Ask someone for documents or a yes

An Ask is something you're waiting on from someone outside your team: documents, or a yes on a quote, a proposal or a change. You ask in the email you're writing, and they get one private page that lists everything you're waiting on from them. The conversation keeps track, and Fetch sends the reminders.

Ask for something

1. Write your reply, or a new email.
2. Click the Ask button next to Attach, or type /ask in the email. You can also press ⌘K and choose Ask Dana for….
3. Pick what you need:
   • Documents: a checklist they upload to. See Ask someone for documents.
   • A yes: write what you're asking a yes to, like "The quote for the kitchen". Add Details in your words if it helps, and an Answer by date if there is one.
   • Payment is shown, but isn't ready yet.
4. Click Add to the email. The email shows a line like "Asking Dana for a yes: The quote for the kitchen". Click Change to edit it.
5. Send the email as usual, with the usual undo.

Anything you attach to the email is what they're saying yes to. Rookery keeps a fingerprint of the words and the files, so what they said yes to can't change afterwards.

What they see

The email ends with a link to their page: one private place for everything between them and you. At the top, your business and the address your email came from. Then three tabs:

• To do: "Priya is waiting on 2 things from you", and each thing you asked for.
• Conversations: your secure messages with them, each as a thread they can read and answer.
• Meetings: the times they booked with you, at their own clock, with Join, Add to calendar, Change time and Cancel.

Each tab shows a count: To do counts what's still open, and Conversations and Meetings count once they've entered a code. See what your clients see.

On To do:

• Each thing you asked for. Documents have the usual checklist. A yes has Yes, approved, No and Ask a question. They can add a note.
• Ask a question sends their question into your conversation, like a reply.
• At the bottom, one small line: "With Rookery".

There's one page per person, not one per request. Things you ask from your private inbox go on a separate page, so they never sit next to your team's.

What needs a code

The link alone lets them send files and answer. To open files you attached, read their conversations or see their meetings, they enter a code we email to their address. You can also tick Ask for a code from their email before they answer, for a yes that matters more.

After the code, they stay in for up to 30 minutes, or until 10 minutes without doing anything, the same as a secure link. On a shared or public computer they tick Using a shared or public computer? and nothing is saved in the browser: closing or refreshing the tab ends it. Sign out, at the top of their page, ends it at once, on every device.

Follow along in the conversation

A card above the conversation shows each Ask: Waiting on Dana, how long it's been, the due date, and the next reminder. When they answer, the conversation becomes your turn with Said yes or Said no, and the card shows who answered and when.

When they say yes, Quill drafts a short thank-you for you to check. It never sends it on its own. You can turn this off for each inbox in Settings → Helpers, under They said yes.

On their page in Rookery

Open the person from the conversation. Asks lists what's open and what closed lately. Under it:

• New link makes a new link. The old one stops working, and offers to email them the current one.
• Turn off Dana's link stops their page from opening. The next Ask or reminder makes a new link.

Good to know

• A yes is good evidence that they agreed to a quote or a change. It isn't a signature. For contracts, use a signed document.
• Undoing the email cancels what it asked for. Cancel on the card does too.
• Search engines don't list these pages, and browsers don't keep a copy of them. At the bottom, Clear this page closes it on a shared computer; the link in their email still works.
• See how reminders work.