> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Guide a customer through the portal
> Help a customer sign in, understand what they can do, and complete common portal tasks with confidence.
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.
**Start with one customer**
If your facility is new to the portal, test this process with one friendly customer or an internal test customer first. This helps your team learn the experience before you invite many customers.
## Before you start
* The customer record exists in [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
* 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 > Website & customer app](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/website) 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.
Go to [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
Use the **Search** field to find the customer by name, email, phone number, or company.
Click the customer row or **View Details**.
Confirm the name, email, phone number, cars, documents, billing information, and additional contacts look correct.
*Open the customer record before inviting them so you can check the information they may see in the portal.*
**Why this matters**
The portal shows information from the customer record. If a car, invoice, or document is missing from the record, the customer may not see it in the portal.
## Step 2: Send the portal invite
After the record looks ready, send the customer a portal invite.
Open [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
Search for the customer you want to invite.
Click **Send Invite** on the customer's row. If the customer was invited before, the button may say **Resend Invite**.
Review the customer's name and email address. If they are correct, click **Send Invite** in the confirmation window.
*The Contacts list is the fastest place to find a customer and send or resend a portal invite.*
**Tell the customer what to expect**
A short message helps prevent confusion. You can say: "I just sent your portal invite. Please open the email from our facility and click the sign-in button. You do not need to create a password."
For the full invite workflow, read [Invite a customer to the portal](/docs/contacts/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:
"Open the email from our facility and click the sign-in button. The button signs you in directly. You do not need to remember a password."
If the customer opens your facility's login page on their own (for example from your website), they see a page like the one below. They type the **same email address** that is on their customer record, then click **Send sign-in link**. They do not create a password.
*The customer sign-in page uses the email on file. It matches the address you see on the customer record in Contacts.*
If the link expires, the customer can request a new sign-in link from this sign-in page, or your team can click **Resend Invite** from [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
## Step 4: Help the customer complete onboarding, if shown
Some facilities ask customers to complete onboarding **right after the first sign-in**, before Events, Cars, or Billing open fully. Onboarding may include steps such as:
* A welcome screen
* Text message preferences
* Adding or confirming profile details
* Signing a contract
* Adding a payment method
* Installing the app on their phone
* Turning on notifications
When onboarding is turned on, the customer may see a guided setup screen with numbered steps across the top and a **Get Started** button.
*If your facility uses customer onboarding, new customers may see this guided setup immediately after they sign in.*
Use calm, simple language:
"The portal may ask you to complete a few setup steps first. Please go through each step in order. When you finish, the portal will take you to the main customer area."
* If the customer needs to sign a contract, make sure the contract was sent to the correct email address. See [Help customers complete onboarding paperwork](/docs/contracts/help-customers-complete-onboarding-paperwork).
* If the customer needs to add a payment method, confirm your payment processing is connected in [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing).
* If the customer gets stuck, ask which step number they are on before you troubleshoot.
* If your facility does **not** use onboarding, customers go straight to **Events** or **Cars** after sign-in. That is normal—skip to the next step.
## Step 5: 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.
| Portal area | What the customer can do | Good way to explain it |
| - | - | - |
| **Events** | View upcoming appointments, services, and social events | "This is where you can see what is coming up with your cars or our facility." |
| **Cars** | View cars linked to their account | "This shows the vehicles we have connected to your customer record." |
| **Shop** | Review available products or services, if enabled | "This is where you can request or buy available services." |
| **Billing** | Review balances, invoices, statements, subscriptions, or payment methods, if enabled | "This is where you can check charges and payment information." |
| **Documents** | View shared documents or signed agreements, if enabled | "This keeps important paperwork in one place." |
| **Messages** | Conversation history with your team, if inbox is enabled | "This is where you can read and reply to messages from our team." |
| **Settings** | Update profile details or account preferences | "This is where you can review your account details." |
**Sections your facility turned off**
If the customer does not see **Billing**, **Shop**, or **Documents**, your team may have those areas turned off in [Settings > Website & customer app](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/website). That is normal—explain only the sections they can see.
*The customer portal opens to Events, where customers can review upcoming appointments and facility events.*
## Step 6: 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.
In the customer portal, ask the customer to click **Cars**.
The page should show the cars linked to that customer record.
