Use this guide when a customer is new to the portal or asks, "What should I do after I sign in?"

You will prepare the customer record, send the invite, and walk the customer through the main portal areas in plain language.

The goal is to help the customer feel comfortable right away. When you are done, you will know what to prepare before sending the invite, what the customer sees first, and how to answer the most common portal questions.

The customer portal is useful because it lets customers check their cars, upcoming events, billing, documents, and account details without waiting for your team to reply to a call or email.

Before you start

• The customer record exists in Contacts.
• The customer has a correct email address. This email is how they sign in.
• The customer's cars are linked to the customer record.
• Any documents, contracts, invoices, or payment requests you want the customer to see are connected to the right customer.
• Your team has reviewed Settings -> Portal so only the right customer portal sections are turned on.

Step 1: Prepare the customer record

Before you invite a customer, open their record and make sure the important details are ready.

1. Open Contacts

   Go to the Contacts page.

2. Search for the customer

   Use the Search field to find the customer by name, email, phone number, or company.

3. Open the customer record

   Click the customer row or View Details.

4. Check the record before inviting

   Confirm the name, email, phone number, cars, documents, billing information, and additional contacts look correct.

Step 2: Send the portal invite

After the record looks ready, send the customer a portal invite.

1. Go back to the Contacts list

   Open the Contacts page.

2. Find the customer

   Search for the customer you want to invite.

3. Click Send Invite

   Click Send Invite on the customer's row. If the customer was invited before, the button may say Resend Invite.

4. Review and confirm

   Review the customer's name and email address. If they are correct, click Send Invite in the confirmation window.

For the full invite workflow, read Invite a customer to the portal.

Step 3: Explain how the customer signs in

Customers sign in from the invite email. The email includes a secure sign-in button.

Explain this in plain language:

If the link expires, the customer can request a new sign-in link from the portal sign-in page, or your team can resend the invite from Contacts.

Step 4: Help the customer understand the main portal areas

The exact portal sections can vary based on your facility settings. These are the most common areas customers may see.

Step 5: Show the customer where their cars are

Customers often sign in because they want to see their vehicles. Show them the Cars area first if the main question is about stored vehicles.

1. Ask the customer to click Cars

   In the customer portal, ask the customer to click Cars.

2. Confirm the right cars appear

   The page should show the cars linked to that customer record.

3. Open one car

   Ask the customer to click a car to open the car detail page.

Step 6: Explain billing in simple terms

If your facility uses customer billing in the portal, the customer can review billing information without contacting your team.

1. Ask the customer to open Billing

   In the customer portal, ask the customer to open Billing.

2. Explain what they are seeing

   Tell the customer this area may show invoices, payment history, statements, subscriptions, or payment methods depending on your facility setup.

3. Answer payment questions carefully

   If the customer has questions about a charge, open their customer record or the related invoice in the staff dashboard before answering.

Step 7: Help the customer complete onboarding, if shown

Some facilities ask customers to complete onboarding before they use the full portal. Onboarding may include steps such as confirming profile details, signing a contract, choosing a payment method, or reviewing facility policies.

Use calm, simple language:

• If the customer needs to sign a contract, make sure the contract was sent to the correct email address.
• If the customer needs to add a payment method, confirm your payment processing is connected in Settings -> Billing.
• If the customer gets stuck, ask which step they are on before you troubleshoot.

Common questions from customers

What to do next

After the customer signs in successfully:

• Ask if they can see the cars they expect to see.
• Ask if they found any documents, invoices, or events they needed.
• Invite any additional contacts who should help manage the account.
• Keep the customer record updated so the portal stays useful over time.

For related setup guides, see:

• Add a customer
• Link cars and documents to a customer
• Invite a customer to the portal
• Manage additional contacts