The Onboarding Playbook

The form was submitted but no channel appeared for the client.

No new channel after a confirmed submission; the automation alert to Gian; or the client says they were told they'd have a channel and don't.

The client is paid but has no home base and no welcome. Every hour of silence erodes the great first impression the sale earned.

1. Confirm the form actually submitted (check the submission log / paid-but-no-form sweep). If no form, that's scenario 18.x, get the form completed first.
2. Flag Gian to fix the automation and provision the channel manually right now, correctly named.
3. Once the channel exists, run the full channel playbook (section 09): welcome, links, resources, team, pin.
4. Log it so the monthly synthetic test can confirm the fix held.

Never mention the glitch. To them it was instant.

Gian (automation), immediately. Shara if it's not resolved within the hour.

The channel created but the client got no welcome email, so they don't have their four booking links in their inbox.

The automation alert, the monthly test, or the client says "I didn't get an email."

The client is missing the setup links outside Slack. Low risk if the Slack welcome is posted (it has the same links), but the email is a key backstop.

1. Make sure the Slack welcome is posted and pinned, that carries the same four links, so the client is never blocked.
2. Flag Gian to fix the email automation.
3. Send the client the welcome email manually from the template so they have it in their inbox too.
4. Check deliverability (spam folder, domain authentication) so it isn't a wider problem.

Gian (automation + deliverability).

The finance link errors, 404s, or loads the wrong page when the client (or you) clicks it.

Your own link check (section 09), the client says "the link's not working," or applications stop coming through.

This is a live revenue path. A broken finance link means the client cannot fund deals right now, the single most urgent kind of failure.

1. Test the canonical link yourself: loans.eazeconsulting.com/?cl=HCFSX&ag=3AXIXLA4AT. Confirm whether it's actually down or a stale copy.
2. If it's the client's saved copy that's wrong, re-post the correct link in the channel and update the pinned resource + bookmark.
3. If the link itself is genuinely down, flag Shara and David immediately and get the current working link from them.
4. While it's being fixed, tell the client so nobody submits into a dead link, and give them the corrected link the moment it's ready.
5. Re-verify, then update every place the link lives.

Shara + David, immediately. This is a P1.

You're no longer being notified when an application, payment, or submission comes through, so things could be landing silently.

It's gone quiet in a way that doesn't match the client's activity; the client mentions they "sent it in" but you never saw an alert; a gap between the tracker and your notifications.

Silent failures are the most dangerous kind: work is happening but nobody's acting on it, so a client can sit unattended and lose momentum without anyone realising.

1. Stop relying on notifications immediately. Switch to manually checking the tracker and the application inbox at set times through the day until it's fixed.
2. Flag Gian to diagnose and restore the notification automation.
3. Back-check the last 24 to 48 hours for anything that came in while notifications were down, and action it now so nothing was missed.
4. Once restored, send a test through to confirm alerts fire again.

Usually nothing needed, this is an internal fix. If you find something came in that you'd missed, respond as if it's fresh and fast: "Got your application, {{first_name}}, on it now."

Gian (automation). Shara if anything was missed while it was down.

The tracker (leads, applications, or the client data snapshot) isn't reflecting real activity, so you can't see the client's true progress.

Numbers frozen while the client reports activity; the client says "I ran loads of leads" but the tracker shows none; the snapshot not matching the EZ Check portal.

If tracking is wrong, every decision built on it is wrong: you might chase a client who's actually flying, or relax on one who's stalled. It also breaks the optimization check-ins.

1. Verify at the source: open the EZ Check portal and the application records directly, not the summary tracker. Get the real numbers.
2. If the portal is right but the tracker/snapshot is wrong, it's a sync issue, flag Gian to fix the feed and use the source numbers in the meantime.
3. If the portal itself shows nothing but the client is genuinely running leads, this is a data-connection problem, see scenario 19.2.
4. Correct the snapshot manually so the check-ins and pace gates are based on truth.

Reassure without alarming: "Just syncing your numbers properly so we're both looking at the real picture, one sec." Never let a tracking glitch make the client doubt their own work.

Gian (sync/feed). Shara for the corrected snapshot.

A resource in the channel points to the wrong page (for example the old Data Specialist guide instead of the merchant Training Guide) or a dead URL.

Your link check (section 09), or the client says "this link takes me somewhere weird."

A wrong link in front of a new client looks sloppy and can send them to something confusing or off-brand. It's small but it dents trust.

1. Replace it immediately with the correct link from the resource set (section 27).
2. Check the same wrong link isn't pinned in other clients' channels; if it is, fix those too.
3. Re-verify every resource in the channel while you're there.

If they flagged it: "Good catch, fixed, that should take you to the right guide now. Thank you!" If you caught it first, just fix it quietly.

Usually none, self-fix. Tell Shara if the wrong link is in the automation so it stops recurring.

Gian deploys EZ Check but the test lead doesn't come back with the expected result.

The test lead hangs or errors during the deploy call.

If we tell the client it's live and it isn't, they run real leads into a broken tool and lose faith fast. This must be caught before handover.

