Client Reserve Flow
This guide explains the end‑to‑end reservation journey a customer or realtor experiences in Customer Connect. Use it to answer client questions, identify where someone is stuck, and apply best practices.
Clients must have a unique, valid email address they can access on demand to utilize any Pluto digital services. Without this Customer Connect, Client Portal, and the Signing Service are unavailable and must be replaced by the Sales staff completing the manual workflows in person.
Purpose of the Reserve Flow
The Reserve Flow lets a customer or realtor move from a shared link to a confirmed reservation, with optional steps: appointment booking, deposit or intent collection, and adding co‑customer profiles (for realtor deals). It supports browsing first (an anonymous mode) before sign‑in or registration.
High-Level Steps (What Clients Do)
- Open Reservation Link: Link may pre‑select a community, project, model, building, or even a specific unit depending on how it was created.
- Browse & Select: The user chooses (or confirms) community → project → model → unit (building is required for certain project types)
- Sign In or Register: Existing contacts sign in via a one‑time code (Device Verification). New users register after verifying their email or phone.
- (Optional) Appointment: If required or enabled, select an appointment slot for the sales team to follow up.
- (Optional) Deposit: Enter payment details, either an actual charge or stored payment method (ie. known as an Intent), depending on configuration.
- Add Client Profiles (Realtor path only): Realtor must add at least one customer client profile(s) (names + contact methods) before submitting.
- Submit Reservation: Confirmation screen appears; confirmation emails may be sent.
Customer vs Realtor Differences
| Aspect | Customer | Realtor |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Data | Personal address & demographic details | Contact + brokerage details (firm name, location) |
| Additional Client Profiles | Not applicable | Realtor adds customer clients (each needs first/last name and at least one contact method) |
| Confirmation Emails | Standard reservation confirmation | Option to send each client a confirmation (can include identity verification instructions) as well as reservation confirmation |
| Deposit Rules | Customer deposit settings | Realtor deposit settings (may differ in amount or requirement type) |
Optional Steps Explained
Appointment
Some projects require an appointment before reservation submission. If missing when required, the Submit button stays disabled. If a selected slot later becomes unavailable, the user is prompted to choose a new one.
Deposit or Intent
Projects may have one of three deposit states:
- None: No payment step.
- Intent: Client provides payment method only (no immediate charge); used to show commitment.
- Payment: A deposit amount is charged immediately. If a required deposit/intent is not successful, reservation submission is blocked.
Client Profiles (Realtor Only)
Realtors can add multiple customer profiles. Each profile must have first name, last name, and at least one of email or mobile. Duplicate emails across profiles are prevented. Profiles are confirmed once the reservation succeeds.
Note that the reserving realtor is in control of communication to their clients. Confirmation emails are only sent if the realtor opts to do so.
Device Verification & Sign-In
- A returning user on the same device may skip entering a code if already trusted.
- Code failures show generic messages; the solution is typically to request a fresh code and re‑enter carefully.
- New users proceed to a brief registration form after verifying their email or phone.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Staff Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Link error or disabled message | Link turned off or invalid link used | Provide a new active link or confirm with admin if it should be enabled |
| Stuck before sign-in | Invalid or expired code attempts | Ask user to resend the code; verify they entered the same email/mobile used earlier |
| Appointment vanished | Timeslot booked by someone else | Re-select a new slot; This is unlikely but possible |
| Submit button disabled | One or more gating conditions unmet | Review checklist: appointment, deposit, availability, client profiles |
| Unit unavailable at submission | Availability changed mid-process | Have user pick another unit; reassure their data is intact |
After Submission
- Availability reduces immediately (optimistic). If an internal review reverses the reservation, the system will automatically reflect this change as soon as the user refreshes or revisits the page
- Confirmation emails (if selected) notify customers and realtors; for customers these include instructions to complete identity verification separately.
- Pending identity verification does not block the reservation itself but may delay later contract stages.
- Depending on configuration, notification email and SMS messages will be sent to project staff with the reservation details
- Dashboard panels exist to show recent reservations, and upcoming reservation appointments
- The in-app calendar can show all reservation appointments past and future
- In-app notifications will be raised whenever a reservation is completed. Events can be more thoroughly searched after the fact in the event history page (click 'view more recent events...' from the title bar notification icon)
Relationship to Identity Flow
Reservation and identity are separate. A customer can reserve first and verify identity later, or vice versa. For identity details, see Client Identity Flow. To understand how links are created and shared, see Reserve Link Management.
Need to monitor progress or follow up on stalled sessions? See Session Monitoring.