Customer Portal Documentation

Overview

The Customer Portal allows your customers to:

• View and approve/decline quotations
• Download issued certificates (EIC, EICR, Fire Alarm, etc.)
• Track invoices and payment status
• Access documents 24/7 without contacting your office

Benefits for your business:

• Faster quote approvals (30 seconds vs. 3 days)
• Reduced admin time answering "where's my certificate?" calls (40% reduction)
• Professional customer experience
• Automatic activity logging for compliance

How to Invite a Customer

Step 1: Enable Portal Access for a Contact

1. Navigate to Customers in the main menu
2. Click on the customer you want to give portal access
3. Go to the Contacts tab
4. Find the contact you want to invite (they must have an email address)
5. Toggle on Customer Portal Access

Step 2: Send the Portal Invite

Once portal access is enabled:

1. Click the Send Invite button next to the toggle
2. The contact will receive an email with a sign-in link
3. The link is valid for 15 minutes

The email includes:

• Your company name and branding
• A secure magic link (no passwords needed)
• Instructions on how to access the portal

Step 3: Confirm Delivery

After sending:

• A success message confirms the invite was sent
• The contact's email inbox will have the invite within seconds
• They can click the link to access their portal immediately

Managing Portal Access

Viewing Access Status

On any customer's contact detail page, you can see:

• Whether portal access is enabled
• Number of active sessions
• When they last signed in (via Activity Log)

Revoking Access

To remove someone's portal access:

1. Go to the contact's detail page
2. Toggle off Customer Portal Access
3. All active sessions are immediately revoked

The customer will be logged out and won't be able to sign back in until you re-enable access.

Resending Invites

If a customer's magic link expired (15 minutes) or they lost the email:

1. Simply click Send Invite again
2. A new magic link will be generated
3. The old link becomes invalid

Activity Logging

All customer portal activity is logged automatically for compliance and dispute resolution:

Access the activity log from Settings → Portal Activity to see all customer interactions.

Best Practices

Who to Invite

• Property managers who review multiple certificates
• Office managers who approve quotes on behalf of companies
• Primary contacts who handle all communication

Who NOT to Invite

• Contacts without email addresses
• Temporary or one-time contacts
• Contacts who prefer phone/email communication

Tips for Success

1. Explain the portal when enabling - let customers know they'll receive an email
2. Set expectations - tell them they can approve quotes online
3. Include in your process - mention portal access when sending quotes
4. Check activity - monitor who's using the portal vs. who needs a reminder

Getting Access

The Customer Portal is an invite-only service. To get access:

1. Contact your contractor (the company that does your electrical, fire safety, or maintenance work)
2. Ask them to enable portal access for you
3. Provide your email address if they don't already have it
4. Check your email for the portal invite

What to Tell Your Contractor

When requesting portal access, let them know:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• The company name (if you're a business contact)
• That you'd like access to the customer portal

Signing In

First-Time Sign In

1. You'll receive an email with the subject "Sign in to [Contractor Name] Portal"
2. Click the Sign In button in the email
3. The link will take you directly to the portal - no password needed
4. You're now logged in and can access your documents

Returning Visits

If your session is still active (within 30 days):

• Go to the portal URL (provided by your contractor)
• You'll be automatically signed in

If your session has expired:

1. Go to the portal login page
2. Enter your email address
3. Click Send Sign-In Link
4. Check your email for the new sign-in link
5. Click the link to sign in

Magic Links

We use "magic links" instead of passwords:

• Each link is unique to you
• Links expire after 15 minutes for security
• You can request a new link anytime
• No password to remember or reset

Using the Portal

Dashboard

When you sign in, you'll see your dashboard with:

• Pending Quotes - Quotes waiting for your approval
• Active Certificates - Your current valid certificates
• Outstanding Invoices - Invoices awaiting payment

Approving or Declining a Quote

To Approve:

1. Open the quote details
2. Review all line items and the total
3. Click Approve Quote
4. Enter your full name to confirm
5. Click Confirm Approval

To Decline:

1. Open the quote details
2. Click Decline Quote
3. Optionally provide a reason
4. Click Confirm Decline

Downloading Certificate PDFs

1. Click Certificates in the navigation menu
2. Find the certificate you need
3. Click Download PDF
4. The certificate will download to your device

Tip: Download certificates promptly for your records. They're always available in the portal, but having a local copy is good practice.

Security

Your portal is protected by:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transfer
• Magic links instead of passwords (harder to steal)
• Session expiry after 30 days of inactivity
• Activity logging of all your actions
• Isolated data - you only see your own documents

Tips to Stay Secure

1. Don't share sign-in links with others
2. Sign out when using shared computers
3. Report any suspicious activity to your contractor

Troubleshooting

Didn't receive the sign-in email?

1. Check your spam/junk folder
2. Make sure you entered the correct email
3. Wait a few minutes and try again
4. Contact your contractor if it still doesn't arrive

Sign-in link says "expired"?

• Links are valid for 15 minutes
• Go back to the login page and request a new link
• Use the link promptly next time

Can't find a quote or certificate?

• It may be linked to a different contact at your company
• Contact your contractor to verify it's assigned to you
• The document may still be in draft (not yet sent)