--- title: "January 2021 Updates!" description: "# **Happy New Year! We are so happy to have you with us using Usked, and thought a wonderful way to start the beginning of the year is to introduce a few new features and system modifications that should help…" url: "https://usked.com/kb/january-2021-updates/" updated: "2025-12-10" category: Usked Features / Billing --- # January 2021 Updates! # **Happy New Year! We are so happy to have you with us using Usked, and thought a wonderful way to start the beginning of the year is to introduce a few new features and system modifications that should help your team!** ![image 231](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-231.webp) ## **Customize a Message for Holiday Requests** You now have the option to add a message for requests that will occur on a holiday, letting your requester know of a potential rate change.  ### **HOW DO I SET THIS FEATURE UP?** To create this message, you'll need to navigate to ***PEOPLE > GROUPS*** and then click on the pencil icon next to one of your groups.  Select "**Messages**" from your listed tabs. The last box you will see is for Holiday. ![image 214](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-214-1024x506.webp) An example of what you'd write is something like this: "Your request will be subject to a different rate because there is a holiday within the requested timeframe. If you would like to proceed, please fill out the additional request information and submit it as pending confirmation." Once you save your message, anyone making a request that will occur on a holiday for this group will see the message in a yellow bar on the top of the screen. ![image 218](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-218-1024x327.webp) You also have the option of including this in email templates as well! To do this, navigate to ***SETTINGS > EMAIL TEMPLATES*** and choose which template you'd like the holiday message to be visible on. Select the tab "Defaults" and make sure the toggle for Holiday Message is switched to **YES.** ![image 210](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-210.webp) ![image 207](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-207.webp) ## **Reveal Service Provider Contact Information on Job Info and Emails** You now have the option to allow service provider's contact information to be included when viewing job details and within email templates. This is useful if clients want to reach out to the service provider directly.  ### **HOW DO I SET THIS FEATURE UP?** Navigate to ***PEOPLE > SERVICE PROVIDERS*** and select the pencil icon next to whichever service provider you'd like contact information to appear for. When you click on the tab "**Contact Information**", you will find the toggle for "**Share Personal Contact Information with Clients**".  ![image 213](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-213.webp) To choose whether this toggle's default is set to YES or NO, navigate to ***ADMIN > CHANGE SYSTEM SETTINGS***and scroll down on the first tab, **GENERAL**.  ![image 225](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-225.webp) ![image 206](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-206.webp) Note: this default setting will only apply to service providers created after the setting is changed. All service providers currently in the system will have this setting set to "No" even if the default is changed to "Yes."  If a Service Provider would prefer not having their contact information shared, they can navigate on their own to ***YOUR ACCOUNT > YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER PREFERENCES***and switch this toggle to **NO.** ![image 211](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-211.webp) If "**Share Personal Contact Information with Clients**" is set to **YES**, it will be displayed for anyone when viewing details of a job, including email templates that use the {JOBS} tag.  ## **Remove Watermarks on PDF Invoices** You now have the option to remove watermarks from your PDF invoices!  ### **HOW DO I SET THIS FEATURE UP?** If you navigate to ***ADMIN > CHANGE SYSTEM SETTINGS***and go to the "**Service Provider Pay**" tab, you will find a toggle "**Show Watermark on PDF Invoices**"  ![image 226](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-226-1024x646.webp) If set to yes, a watermark will appear like this with the invoice status: ![image 230](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-230.webp) If set to NO, no watermark will appear. ![image 228](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-228.webp) ## **See the last activity date and time for Users list** We have added a new column to the User Account List that shows the last date and time they were active in Usked.  ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** If you navigate to ***PEOPLE > USER ACCOUNTS***you will see the new "**last activity**" column here. ![image 227](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-227-1024x282.webp) ## **Service Providers to update their gender** Service Providers now have the ability to update their gender in Usked. ### **WHERE CAN SERVICE PROVIDERS SEE THIS?** If they navigate to ***YOUR ACCOUNT > YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER PREFERENCES*** and look under the attributes tab, they will find the toggle for gender.  ![image 216](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-216.webp) ## **Location no longer hidden for Virtual+ or Zoom Requests** Previously, location information was hidden for Virtual+ and Zoom requests. With this new update, all location info (location name, address, room number, map link, and location notes) will now appear when viewing job details or when someone is sent an email template for Virtual+ and Zoom requests! ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** On the actions screen of your job, if you hover over the job ID, information about the job comes up in a pop-up view. You'll see the location info below the virtual meeting link. ![image 225](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-225.webp) ![image 232](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-232.webp)  Service Providers can also view this information when looking at posted jobs, hovering over the job ID, similar to above.  ## **Specify cancellation received date/time when cancelling requests** Scheduling department, this feature is for you! You can now specify the exact date and time a cancellation was received when cancelling a request. This will allow the system to calculate cancellations based on when the cancellation was received instead of when the job was cancelled in Usked. ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** You can find this on the actions page of your job when you click the button Cancel Service Request. ![image 222](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-222.webp) ![image 219](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-219-1024x303.webp) ## **Service Providers can withdraw interest for a posted job** Service Providers now have the ability to withdraw interest for a posted job! ![image 209](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-209.webp) This is only available in the web version of Usked at this time. ### **WHERE CAN SERVICE PROVIDERS SEE THIS UPDATE?** When a service provider looks at posted jobs, they will see the thumbs up icon on the bottom corner of a job. Clicking this says they are interested in a job.  ![image 222](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-222.webp) Once they click on it, the icon now switches to a thumbs down. Your service provider now has the option to click on this if they change their mind or are no longer interested in the job. ![image 215](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-215.webp) ## **Clear alerts in bulk per role** Spring cleaning came early this year! We are now able to clean up your alerts by clearing them in bulk per role!  ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** Your alerts show up on your home screen. Now, you've got options on the top called "Quick Clears" where you can clean up your alerts by staff role or any directly to you.  ![image 217](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-217.webp) ![image 209](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-209.webp) Clearing alerts will clear them for everyone with that same role the alert was addressed to. Ex. If a scheduler has taken care of all the alerts addressed to Schedulers and clears them they will no longer show up for any of the other schedulers.  Just to be safe, you'll will get a message confirming you want to clear the alerts that looks like this: ![eefcf28b cb36 4380 9c6b 79c4faab7d1a](blob:https://usked.com/eefcf28b-cb36-4380-9c6b-79c4faab7d1a) and then...POOF! You've got a clean house.  ## **Hide/Show name labels in Virtual+** You now have the option to hide name labels on V+ for more visibility! ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** Clicking on the signature icon will hide the name labels at the bottom of each participants stream. If you'd like the labels shown, simply click on this icon again.  ## **Help icon in Virtual+ that links to the Troubleshooting Guide** We have created a help button that takes users straight to the Virtual+ Troubleshooting Guide!  ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** The question mark icon is now available in the Virtual+ tool bar. Clicking it will take you to our article, [Troubleshooting for Virtual+ Services](https://uskedcrm.zohodesk.com/portal/en/kb/articles/troubleshooting-for-virtual-services). ![image 208](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-208.png) ## **Client-Provided Meeting Links** Requesters and your staff will now have the option to add a client provided meeting link when creating or editing a request.  ![image 212](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-212.webp) This is only available in the web version of Usked at this time. ### **WHERE CAN I SEE THIS UPDATE?** If you click on "**EDIT SERVICE REQUEST**" from your Actions page, go to the tab **LOCATION**. There you will see a field for adding a client-provided meeting link.  ![image 223](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-223.webp) ![image 220](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-220.webp) Once you put a link in the client-provided meeting link field, it will appear in your job details, as well as in email templates using the {JOBS} tag. ![image 221](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-221.webp) We have also created a **Client-Provided Meeting Link Notifications Enabled** field, which is located directly above the meeting link field.  ![image 224](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-224-1024x285.webp) To utilize this feature you'll need to first create an email template for a meeting link reminder. Then for any group that you'd like the requesters to receive this email for go to Email Templates tab in the group profile.  Then select this new email template next to **Client-Provided Meeting Link Reminder (To Requester)**. ![image 229](https://usked.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-229-1024x371.webp) Then when **Client-Provided Meeting Link Notifications Enabled** is set to**YES**in the request and the Client Provided Meeting Link field below is empty, Usked will send this meeting link reminder email to the requester on a daily basis. If it is set to **NO**or if you set to Yes but do not have an email template selected for that group, then Ūsked will do nothing.