1. Do not tell the client it's live. Full stop.
2. Gian checks the API-key connection and the integration config, then re-runs the test.
3. If it still fails, keep the client on the day-one basics they can do (finance link, MagWitch docs) and set a clear time for the working EZ Check session.
4. Only confirm EZ Check is live once a test lead returns cleanly.

Gian, on the call. Harvey/Shara if it blocks past the same day.

The client is running leads but the Pixel isn't firing or the data isn't feeding back into EZ Check.

Leads happening but no conversion data flowing; the Pixel showing inactive; the portal not learning.

Without the data loop, leads don't compound and the system never gets smarter. The client works harder for less. It quietly caps their whole result.

1. Confirm the Pixel is installed and firing (Pixel helper / events manager).
2. Check the connection between their funnel and EZ Check is live and mapped correctly.
3. If it needs technical hands, book a short session with Gian to reconnect it, don't leave it running disconnected.
4. Once fixed, confirm data is flowing both ways before moving on.

Gian (technical reconnection).

The client can't set up their platform profile, or the GHL sub-account / M365 email isn't provisioning.

The client says the setup link doesn't work or they're stuck; no login lands; email not created.

The platform is their workspace. A stall here doesn't block funding (that's the finance link) but it delays them settling in.

1. Confirm the sub-account was pre-built from the form; if not, have Gian build it.
2. Re-send the correct, verified setup link.
3. If M365 isn't provisioned, Gian runs the numbered provisioning runbook (MFA, vault).
4. Offer to screen-share and set the profile up with the client live if they're stuck.

Gian (GHL + M365).

Documents are coming in piecemeal, or MagWitch keeps asking for more, and onboarding is stuck in a loop.

Multiple rounds of "we still need X"; the client re-sending things; days passing with the set never at 100%.

Every extra round adds days and frustration and can stall underwriting for weeks. The client feels nagged, and momentum drains.

1. Stop the drip. Go back to the full checklist and collect the entire set in one pass via a single upload link.
2. Review every document against the checklist yourself before it goes to MagWitch. Block submission until it is genuinely 100%.
3. Make it easy for the client: one clear list, one link, one ask, not five separate messages.
4. Submit the complete set once, and confirm with David that nothing else is outstanding.
5. If MagWitch keeps adding requirements after a complete submission, escalate to David to handle it at the relationship level.

Shara (drives docs), David (MagWitch relationship if it keeps looping).

The complete set is submitted but underwriting is running longer than the usual 3 to 4 weeks.

The weekly underwriting tracker shows no movement past the expected window.

The client is waiting on their everyday rail. As long as Eaze is funding them, it isn't urgent, but silence here breeds doubt.

1. Confirm Eaze is still funding the client in the meantime, so there is no actual gap in their ability to fund deals.
2. David chases MagWitch for a status and a realistic date.
3. Keep the client updated proactively every few days, even if the update is "still in review, and you're fully covered by Eaze."
4. If the delay becomes unreasonable, prepare the Lumino contingency (20.4) as a backup so we're never stuck waiting.

David (MagWitch status), Shara if a backup rail is needed.

MagWitch comes back with a decline rather than an approval.

The underwriting outcome is a no.

The client's intended everyday rail isn't available. This must be handled calmly and immediately, with a clear alternative, so it never feels like a dead end.

1. Do not present this as a failure. Move straight to the alternative.
2. Run the Lumino contingency same day (20.4). Eaze continues to fund the client throughout, so nothing stops.
3. David reviews the decline reason in case anything is fixable or worth a re-approach later.
4. Keep the client's everyday funding running on Eaze and Lumino so their experience is unbroken.

David + Shara, same day.

MagWitch has stalled badly or declined, and we're switching the client to the Lumino / Affirm point-of-sale rail.

1. Shara drives the Lumino sign-up and onboarding; the account can be live inside 24 hours.
2. Eaze keeps funding the client the entire time, there is never a gap.
3. Confirm the point-of-sale links are live and tested before handing them to the client.
4. Walk the client through the new rail so they're comfortable, same care as the original setup.

The Lumino contingency plan, step by step.

Shara (drives), Harvey + David (funding + relationship).

An approved deal hasn't funded within the expected 24 to 48 hours of settling.

The client asks where their funds are, or the funding tracker shows an approval with no settlement.

This is the client's money. A delay here, unexplained, is the fastest way to lose trust. Get ahead of it before they have to ask.

1. Harvey checks the settlement status with the lender and gets a real timeline.
2. Proactively update the client before they chase, with a clear reason and expected date.
3. If it's a lender-side delay, David applies relationship pressure for a resolution.
4. Stay on it daily until the funds land, then confirm receipt with the client.

Harvey (settlement), David (lender relationship).

The client has stopped replying, missed a call, or gone dark for a couple of days.

No replies to the daily touch; a missed booked call; activity in the tracker has stopped too.

Silence is the number-one killer of a 30-day success. Every quiet day makes the next reply harder. We reach out with help and zero pressure, early.

