Watch: What a Sales Matrix presentation does when the internet drops in SalesThumb (1:32)
A Sales Matrix presentation keeps working if the internet drops for a while. Your tier choices and line discounts are held in the browser and sent to SalesThumb when the connection returns.
What you see
A pill in the progress strip at the top shows the state:
- Offline — changes will sync when reconnected (amber). On narrower screens the pill just says Offline. If changes are waiting, it adds a count, such as "(2 pending)". The count appears only after a change has been held, which happens when you continue past a step (or change a discount) while offline. Right after the connection drops, the pill shows without a count.
- Syncing [N] change(s)… (blue). The connection is back and the held changes are being sent. This pill shows only briefly.
When a change is held, a message confirms it. A tier or package choice is held when you continue past its step, and the message says "Offline — selection saved, will sync when reconnected" (a few screens say "selections saved", and PPF says "Offline — saved locally, will sync when reconnected"). For a discount it says "Offline — discount saved, will sync when reconnected". Removing a discount says "Offline — change saved, will sync when reconnected".
What is held
Two kinds of change are held:
- The choices on a category screen: window tint, ceramic coating, PPF, flat glass and additional services.
- Discounts added, edited or removed on a Review screen line.
Only the latest change for each category or each line is kept. If you change the same step three times offline, only the last choice is sent.
While you are offline you can keep browsing, because the screens use the catalog and session saved earlier in this browser tab.
When the connection comes back
SalesThumb sends the held changes one at a time, in order. If some are still waiting, it tries again about every 5 seconds while you are online.
If SalesThumb refuses one of them, that change is dropped and you see a message:
- "A queued selection couldn't be synced — please re-save that step."
- "A queued discount couldn't be synced — please re-apply it."
Go back to that step and make the change again.
Saving the quote or invoice
You can't save the quote or create the invoice while changes are still waiting. On the Review screen a line reads "Syncing [N] change(s)…" and Save as quote and Create invoice stay greyed out. They turn on once everything has synced, so nothing is left off the quote.
Limits
- The held changes live in this browser tab, not on SalesThumb's servers, until they sync. Don't close the tab while the pill shows pending changes.
- The pill follows what your browser says about the network. On Wi-Fi with no real internet, the pill may still say online. The change is held anyway once a request fails, so it isn't lost, but the pill may be a moment late.
- Only the choices and discounts above are held. Other actions are not.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where are my changes while I am offline?
A: In the browser tab you are using. They are sent to SalesThumb when you are back online. Don't close the tab until the pill is gone.
Q: Why can't I tap Save as quote or Create invoice?
A: Changes made offline are still syncing. The buttons turn on once they have all been sent.
Q: What if a held change is refused?
A: You'll see a message telling you which kind of change failed. That change is dropped, so make it again.
Q: Does every action work offline?
A: No. Only tier choices on the category screens and line discounts are held. Other actions are not.