01
Log sample checkouts
Add the client name, email, phone number, samples borrowed, due date, and any notes.
Client walkthrough | Artistic Kitchen
Sample Checkout Portal Guide
A simple guide for the showroom team. Use this portal to log borrowed samples, see what is still out, track due dates, and mark items returned when they come back.
01 | What the portal does
Everything the showroom team can do in one place.
The portal is meant to answer three simple questions: who has samples, what did they take, and when should everything come back?
02
Track what is still out
Use the Outstanding and Overdue views to see what needs attention first.
03
Mark returns
Check off one item at a time, or mark the full checkout returned when everything comes back.
04
Add swapped items
If a client brings some samples back and takes new ones, add the new items to the same checkout.
05
Renew a checkout
Set a new due date when a client needs more time with the samples.
06
Keep reminders organized
The portal sends a checkout confirmation, a 3-day reminder, a due-date reminder, and a past-due reminder if samples are still out.
02 | Daily use
Start every visit from the dashboard.
The dashboard is the home base. It shows the checkouts that are open, late, completed, or all together.
Sample checkouts
Outstanding
Jane Smith
jane@example.com | 3 of 5 outstanding
Due Friday
Michael Lee
michael@example.com | 1 of 2 outstanding
Due Monday
Open the portal
Go to portal.artistickitchen.com and enter your Artistic Kitchen email address.
Click the sign-in link
Check your email and click the secure link. This brings you into the dashboard.
Choose a dashboard view
Use Outstanding, Overdue, Returned, or All depending on what you need to see.
Open any checkout
Click a client row to see the samples, return status, due date, and notes.
03 | New checkouts
How to log samples when a client takes them home.
Use the New checkout button while the client is still with you. The goal is to record enough information that anyone on the team can follow up later.
From the dashboard, click New checkout in the top right corner.
Enter the client name and email. Phone number is helpful, but optional. This gives the team a clear contact record for the borrowed samples.
Type each sample on its own line. Use names the team will recognize, such as cabinet color, finish, tile name, or sample number.
Pick the date the samples should come back. This is what the team uses to see what is coming due or overdue.
Notes are optional. Use them for anything helpful, such as who approved an extra week, a trade contact name, or a special situation.
Click Check out samples. The checkout appears on the dashboard right away, and the client gets a confirmation email.
The system sends a friendly reminder 3 days before the due date, another reminder on the due date, and a past-due reminder if the samples are still checked out. When everything is marked returned, future reminders stop.
04 | Returns, swaps, and renewals
Keep each checkout up to date as things change.
Clients may bring back some samples, keep others, or take new ones. The portal is built for that.
A
Mark one item returned
Open the checkout and check the box next to the item that came back. The item is crossed off so the team can see it is done.
B
Mark everything returned
Use Mark all returned when every sample is back. The checkout moves into the Returned view.
C
Add swapped items
Use Add items when a client returns some samples and takes new ones. The new items stay on the same checkout.
D
Renew the checkout
Pick a new due date if the client needs more time. Renewing makes the checkout active again.
E
Use Overdue as the follow-up list
The Overdue view shows open checkouts that are past the due date. Start there when planning follow-up.
F
Use Returned for history
The Returned view keeps completed checkouts out of the daily list while still making them easy to find later.
05 | Adding people and clients
How new people and new clients get added.
There are two common meanings of "add someone": adding a team member who can use the portal, or adding a client who has borrowed samples.
Team
Add a team member
For now, new portal users are added by Illume. Send Illume the person's name and work email. Once they are approved, they can go to the portal, enter their email, and use the sign-in link.
1
Send the team member's work email to Illume.
2
Illume adds the person to the approved list.
3
The person signs in with their email link.
Client
Add a client checkout
A client is added when you create a checkout for them. Enter their name, email, phone if available, samples, due date, and notes. The portal keeps the checkout in the right dashboard view.
1
Click New checkout.
2
Enter the client and sample details.
3
Save the checkout. The client gets a confirmation email, and the dashboard tracks the follow-up reminders.
The simplest rule: if samples leave the showroom, create a checkout before the client leaves.
This keeps the whole team looking at the same list.06 | Best practices
A few habits make the system easier for everyone.
Keep entries clear, current, and easy for another team member to understand.
01
Name samples clearly
Use the label the team would use when searching for the physical sample.
02
Set a real due date
Choose the date the team should expect the samples back, not a rough guess.
03
Update returns the same day
When samples come back, mark them returned right away so the dashboard stays accurate.
04
Use notes for exceptions
If someone approved extra time or a special arrangement, add it to notes.
05
Check Overdue regularly
Overdue is the best place to start when deciding who needs a reminder.
06
Ask Illume for access changes
When a team member needs access added or removed, send the email address to Illume.