or participant or guest) may have many registrations within Retreat Guru (one for each program attended), but a specific registration can only be associated with one person. (See also, Event Group Leader.)
When a new registration is created, it can be matched to either a new or existing person in your Retreat Guru database. See also, Using the People Database.
Matching allows you to view all the registrations associated with a given person, past, present, and future. It helps you identify repeat guests, easily register them for additional programs, and manage the guest's Personal Credit.
In this article, we'll cover:
- Auto-matching
- Types of matches
- Manual matches
- Updating people records
- Disconnecting a registration
- Question context (people vs registration questions)
Auto-matching
When the Auto Match People feature is enabled, and a new registration is completed, Retreat Guru's matching algorithm compares the first name, last name, and email on that new registration against pre-existing people in your Retreat Guru database.
If a perfect match is found, Retreat Guru automatically associates the new registration with the pre-existing person. If no match is found, a new person record will be created. If Retreat Guru is not sure (some key fields are the same, but it's not a perfect match), you can manually review the records and take action.
Types of matches
The Retreat Guru matching algorithm considers only three fields: first name, last name, and email. The type of match determines the action that will be taken.
- Perfect match - the new registration will be connected to a pre-existing person.
- Good match - listed at People | Match Registrations for manual review.
- Lesser or No match - a new person will be created.
Perfect match
A perfect match is when the content of all key information fields in the new registration is identical to all of the same fields for an existing person. That is, when:
- First name and email match
- Chris Smith chris@email.com
- Chris Davis chris@email.com
- First and last name swapped, and email match
- Henzo Yuki yuki@email.com
- Yuki Henzo yuki@email.com
Good match
A good match is determined when the content of some key information fields in the new registration is identical to the content of the same key information fields for an existing person. For example, when:
- Email match
- Chris Smith chris@email.com
- Sam Jones chris@email.com
- First and last name match
- Chris Smith chris@email.com
- Chris Smith csmith@email.com
- First and last name swapped match
- Chris Smith chris@email.com
- Smith Chris csmith@email.com
- Last name and email match
- Chris Smith chris@email.com
- C Smith chris@email.com
Lesser or No match
If the new registration does not represent a perfect match or a good match, a new person will be created automatically. This includes situations where the first name is a match, but not the last name or email, and situations where the last name is a match, but not the first name or email.
Manually match or create new
If the new registration is deemed to be a good match, Retreat Guru will not auto-match to an existing person, and will not automatically create a new person. Instead, Retreat Guru will list the new registration at People | Match Registrations for manual review and action.
Unmatched people (registrations) will show zero as their Person ID. For example, in the Registrations view shown below, Wilbur Fudd with Reg ID 964 shows a zero for Person ID.
When viewing details for a registration (an Edit Registration page) made by an unmatched person, the User ID will be absent from the Person Fields section.
For an unmatched person, you will need to Create/match to use before you are able to view all programs (registrations) associated with this person, and before viewing or modifying Personal Credit on the Edit Registration page.
You may view unmatched people (registrations) at People | Match Registrations.
Wilbur Fudd has been identified as a good match - first and last name match, but the emails do not match. Retreat Guru includes some additional information in this view if it is available from the registrations.
In this example, the phone number and partial address are shown for one of the good matches, This is for your reference only - it is not considered by Retreat Guru when determining the type of match.
The number of registrations is shown for each good match found. The good match “Wilbur Fudd” shows a “1*” just below the Connect to Person button. This information may be helpful as you decide which good match you wish to match with the new registration.
You may also click Expand details + in the Match Registrations to Person view to show additional information that is available from the registrations. This may further assist you in determining a match.
In this example, Wilbur confirmed which email address he would like to list on his registrations - he recently changed his email, and ask that you use the most recent dennis+wilburfudd2@retreat.guru
Click on Connect to Person next to the Wilbur Fudd good match to connect the New Registration - Jan 27, 2020 - FLEX Stay as guest - staying Jan 29-31, 2020 to the existing Wilbur Fudd. Alternatively, you may connect directly to another person by entering that Person ID.
If you view the Match Registrations to Person and determine that none of the good matches should be connected, click on Create New Person. Retreat Guru will create a new Person ID and associate the new registration with that new person.
After you Connect to Person or Create New Person for the first registration, Retreat Guru will display the next good match for your review (if additional new unmatched registrations exist). You may choose to Skip this registration if you wish to view others on the list and return to the skipped registration later. The number of new registrations that require your attention is listed at the bottom of the Match Registrations view.
Updating people records
When a new registration is matched to an existing person record, the existing person record will be updated with the information from the new registration.
The update affects the display of person fields only - registration fields on that person’s previous registrations will not be changed.
Think of person records as the master list of all people in your Retreat Guru database. In contrast, a person field is a custom field (question) that appears on a registration form and an edit registration page.
The person record will always include person field data from the most recent registration. And, the person fields on an edit registration page will always display values from the person record. We’ll explain more in a moment.
What’s the difference between person fields and registration fields? When creating a custom field (question) you designate it as either Save to - Person or Save to - Registration.
Person is selected if the question/answer relates to information that is likely to remain the same for every registration made by that person - like address, phone, gender identification, diet, diet notes, and email newsletter. Registration is selected if the question/answer is specific to a single registration - like requested roommate, terms and conditions, cancellation policy, and comments/special requests.
OK, back to people matching.
Behind the scenes, the matching algorithm always looks for the highest Registration ID associated with the person record you are about to match. Registration IDs are assigned sequentially, so we assume that the highest Reg ID (number) is the most recent registration.
What happens when you manually match a registration to a person?
On the Match Registrations to Person page, when you choose Connect to (an existing) Person, Retreat Guru finds the most recent registration (highest Reg ID) made by that (existing) person and updates their person record using people fields from the new, previously unmatched registration.
That is, if the content of a person field in the new registration differs from that of the same field in the existing person record, the existing person record will be updated.
For example, if the phone field in the new registration contains 303-444-4444 and the phone field for the existing person (that you are matching to) is 303-555-5555, the existing person record phone field will be updated to show 303-444-4444.
The same would happen if the phone field in the existing person record were blank. The existing person record phone field will be updated to 303-444-4444 from the new registration.
However, if the phone field in the new registration was blank, and the phone field in the existing person record was 303-555-5555, the existing phone number would be preserved - it would not be overwritten with a blank.
If you find that some fields in the existing person record should not be overwritten with data from the new registration, please make sure to adjust the new registration fields before matching to an existing person.
For example, assume the phone in the new registration is 303-444-4444, and the phone in the existing person record (that you are matching to) is 303-222-2222.
If you want to keep the existing phone number, 303-222-2222 and do not want it to be overwritten, you will need to change the phone in the new registration to 303-222-2222 (or blank) before you match the new registration to the existing person.
As mentioned above, the person record will always include person field data from the most recent registration. And, the person fields on an edit registration page will always display values from the person record.
Disconnect a registration
To disconnect a registration from a matched person, navigate to the Edit Registration view and click on Disconnect registration from user in the User Options section. If you have not updated the registration and people fields directly, the fields will revert to the original data provided at the time of registration.
Once disconnected from the registration, you may connect the registration to a new user or connect the registration to another user.
Question context / location
Person is selected if the question/answer relates to information that is likely to remain the same for every registration made by that person - like address, phone, gender identification, diet, diet notes, and email newsletter.
Registration is selected if the question/answer is specific to a single registration - like requested roommate, terms and conditions, cancellation policy, comments, and special requests.
A sample Edit Registration page showing Registration Details and Person Fields.
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch. Matchmaker, matchmaker, look through your book and make me a perfect match.