Business Software Upgrade - Client Portals

I am looking at upgrading my inspection business software that uses a secured portal for all communications with clients, including realtors. Basically when you start a new job you email your client a link to their portal. Think of the portal as a personal website for all communications between you and your client. You send your emails, invoices, contracts to be signed and finished inspection reports to their portal. The portal also allows direct email communications, so all communications with your client is in their portal. Agents will have their own portal where you can sent them copies of the reports and signed contracts for individual projects or all projects they are involve with. ( I can also remove or limit what clients and agents can do with the documents I send, including deleting them.)

I see Spectora is implementing client portals as well. My main reason for upgrading is some client’s email provider will flag emails with attachments like invoices and contracts as spam and I spend extra time calling or emailing clients to see why they hadn’t signed the contract or got their report to find out it went to their spam folder and they never saw it.

Is anyone using software that uses a client portal and are clients happy with this type of service?

If you haven’t searched already. This may help you.
Best Client Portal Software for Small Businesses in 2023 | G2

Thanks Neil, SuiteDash is the one I am looking to buy.

Yes, Spectora has always had a client portal like you describe. They just rolled out a new version of it, so you may see reference to the “new client portal” on their website and other places.

The client portal does everything you talked about, except emails are not part of it. Any email communication between you and the client is done through your own email and is not stored to the portal. Spectora does have automated emails and text messages that can be set up for different things, like sending the client the link to their portal at scheduling, sending a notice that the report has published, etc. Like all email systems, it is not immune to getting put in the trash folder because Google sees these automated emails all coming from one place, and that raises flags.

To counter the junk folder issue, many of us have set up automated texts to be sent to the client in addition to the emails. The texts alert the client that an email has been sent with important info. You can also put a link to the client portal right in the text message, so they can go directly there without having to go find the email.

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NXT Inspekt Uses a client and Agent portal, but not all info is in the portal, the system still sends out regular emails for the initial scheduling, pay links and such. But when they click a link to sign agreements it takes them to the portal. Clients Can not set up their own account, Agents can log into their portal to view inspections, reports, schedule new inspections etc.
If you like I can set you up as a agent and send you the link so you know what the agent portal looks like.
I just need your email to do so.

Some clarification. In Spectora, I am pretty sure that the “portal” is only available to the end client, not their agent. So, the agent will not directly see the price, contract, or payment status, and so forth. The agents (buyer and listing agent, if both contacts are provided) are notified by email and/or text on the status of the inspection, including confirmations and reminders of upcoming events, and the client’s agent is automatically provided a link to the web-based report when it is published. After inspection follow-up emails to clients and agents are also automated. Spectora rightly calls the overall functionality as “Automation” as it is totally driven by the inspection workflow. The client portal is really just a visual representation of the workflow to aide the client’s understanding of the process as they have very little direct control except to add window dates to the timeline or add-on optional additional services prior to the inspection date. Only the inspector is notified and has access to the system logs that track the date, time, and status of every automated message, including when the message was delivered, when it was opened (read), and when the client and their agent viewed the report. Everything outside that box is forwarded by the system (if possible) and done through separate phone, text, or email and not tracked by the “portal.” So, in summary IMO, Spectora is very good at automation, but is not a flexible portal.

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Great points Brian. I was going to mention that about the agents in my response but forgot.

On a related note, Spectora does have an “Agent Dashboard” in the planning stage of development. I am not sure what it will consist of yet and I am not sure when it will be rolled out.