Customer Management
Manage customer relationships, support conversations, and communication workflows.
Inbox & Communications
The unified Inbox — portal messages, text (SMS), and email in one place; two-way texting, two-way email, per-tenant email inbox capture, and the per-customer Communications timeline. (Formerly 'Support Tickets.')
Introduction to the Inbox
The Inbox is one place for every customer conversation across portal, text, and email — with two-way SMS, two-way email, and a per-customer Communications timeline. (Renamed from 'Support Tickets' in July 2026.)
Inbox Overview — Messages and Requests
The Inbox has two tabs: Messages (every conversation across portal, text, and email) and Requests (consumable supply requests, now with a linked discussion thread on each).
Inbox Channels — Portal, Text, and Email
Every conversation lives on exactly one channel. You reply on that channel automatically — you don't choose it each time.
Two-Way Text Messaging
Customers can text your business number and you reply right from the Inbox. Delivery status, STOP/START opt-outs, and unknown-number capture are all handled.
Two-Way Email
Replies to emails you send from the Inbox thread back into the same conversation — with no mailbox connection or Google security review required.
Email Inbox Capture (BCC & Auto-Forward)
Every org gets a personal inbound email address. BCC it from your own Gmail/Outlook, or set an auto-forward rule, and customer email lands in the Inbox — including cold inbound.
How to Auto-Forward from Gmail
Step-by-step: add your PortaPro inbox address as a verified forwarding destination in Gmail, then create a filter that forwards customer email to it.
How to Auto-Forward from Outlook
Step-by-step: create a mail rule in Outlook or Microsoft 365 that forwards customer email to your PortaPro inbox capture address.
Viewing and Managing Support Threads
Navigate and manage support threads efficiently with filtering, search, and organization tools.
Responding to Customer Messages
Reply to customer inquiries directly from the support inbox with real-time message delivery.
Starting a New Conversation (New Message)
Start a conversation with any customer on any channel — portal message, text, or email — from the Inbox or from the customer profile.
Thread Categories and Organization
Categorize support threads to organize conversations and track issue types.
The Customer Communications Timeline
Every customer profile has one unified communications timeline — every conversation across portal, text, and email, plus that customer's supply requests, in one chronological list.
Unread Messages and Badge Notifications
Unread inbound messages surface in three places: the Inbox nav item, rows and filter pills on the Messages tab, and the Customer Hub.
Real-Time Messaging Features
Instant communication features for responsive customer support including typing indicators and read receipts.
Team Chat: Internal Messaging, Threads, Voice, and Video for Dispatch, Drivers, and Office Staff
Team Chat is PortaPro's built-in internal communication system for dispatch, drivers, office staff, and supervisors, with Slack-style direct messages, group chat, threaded conversations, audio/video calls, and online presence inside daily workflows.
Inbox Conversation Workflow
How conversations move from unread inbound to closed, and how the same conversation reopens on the next customer message.
Closing and Reopening Conversations
Close a resolved conversation to move it out of the Open view; the next inbound message on that channel reopens it automatically.
Automated Messages in Conversations
Service reminders, job-status updates, invoice delivery, pay links, and review requests now appear in the customer's conversation on the channel they were sent on — so replies land in the thread with context.
Notifications for Admins (All Channels)
Every inbound message on every channel fires the same admin notification path — bell and push — with the channel named in the copy.
Customer Portal Messaging
Customers still see 'Support' in their portal and message exactly as before — the Inbox unification is admin-side only.
Customer Push Notification Settings
Customers can enable push notifications to receive alerts when your team replies to their messages.
Service and Consumable Requests
Service requests and consumable supply requests submitted by customers, with structured lifecycles and a linked discussion thread on each supply request.
Email Notifications for Support
Configure email alerts for support activities to ensure your team never misses important customer communications.
Notification Panel and Quick Access
The notification panel provides quick access to recent messages and unread conversations without leaving your current page.
Customer Communication History
Access complete communication history for any customer from their profile.
Troubleshooting the Inbox
Common issues and solutions across all channels — message delivery, notifications, two-way SMS, and two-way email.
Sites Tab
Service locations, addresses, GPS pins, and the address → pin → unit hierarchy
GPS pins
GPS pins are exact spots within an address for driver navigation. They place units — they don't declare them. Declarations live on the Rate Card.
Placing units at GPS pins
Pins are placement, not declaration. Declare units on the Rate Card first, then place them at specific pins so drivers know exactly where to go.
Addresses vs GPS Pins
Addresses are contracts. Pins are placements. The hierarchy goes address → pin → unit, and each layer has a different job.
Service locations and the Rate Card
A service location is a Rate Card row that declares units, rate, period, and frequency at one of a customer's sites. Replaces older standalone pricing concepts.
Customer Hub
Complete CRM for managing customer accounts, contacts, locations, and portal access
Introduction to Customer Hub
Central CRM for managing customer relationships, consolidating accounts, contacts, locations, and communication in one place.
Customer Hub Search and Navigation
Powerful search capabilities to find customers by name, contact, location, phone, email, and more with live suggestions.
Creating Customer Accounts
Add new customer accounts with basic information, billing details, and account type configuration.
Customer profile overview
The customer profile organizes everything about a customer across nine tabs — Overview, Contacts, Sites, Rate Card, Rentals & Service, Jobs & Reports, Financial, Pipeline, Activity.
Managing Customer Contacts
Add, edit, and manage multiple contacts per customer account with primary contact designation.
Managing Service Locations
Track physical service sites for each customer, set operational status, and pause / close / reopen sites as customers come and go.
Bulk Customer Import
Import multiple customers at once using CSV or spreadsheet files with column mapping and validation.
Bulk Portal Invitations
Invite multiple customers to their self-service portals simultaneously with progress tracking and retry capabilities.
Customer Portal Access Management
Enable customer self-service portal access with invitation management and access control.
Customer Financial Overview
View customer financial data including invoices, payments, outstanding balances, and account statements.
Troubleshooting Customer Management
Common issues and solutions for customer management including search, duplicates, portal invitations, and data import.
Rate Card & Service Plan Management
The Rate Card tab is the fully editable contract for a customer's recurring service — set it up from Sites or from the Rate Card tab itself, generate cycle invoices, and track service jobs the Rate Card creates automatically.
Long-Term Rentals
Rate-card-first workflow for construction sites and recurring cycle customers
Long-Term Rental Workflow (Construction & Ongoing Sites)
The rate-card-first workflow is the way PortaPro handles construction sites and any other customer who rents units month after month on a recurring cycle. Declare what's at each site on the Rate Card, place units on the map, and PortaPro bills the recurring cycle automatically.
Front-Load Recurring Service with Included Pulls
PortaPro's per-trip billing model for front-load dumpster service, pump service, and any recurring pull work. Set an allowance on the Rate Card row and PortaPro automatically splits the invoice: first N pulls included in the base rate, extras beyond N billed at the per-pull rate, and late pulls from the previous cycle labeled separately.