01 / Customer task
Confident Man: review the customer journey with sample records
The Confident Man customer-interface prototype brings Call, Chat, Book, Review and Profile navigation into one mobile layout. Its next-appointment card uses sample data, with service selection and directions available in the preview.
This gives the customer journey something concrete to review before connecting live accounts and bookings. The prototype demonstrates which actions appear on the screen and how the information is arranged. Authentication, message delivery and live booking changes require their own implementation and acceptance checks.
02 / Account access
Define access at the record level
A signed-in page is only the beginning. We agree how an account is associated with a customer or organisation and which records belong to that relationship. Staff access and customer access need separate consideration.
The test plan should include two synthetic customers. Each must be unable to open the other customer’s record or file, including through a copied direct link. Staff role changes and account removal also need an agreed process.
03 / File versions
Make versions and file ownership clear
Document handling needs more than an upload button. Decide who can add a file, whether a replacement creates a new version and which version an approval refers to. Useful labels include the document purpose, date and current state.
We also scope file types, size limits and retention. Decide what happens to superseded files and whether customers can still view them after a request closes. The screen should distinguish the document currently under review from an older copy.
04 / Staff response
Connect the portal action to a responsibility
When a customer submits a request, somebody needs to own the response. We define the internal destination, the status shown to the customer and how staff recognise requests waiting for attention.
The staff record should show the customer’s question and whether a response is still due. If a submission is incomplete or repeated after a connection interruption, staff need enough context to resolve it without treating each attempt as a separate request.
05 / Common questions
Portal planning questions
Does a portal need to replace our CRM?
No. It may provide a controlled customer view of information held elsewhere. The available interfaces and access rules determine whether that approach is suitable.
Can customers use an existing sign-in?
We can assess the identity service and the portal’s supported connection methods. The design still needs a reliable way to associate that account with the correct customer or organisation.
07 / Plan your portal
Choose the customer task for your portal
Describe what customers currently send, request or approve by email. We can define the proposed journey, access rules and staff handover around that task.
