How to walk a customer through an e-signature

What should you check before sending the document?

Walking a customer through an e-signature starts before the document is sent. Many stalled signing calls trace back to the email address: a typo, an old work address, or a shared family inbox the customer rarely checks. Read the address back to the customer letter by letter, including everything after the @ sign, and confirm their name is spelled the way it should appear on the document. Ask which device they will sign on. A phone works for most documents, while a computer gives a larger view for long contracts with many fields. Find out whether anyone else needs to sign, because many e-signature services route documents in order, and DocuSign notes that with sequential routing the envelope goes to each recipient only after the previous one completes their action. Finally, ask the customer to have anything they will need nearby, such as an ID or bank details, so the call does not stall halfway through.

• Email address confirmed letter by letter
• Name spelled as it should appear on the document
• Signing device chosen (phone or computer)
• Other signers and signing order understood
• Any needed documents or details within reach

Step 1: Help the customer find the email

1. Search the inbox

   Ask the customer to search for your company's name or the e-signature service's name, such as DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign.

2. Check spam or junk

   DocuSign's own support guidance is to ask the recipient to check spam or junk folders. On a phone, that folder may be under the mail app's folder or mailbox list.

3. Confirm the sender

   DocuSign says its envelope notifications always come from the @docusign.net domain. If the address looks different, stop and verify before anyone taps a link.

4. Resend if needed

   If it still is not there, recheck the address and resend from your side rather than asking the customer to search older messages.

Should the customer sign on a phone or a computer?

Both work. DocuSign says its mobile app handles most workflows, and that signers can use a web browser on their phone for envelopes that use advanced features the app does not support. Adobe Acrobat Sign lets signers draw a signature with a mouse or a finger.

Step 2: Guide the customer through the signing screens

Screens differ by provider and by how the sender set up the document. These steps follow DocuSign's signer flow, which many customers will see. Adobe Acrobat Sign and others follow a similar pattern.

1. Open the email and select Review Document

   This opens the document in the signing screen.

2. Read the disclosure, if one appears

   Some documents show an Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure with a checkbox. The customer reads it and decides whether to check the box and continue. If there is no disclosure, they select Continue. This is the customer's own consent, so explain where it is but let them decide.

3. Select Start

   DocuSign places a yellow Start tag on the left that moves the customer to the first field.

4. Adopt a signature

   The first time the customer selects a Sign or Initial field, they are asked to adopt a signature style. DocuSign offers a predefined style, drawing, or uploading an image, though the sender can turn off drawing and uploading. They confirm with Adopt and Sign.

5. Complete each Sign and Initial field

   Have them work through every tag in order. On a phone, ask them to tell you each time the screen jumps, so you know where they are.

6. Check the date fields

   In DocuSign, a Date Signed field fills in automatically with the current date. Other date fields, such as a date of birth, may need typing.

7. Select Finish

   DocuSign makes Finish available only after all required fields are complete. If the customer selects it early, the screen moves to the next required field.

In Adobe Acrobat Sign, the customer opens the review and sign email, clicks into each field to enter the requested information, reviews or draws a signature, selects Apply, and then selects the Click to Sign button.

What if the form asks for a Social Security number or bank details?

Tell the customer before they reach the field, so it does not catch them off guard. Ask them to type it themselves, and do not ask them to read it aloud. If you are viewing their screen, ask them to pause sharing before they type and to resume after. You need to know the field is filled in, not what it says.

Why should you never sign for the customer?

Step 3: Finish and confirm

1. Ask the customer to read you the confirmation message on screen after they select Finish.
2. Check the document's status in your own e-signature account before ending the call.
3. If others still need to sign, explain who is next and what the customer should expect.
4. Tell the customer how they can get a copy of the completed document and suggest they keep it.

How does screen sharing help on an e-signature call?

Most e-signature calls stall on something small: a missed initial on page six, a Start tag the customer cannot find, or a disclosure screen they are unsure about. Seeing the customer's screen turns “where are you now?” into “tap the yellow tag on the left.” With GuidedView, you text or email a link during the call, the customer approves, and you see their phone or computer screen while they do the tapping. They can pause before typing a Social Security number or bank details, and sessions are not recorded.

GuidedView does not replace the e-signature provider's consent and disclosure steps, your call-recording requirements, or the rules your carrier, lender or compliance team sets. It only lets you see what the customer sees. Teams in regulated work can read more in GuidedView for insurance agents and GuidedView for mortgage lenders.