Manage · Quoted per project
A customer portal that answers 'any update?' before it is asked
- Published
- Published
- Last reviewed
- Reviewed
The short answer
A customer portal is the self-service side of customer management: a login where clients check the status of their job or file, download documents, approve items and pay invoices, all drawn from the same records your team keeps in the CRM. Redenn scopes and quotes each portal per project and runs it on Dynamic hosting from CA$49 per month. The Customer Portals page under Build covers how it is engineered; this page covers what it does for your operation.
What changes
- Status questions answered by the portal instead of by your staff
- Documents delivered and approvals collected with a record of who did what, when
- Invoices visible and payable without a chase
- One set of records serving both staff and clients
What is included
- Client login with status view for each job, file or order
- Document delivery and upload
- Approvals and e-signature where needed
- Invoice view and payment links
- Notifications when something changes
- CRM or job-system connection so records update once
How it works
- 01
Decide what to expose
We list the questions clients ask and pick the records that answer them.
- 02
Connect the source
The portal reads from your CRM or job system so staff update one place.
- 03
Build and test
Client and staff sides built on staging, tested with a real client case.
- 04
Onboard and keep current
Clients invited; a short staff routine keeps the records the portal depends on up to date.
Who this is for
Businesses that carry client work over weeks or months and field the same status questions daily: immigration consultants, law firms, accountants, mortgage brokers, renovators and freight companies. The portal turns those questions into a page the client checks.
It is not for one-visit customers or for a business that will not keep records current. A portal showing stale information does more harm than none.
What clients can do
| Client action | Data source | What it replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Check status of a file, job or shipment | CRM or job system stage | The 'any update?' email |
| Download documents | Stored files linked to the record | Attachments hunted through email |
| Upload requested documents | Checklist per file | Missing paperwork chased by phone |
| Approve a quote or change order | Document with e-signature | Printed, signed, scanned |
| Pay an invoice | Accounting or invoice record with payment link | Cheque in the mail |
| Send a message on the file | Thread tied to the record | Loose email chains |
Keeping it current
The portal only works if it reads from records your staff already keep. We connect it to the CRM or job system rather than creating a second place to update, add notifications so clients know when to look, and give staff a short routine: update the stage when it changes, attach the document when it is ready. A weekly check on stale records is part of the first three months.
What it costs
The portal is quoted per project. It runs on Redenn Dynamic hosting at CA$49 per month or Pro Managed at CA$99 per month. CRM integration from CA$99 connects the records; payment integration from CA$99 adds Stripe payment links, with processor fees paid to Stripe.
Limitations and honest notes
Client records are personal information: PIPEDA applies federally, Quebec's Law 25 adds obligations, and clients in Quebec are entitled to a French interface.
Some clients will never log in. The portal reduces status questions; it does not end them, and the phone still needs answering.
Redenn does not build portals that duplicate data. If your CRM or job system cannot be connected, that is fixed first.
Questions
Do clients need to install anything?
No. The portal is a secure website that works on any phone or computer, with an emailed invitation to set a password.
Can clients message through the portal?
Yes, on the record they are asking about, so the thread stays with the file instead of in a personal inbox.
What about clients who will not use it?
They keep phoning, and your staff answer from the same records. The portal removes the questions from the clients who prefer to self-serve, which is usually most of them.
How does this relate to the Customer Portals page under Build?
That page explains how the portal is engineered and secured. This page explains what it does for your customer operation and how it stays current.
Related
Services
- Customer PortalsA secure login area where clients see status, documents and invoices instead of emailing to ask.
- CRM IntegrationsForms, chat, booking, phone and ad lead forms feeding your CRM with the source recorded, from CA$99.
- CRM for Small BusinessOne system for leads, customers, conversations and jobs; off-the-shelf setup from CA$299, custom when it must be.
- Document AutomationQuotes, contracts, intake forms and reports generated from data you already hold, from CA$149 per document.
- Website SecurityStatic builds, SSL, updates, access control and monitoring included with hosting; audits of other sites quoted.
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