Learning Hub · People
Client Onboarding
What is Client Onboarding?
Client Onboarding defines what a NEW client must complete before they can book freely. The steps are a Meet & Greet visit, then a Test Overnight Stay for boarding or a Test Walk for dog walking. While a client is waiting on a step, that step is the only thing their booking screen offers them. You can skip a step for somebody you already know, and you can always book anything on their behalf yourself.
The onboarding pipeline in detail
Each new client follows these steps from registration to full booking access.
Registration
When a client signs up (or is added by admin), they enter the onboarding pipeline. Their card shows "Setup Incomplete" until all required steps are done. They cannot make bookings yet.
Test Walk
The dog-walking equivalent of the test stay. Walking clients take this instead, and you will only see it if your plan offers walking.
Meet & Greet
An in-person visit where you meet the pet and owner, assess temperament, check the facility is suitable, and verify vaccination certificates. This is a licensing requirement in many UK local authorities.
Test Overnight Stay
A trial stay (usually one night) to see how the pet settles, eats, sleeps, and interacts with other dogs. You observe behaviour and decide if longer stays are appropriate.
Approval
Once all required steps are complete, you approve the client. They get full booking access and move from the Onboarding pipeline to the main Clients list.
Interactive onboarding pipeline demo
🔧 Onboarding Pipeline
Client Signs Up
New registration received
Questionnaire
Medical, feeding & behaviour info
Meet & Greet
In-person visit & assessment
Test Overnight
Trial stay to assess settling
Approved
Full booking access granted
🔧 Onboarding Options
Toggle which steps this client must complete before they can make bookings.
Bypass Meet & Greet
Skip the in-person visit requirement
Bypass Test Overnight Stay
Skip the trial overnight — also auto-bypasses Meet & Greet
🔧 Step 5 of 5 · Toggle options control which steps are required
Cascading onboarding toggles
The three toggles work together with smart cascading logic to prevent impossible configurations.
Each switch stands on its own
There is no master toggle. Bypass Meet & Greet or Bypass Test Overnight Stay independently, in any combination — the dialog shows what your business requires and what this client will skip as you change them.
Bypass Meet & Greet
Waives the introductory visit. It switches on by itself when you bypass a test stay or test walk, because those come after the meet & greet — you cannot skip the later step while the earlier one still stands.
Bypass Test Overnight Stay
Waives the trial stay, and the Meet & Greet with it. This gives the client full booking access immediately — worth reserving for somebody transferring from a business you trust.
Per-Client Override
These toggles exist both at the global policy level (Settings → Onboarding) and per-client (Client card → Onboarding button). Per-client overrides let you fast-track individuals without changing your default policy.
What happens at each onboarding stage
Click each scenario to see the result and email preview
New client registers on your portal
They appear in your Onboarding pipeline with a "Setup Incomplete" chip. They cannot make bookings until every required step is marked complete. They receive a welcome email with next-step instructions.
Welcome! Here's what happens next
to: client@example.com
Hi {{firstName}}, Welcome to {{businessName}}! Before you can make bookings, we'd love to meet you and your pet. Your next steps: 1. We'll arrange a Meet & Greet visit 2. A short test overnight stay Once everything is complete, you'll have full access to book any of our services. We can't wait to meet you! {{businessName}}
Admin bypasses all steps for a trusted transfer client
The pipeline steps show "Skipped" labels and the client is immediately approved. They can book right away without waiting for a visit or a trial stay.
Meet & Greet visit is completed successfully
Admin marks the step as passed. The pipeline advances to the next required step (Test Overnight or straight to Approved if overnight is bypassed). The client sees their progress update in their portal.
Pro tips for onboarding
Most UK licensing authorities require at least a Meet & Greet — keep it enabled unless you have good reason to skip it.
The Test Overnight is excellent for anxious dogs or cautious owners — it builds confidence and trust before committing to a longer stay.
If a Meet & Greet reveals concerns (aggression, separation anxiety), you can leave the client in the pipeline without approving them. Use notes to record your observations.
For clients transferring from a business you know, bypass the test stay — that waives the meet & greet with it and gives them full access straight away. Their previous business has already done the vetting.
Always check vaccination records during the Meet & Greet. Upload certificate photos directly from admin rather than waiting for the client to do it.
A client held at a step shows a lock chip on their row in Clients, naming what they are waiting on. It clears itself once they are through.
The onboarding sidebar menu only appears when the onboarding policy is active. If you don't see it, check Settings → Policies → Client Onboarding.
Review your onboarding pipeline weekly. Clients stuck at "Pending" for too long may need a phone call rather than another email.
Learning Hub • Client Onboarding