Onboarding is an important part of getting started with a new client in Double! This guide will walk you through the process of using Double to onboard new clients to your practice.
There are four steps to onboarding a new client in Double
Add a new client
Apply an onboarding template
Add contact(s) & send an onboarding email
Turn on Automated Reminders
Interested in introducing Double to clients that are already set up? Check out our guide on Inviting Clients to the Portal for more information.
Step 1: Adding a client
By default, only Admin users can add and connect clients, but there is an optional setting to allow Managers this access under Practice Settings > Practice Management > Workflows > Add client permissions.
Go to the Client List, then select "+ Client" at the top of the page.
Choose between connecting a QuickBooks Online or Xero file, then select a plan. Core is the default, and can be updated later in Practice Settings.
Select task templates as needed.
Under "Workflow templates" the default task template is suggested.
Additional templates can be selected as needed, like any onboarding or new client templates created by the bookkeeping team.
Manage user access to this client as well as email notifications for any client activity moving forward. This can all be updated later under Practice Settings, if needed.
Follow the prompts to connect the QuickBooks or Xero file at the bottom of the pop up
If the firm does not have access to their QuickBooks or Xero file yet, that's OK! Add the client as unconnected for now, and add their integration later.
Step 2: Applying task templates
When onboarding a new client, we know there are a number of things you need from the client in order to hit the ground running! Task Templates are ideal for this. They allow you to add both internal tasks and external questions for a client.
Task templates can also be applied when adding the client from the client list (see instructions above).
To apply task templates after the client is added,
Go to the Template Manager
Select pre-existing templates, or build out new ones
Apply to client(s) as needed
More on how template applying works 👉 HERE!
Add contacts & send out a welcome message
Adding a client portal contact
Next, in order to communicate with your clients from within Double, you'll need to add them as a Contact. This also enables them to access the Client Portal via email!
Open the client in Double
Select Portal from the top of the close page
Click Add Contact
Enter your client's contact information in the New Contact window
Save contact
Things to Know
The client is not automatically notified when they are added to Portal Settings as a client contact.
"First name" and "Email" are required fields.
Adding a phone number allows you to text your clients reminders from Double.
Preview the portal
Preview the client's portal by clicking the preview icon under Portal Settings > Contacts.
Emailing a new client
After saving the new contact, message them via Portal Settings > Actions.
Email templates
Create onboarding email templates or use the default "Intro Email" template to welcome them to the client portal.
Read receipts for emails sent from Double
Enable open tracking in the Practice Settings to see when a client read the email.
Portal access
Once the contact accesses the portal for the first time, you'll see a date show up in the "Last seen" column.
Automated reminders
We recommend enabling Automated Reminders. This way, contacts will get a reminder email about unanswered questions on an automated schedule.
When this email reminders feature is turned on, Double will automatically send reminder emails to clients if there are unanswered questions in their Client Portal.
By default, these reminders will send weekly at 8 AM ET on Mondays.
Update the desired cadence of the reminders under Practice Settings > Client Portal > Reminders
When are automated reminders sent to the client?
Double sends a reminder email when there are any action items in the portal at the time of the scheduled reminder.
This includes pending transaction questions, non-transaction questions, and any bookkeeper responses to questions for us (an optional feature).
Action items in the portal
Assignable questions can also be enabled from the client's Portal Settings.