1. Do not pile more messages into the channel. Change the tone and the channel.
2. Send the zero-pressure re-engage message (section 12), the one-tap multiple choice. It's the highest-reply-rate message we have.
3. If still no reply after a day, switch channel: a short, warm text or a quick call. People answer a human voice.
4. If the owner is quiet but a team member is active, work through the team member (see 21.2).
5. Never guilt, never chase. Every touch is "I've got you," not "you haven't done X."

Use the re-engage message in section 12 verbatim, it's built exactly for this.

Shara if quiet for more than a few days, so we decide together on the recovery approach. Harvey if it's tied to a funding concern.

The owner is engaged but the team members who actually run the day-to-day aren't in the channel or aren't responding.

Only the owner ever replies; the people who'll run EZ Check daily are silent or never got added.

If the doers aren't engaged, the system doesn't get run daily and results stall, even with a keen owner.

1. Confirm the whole team was actually added (section 09, step 5). If not, get the emails from the owner and add them now.
2. Welcome each team member personally by name so they feel invited, not cc'd.
3. Ask the owner who the day-to-day operator is, and build the relationship directly with that person.
4. Tailor your daily touches to whoever actually runs it, not just the buyer.

Shara if the team never engages despite this.

At a gate (day 5, 10, 17, 24) the client is below where the plan expects.

The tracker at a gate is under target (for example under ~150 leads by day 10).

Behind pace is recoverable, but only if we act at the gate, not at day 28. Left alone it becomes a missed mark and a disappointed client.

1. Diagnose the real reason: is it time, confidence, a broken step, or disengagement? Each has a different fix (and its own scenario here).
2. Send the behind-pace message (section 12): normalize it, reframe it as fixable, give one concrete move.
3. Bring in the funding team (Harvey / Edson) for a focused optimization session if it's a system or application issue.
4. If it's volume, run the list-upload play to widen the funnel fast.
5. Re-set a realistic near-term target and check in daily until they're back on track.

Use the behind-pace message in section 12. Belief plus one clear step, never a lecture.

Harvey / Edson for an optimization push; Shara if repeatedly behind.

The client expresses frustration, or doubt that it's working for them.

A sharper tone, "I'm not sure this is working," comparing to what they expected, or venting.

This is a fork: handled well it becomes loyalty, handled badly it becomes a cancellation or refund request. It's the most human moment of the 30 days.

1. Lead with empathy, not defence. Acknowledge how they feel before anything else. Let them fully say it.
2. Get specific: what exactly is the gap between what they expected and what they're seeing? Name the real issue.
3. Show them the progress they may not be seeing (their actual numbers, wins to date), gently, to rebuild belief.
4. Give one clear plan to close the gap, with certainty, and offer to lead it personally.
5. Then over-deliver on the next few touches so they feel the shift.

Shara immediately, so the whole team can rally around the client. Harvey if it's funding-related.

The client raises pausing, cancelling, or a refund.

A serious moment. It's almost always frustration or overwhelm underneath (21.4 / 21.6), not a true decision to leave. Handle the person first, the request second, and never on your own.

1. Stay calm and caring. Do not get defensive and do not make any commitment about refunds or terms on the spot.
2. Find the real reason underneath: "Totally understand, help me understand what's driving it so I can make this right." Usually it's a fixable frustration.
3. Solve the underlying issue if you can, most "cancel" moments dissolve when the real problem is fixed.
4. Escalate to Shara immediately for anything involving money, terms, or a genuine exit. This is not handled solo.
5. Never quote refund policy or make promises, route that to leadership.

Shara + leadership, immediately. Never handle refunds or terms alone.

The client is willing but not actioning things, likely too busy or unsure where to start.

Warm replies but no completed steps; "I'll get to it"; things sitting undone for days.

Overwhelm looks like disinterest but isn't. If we make it simpler and carry more of the load, they re-engage. If we add more asks, they freeze.

1. Shrink everything. One tiny step at a time, never a list.
2. Do it with them, book a short session and complete the step live rather than assigning it.
3. Carry more of the load yourself wherever you can, so their only job is to show up.
4. Celebrate each small completion to rebuild momentum.

Shara if they stay stuck despite simplifying.

The Specialist running a client is sick, on leave, or otherwise unavailable.

The client cannot feel a gap. Continuity of care is the whole promise. This is exactly why everything is written down.

1. Because this playbook exists, any Specialist can pick up any client cold. Shara reassigns the client.
2. The covering Specialist reads the client's channel history and the client data snapshot to get current in minutes.
3. Continue the day-by-day plan and messages exactly, the client experience is seamless.
4. A brief, warm handover note if appropriate, so the client knows they're in good hands.

Shara (reassignment). [Confirm named backups so cover is instant, not improvised.]

Something needs attention outside the 8-to-5 PST coverage window.

We can't be online 24/7, but the client must never feel dropped. It's about setting the right expectation, not pretending to be always-on.

1. Set the expectation at the start: the client knows our hours and that after-hours messages are picked up first thing next business morning.
2. For anything truly time-sensitive (a live funding issue), the always-on point-of-sale rail covers the client even when the team is offline.
3. First thing next morning, respond fast and warm so the wait never felt like neglect.

Shara for coverage patterns. [Confirm staggered shifts to widen the window for east-coast-early and west-coast-late clients.]