Ask the customer to click a car to open the car detail page.
*The Cars page shows the vehicles that are linked to the customer's record.*
*A customer can open a car to review the information your facility has shared for that vehicle.*
**If a car is missing**
Open the customer's record in [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all), scroll to **Customer's Cars**, and make sure the car is linked to the customer. See [Link cars and documents to a customer](/docs/contacts/link-cars-and-documents).
## Step 7: Explain billing in simple terms
If your facility uses customer billing in the portal, the customer can review billing information without contacting your team.
In the customer portal, ask the customer to open **Billing**.
Tell the customer this area may show invoices, payment history, statements, subscriptions, or payment methods depending on your facility setup.
If the customer has questions about a charge, open their customer record or the related invoice in the staff dashboard before answering.
*Billing gives customers a self-service place to review payment-related information when billing is enabled.*
## Step 8 (optional): Show Documents and account settings
If your facility shares contracts, insurance cards, or other files through the portal, ask the customer to open **Documents** (or **My Documents**, depending on your menu labels).
*Documents keeps agreements and uploaded files in one place for the customer when your team has shared them on the record.*
For profile details or notification preferences, the customer can open **Settings** or **Profile** in the portal menu.
*Settings is where customers review account details and preferences your facility allows them to change.*
**If billing is empty**
An empty billing page usually means there are no invoices, statements, payment methods, or subscriptions connected to that customer yet. Check the customer's record and your payment settings before telling the customer something is wrong.
## Common questions from customers
**I did not get the invite email**
Check the email address on the customer record. If it is correct, ask the customer to check spam or junk mail. Then click **Resend Invite** from [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
**The sign-in button says the link expired**
Resend the invite from [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all). The customer should use the newest email and ignore older invite emails.
**I cannot see my car**
The car may not be linked to the customer record yet. Open the customer in [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all), check **Customer's Cars**, and assign the car if needed.
**I see the wrong information**
Pause and check the staff record before making changes. Confirm the customer, car, invoice, or document is attached to the correct person.
**Can my assistant or spouse sign in too?**
Yes, if your team allows it. Add that person as an additional contact, turn on portal access, and send their own invite. Read [Manage additional contacts](/docs/contacts/manage-additional-contacts).
## 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](/docs/contacts/add-a-customer)
* [Link cars and documents to a customer](/docs/contacts/link-cars-and-documents)
* [Invite a customer to the portal](/docs/contacts/invite-a-customer-to-the-portal)
* [Manage additional contacts](/docs/contacts/manage-additional-contacts)
* [Install the mobile app](/docs/basics/install-the-mobile-app) — walk customers through saving the portal to their phone home screen
## Phone script your team can read aloud
Use plain language on the phone. You do not need to sound technical.
"I'm sending you an email from our facility right now. Open that email and tap the sign-in button. You do not need a password—the button signs you in directly. If you do not see the email in a minute, check your spam or junk folder."
"Go to our customer login page—the link is on our website or in the email I sent. Type the email address we have on file for you, then click **Send sign-in link**. Use the same email that receives our invoices."
"You should see your cars, upcoming events, and any documents or billing we shared. Tap **Cars** first if you want to confirm your vehicles are listed. If something is missing, tell me what you expected to see and I will check your account on my side."
"The portal may ask you to finish a few setup steps—like signing a storage agreement or adding a payment method. Please go through each step in order. When you finish, you will land on the main customer home screen."
"If you would like quick access from your phone, you can add our portal to your home screen like an app. I can walk you through that—it takes about a minute. We also have a short guide at [Install the mobile app](/docs/basics/install-the-mobile-app) you can text to them."
**Stay on the line for the first sign-in**
Many portal support calls happen because the customer opened an old invite email or typed the wrong email address. Ask them to read the email address aloud while you compare it to [All Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/all).
## Related topics
- [Invite a customer to the portal](/docs/contacts/invite-a-customer-to-the-portal.md)
- [Understand portal access levels](/docs/contacts/understand-portal-access-levels.md)
- [Help customers complete onboarding paperwork](/docs/contracts/help-customers-complete-onboarding-paperwork.md)
- [Install the mobile app](/docs/basics/install-the-mobile-app.md)
- [Let customers add their own cars](/docs/facility-web-pages/let-customers-add-their-own-cars.md)
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