What Your Customers Can Do in Their Portal

When a customer links a ServiceVisit account to your business, they get a portal where they can see what you have sent them and act on it, without calling in. This guide explains what they can do there and how you invite them.

Before you start

• The customer needs a ServiceVisit account of their own, and it must be linked to your customer record. Until then the record shows that the customer does not have a linked ServiceVisit account.
• Sending an invitation needs permission to link customers, and a verified email address on the customer record. The invitation emails a one-time claim code.
• Anything the customer pays online needs your card payments to be set up. Without that, their invoice tells them to contact you to arrange payment.

Steps

Invite a customer

1. Open the customer's record from your customers list.
2. In the overview, find Invite them to link an account.
3. If the customer has more than one verified address, choose one under Send to.
4. Select Send Claim Code by Email. A confirmation reads "Invitation sent to" followed by the address.
5. The customer enters the code under Connect with Provider in their portal. Their existing invoices from you then appear, and later ones arrive automatically.

If no verified email is on file, the control reads No verified email on record and cannot be used. If the only address is one that cannot receive mail, it is disabled with an explanation.

What your customers can do

• Estimates. They list your estimates, filter by status and open one to respond. A pending estimate shows a Respond link. The dashboard also shows how many estimates await review and their total value.
• Invoices. They view each invoice, download a PDF and, if you accept online payment, pay the outstanding amount by card. The invoice shows deposits and credit already applied, and any payment plan you offered.
• Payment plans. They accept an offered plan, see the schedule, and change the card used for automatic payments on that plan.
• Plans & Packages and Service Proposals. They review a prepaid package or service plan you propose and accept or decline it.
• Messages. They start a conversation with you and read your replies.
• My Providers. They see their service activity with you, saved cards, and any credit you hold for them. They can replace or remove a card you saved, and can revoke the relationship.
• Feedback. They rate completed work, edit the rating for seven days, and see any reply you add.
• Support. They search help articles and open tickets with the ServiceVisit team. These do not go to you.

Tips

• Link the customer first. The portal shows a customer what is tied to their linked account, so an unlinked customer has nothing to see there.
• A customer who revokes the relationship stops receiving your messages, quotes, estimates and maintenance plans through ServiceVisit. They can still hear from you by phone or email, and your records of the work remain with you.
• Removing a card that backs an automatic payment plan stops automatic payments. The balance owed does not change.

If something goes wrong

• If Send Claim Code by Email is missing, you may lack permission to link customers, or the customer has no verified email. Add and verify an address first.
• If a customer says their code is rejected, send a new invitation.
• If a customer cannot pay online, check your payment setup. Their invoice shows a message that online payment is unavailable until it is complete.
• If a customer cannot start a message, they may not be linked to you or may have revoked the relationship.