Adding a team member to SalesThumb takes about 90 seconds. Picking the right role takes the other 3.5 minutes. Here's how to do both.
Step 1 — Open the invite flow
Settings → Team → Invite team member. Fill in:
- Email — they'll receive an email invite
- Name — first + last
- Role — see role guide below
- Shop access — for HQ-tier shops, pick which shops they can see
- Mobile app access — yes if they install, no if they only work front-of-house
Step 2 — Pick the right role
SalesThumb has 5 standard roles:
Owner. Full access to everything. Billing, integrations, settings, all reports. Typically just the shop owner(s). Don't assign casually.
Manager. All operational access — quotes, jobs, customers, schedule, photo galleries, basic reports. Cannot change billing or top-level integrations. Right role for shop managers, lead installers running the floor.
Installer. Mobile app + bay-level access. Can see assigned jobs, capture photos, update status, communicate with customers about active jobs. Cannot see other installers' jobs or shop-wide reports.
Service writer. Front-desk role. Creates quotes, books appointments, communicates with customers. Cannot complete jobs or change service catalog. Good for whoever answers the phone but isn't installing.
Read-only. View everything, change nothing. Useful for accountants, consultants, board members.
Step 3 — Custom permissions (HQ tier)
On HQ tier, you can override role defaults with custom permissions:
- "Manager + billing access" — manager who also handles bookkeeping
- "Installer + customer view" — senior installer who handles customer follow-ups
- "Service writer + reports" — front-desk who runs daily reports
Settings → Team → [member name] → Custom permissions.
Don't over-customize. The 5 standard roles cover 90%+ of cases. Custom permissions become a maintenance burden when you have 5+ team members.
Step 4 — Send the invite
The invited user gets an email with a setup link. They click, set a password, and they're in. The invite link expires in 7 days — resend from the team page if needed.
Step 5 — Onboard them properly
Don't just invite and forget. New team members should:
- Read the role-relevant KB articles (Installer app getting started for installers, Multi-bay scheduling for service writers)
- Watch their first job get processed end-to-end alongside an experienced user
- Have all systems set up — phone notifications, mobile app installed, login working — before their first solo day
Removing a team member
Settings → Team → [member name] → Remove. Their access revokes immediately. Their historical actions (quotes they created, jobs they completed) stay in the record with their name attached for audit/history.
Common mistakes
- Giving everyone Owner role. Recoverable, but a security/audit issue. Use Manager + Installer roles correctly.
- Skipping mobile app for installers. They need it. Mobile app access toggle should be ON for every installer.
- Forgetting to scope HQ access. A new installer at Location B shouldn't be able to see customer data at Location A. Use shop-access scoping.