How to Use 17hats Custom Fields to Personalize Your Client Experience

You want every client to feel like they’re your only client, right? That kind of thoughtful, personalized service is what makes small businesses stand out – and it’s one of the biggest reasons people choose you over your competition.

The challenge? Remembering all the little details that matter most to your clients, without juggling sticky notes, long email chains, or messy spreadsheets.

That’s where 17hats custom fields come in.

Custom fields let you capture the exact information that matters to your business and your clients – then use it throughout your entire system with just a few clicks. The result? A client journey that feels personal and polished, while also saving you hours of manual work.

Why Custom Fields Matter

Personalization isn’t just a nice touch – it’s expected. Your clients notice when you remember their details, and they notice even more when you don’t.

Custom fields help you:

• Deliver a tailored client experience that makes people feel valued.
• Save time by collecting information once and using it across your workflow.
• Reduce errors since the right details are automatically pulled into contracts, emails, and invoices.
• Stand out with a client journey that feels seamless and professional.

With custom fields, automation doesn’t make things feel impersonal – it makes personalization easy.

Where to Collect Custom Field Data

Custom fields can be added in several ways:

• Lead Capture Forms – Gather the right info from the start and map it to a field.
• Questionnaires – Collect details that help you customize the client experience.
• Online Scheduling Service Questions – Ask important questions at the time of booking.
• Manual Entry – Add information directly to the project if it comes up later.

Two Types of Custom Fields

When setting up custom fields in 17hats, you’ll need to choose where the data lives:

• Contact Fields – Best for information tied to the client themselves (like a parent’s phone number, industry, or preferred communication method).
• Project Fields – Best for information specific to the event, service, or project (like a wedding date, meal selection, or session notes).

Just like 17hats tags, custom fields can exist at either level -so it’s important to decide which makes the most sense for the data you’re collecting.

Real-Life Use Cases

For Photographers

• High school senior – Collect the student’s high school name and use it in emails, contracts, or gallery deliveries.
• Personal touches – Ask about favorite music, TV shows, or snacks. Imagine starting a session with their favorite playlist or surprising them with a favorite candy – instant connection.
• Who’s in front of the camera – Store the name of the person being photographed (e.g., the student, not just the parent) so all communication references the right person.
• Third-party galleries – Save the gallery link once and pull it into multiple reminder and delivery emails automatically.

For Event Pros (Venues, Caterers, Planners)

• Meal selections & dietary restrictions – Record guest choices once and confirm them in follow-up emails or contracts.
• On-site contact info – Store planner or vendor contact details in one easy-to-access place.
• Instructions & logistics – Capture special requests or add-ons so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

For Coaches

• Client goals & session notes – Track key takeaways, then drop them directly into follow-up emails or progress reports.
• Assessment results – Store scores or evaluation notes for easy reference over time.
• Preferences – Capture coaching style preferences or preferred communication method to personalize the client’s journey.

For All Service Providers

• Social media details – Track follower counts, handles, or links if that’s relevant to your work.
• Testimonials – Save short testimonials to quickly reuse in proposals or marketing.
• Industry info – Record a client’s industry or niche so you can tailor your communication.
• Milestones – Keep birthdays, anniversaries, or project deadlines on hand for thoughtful touches.

Capture Any Data That Matters to You

Here’s the best part – any custom data you want to track can be collected.

And you can use that data in two ways:

• Internally – so you always have key details at your fingertips.
• Externally – so contracts, emails, invoices, and client portals reflect the exact information your client shared.

No more copy-paste. No more digging through emails. Just one source of truth that makes your process smoother and your clients feel cared for.

How to Set Up Custom Fields in 17hats

Getting started is simple:

1. Go to Settings (gear icon).
2. Select Custom Fields.
3. Decide if the information belongs to the Contact or the Project.
4. Click Add Custom Field.
5. Choose the field type that best fits your data:
   • Short Field – for short answers (e.g., High School Name).
   • Long Field – for longer text (e.g., Session Notes, Instructions).
   • Yes/No – for simple yes/no responses (e.g., First-Time Client?).
   • Choose from a List – for dropdown options (e.g., Meal Choice).
   • Checkboxes – for multiple selections (e.g., Service Add-Ons).
   • Date – for deadlines, anniversaries, or event dates.

From there, you can map data to custom fields from lead capture forms, questionnaires, and scheduling questions – or fill them in manually. And once the data is there, it’s ready to be used anywhere tokens are available.

The Bottom Line

Custom fields are one of the simplest ways to elevate your client experience and save time in your workflow.

They give you one reliable place to collect and reuse details – helping you look organized, professional, and genuinely invested in your clients.

Because when you combine the power of automation with the thoughtfulness of personalization, you don’t just run a smoother business… you create a client journey people remember and rave about.

If you’re ready to bring this level of personalization into your own business but aren’t quite sure where to start, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’d love to help you set up a system that feels clear, customized, and sustainable. Just Book a Free Discovery Call anytime — together, we can design workflows that save you time and make your clients feel truly cared for.

You might also like…

• Say Hello to Organization and Goodbye to Chaos with 17hats
• Master Your CRM System Setup with this Must-Do Prep Work
• Small Business Success: Crafting Business Processes that Work

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Deb Mitzel is Your 17hats Guide—an experienced Small Business Operations Consultant and Coach, as well as a 17hats Implementation Specialist. With a passion for empowering small business owners, Deb specializes in helping clients reclaim their time so they can focus on building businesses that support their personal and professional dreams. Deb believes in creating an Integrated Life—a harmony where your business and personal life work together to serve you best. She knows that with the right systems, strategies, and a little guidance, you can build a business that is a blessing, not a burden. If you’re ready to simplify your processes and maximize your impact with 17hats or other tailored strategies, Deb offers a Free Discovery Call to explore how she can help. Click below to schedule your call and take the first step toward turning your vision into reality.

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