If TripWorks can only email a generic Polaris waiver link, the fastest way to reduce manual checks is to create a single source of truth (a spreadsheet or lightweight dashboard) that is updated automatically from notifications.
- Best-case: Polaris/Empower sends a webhook or email when a reservation is created and when a waiver is completed.
- If that is not available: parse the reservation emails you already receive to capture identifiers, then update a dashboard.
- Fallback: store the unique waiver link or reservation code in a TripWorks custom field or internal notes so staff can click straight into the right Polaris record.
What is actually breaking in the workflow
When the customer receives a generic waiver link, waiver completion does not reliably attach back to the correct reservation.
That creates three operational problems:
- Staff cannot quickly see waiver status for each reservation.
- Staff has to search across Polaris/Empower manually, often with clunky time-window filters.
- Customers show up without waivers done, and staff only finds out at check-in.
The “notifications first” playbook (recommended)
1) Ask Polaris/Empower for two events
Request either a webhook or an email notification for:
- Reservation created
- Waiver completed / waiver attached to reservation
What each event must include (minimum viable payload):
- Polaris reservation identifier
- Date/time of reservation
- Customer name and email (or another stable identifier)
- Waiver status (completed, pending)
Why this matters: if Polaris can emit these two signals, everything else becomes a downstream automation problem that you control.
2) If Polaris will only do email notifications, parse them
Email parsing is the most common workaround when there is no API.
- Watch an inbox for Polaris reservation emails.
- Extract a reservation code and any waiver-related identifiers.
- Update a dashboard row for that reservation.
If your ops team already uses spreadsheets, start there. If not, a lightweight database works too.
3) Build a “check-in ready” dashboard
Keep the dashboard intentionally simple:
- Reservation name
- Reservation date/time
- Waiver status (ready or missing)
- Link to Polaris reservation (or the waiver link)
- Notes (edge cases, phone call made, etc.)
At check-in, staff should be able to sort and filter to see who is ready.
The TripWorks-side fallback (when Polaris won’t cooperate)
Option A: Store the unique waiver link or code in TripWorks
If Polaris emails contain a unique waiver link or a reservation-specific identifier:
- Create a TripWorks custom field (or use internal notes if that is what you have).
- Copy the unique waiver identifier into that field.
- Use an automation to surface that value to staff (for example, in an email, a spreadsheet, or a dashboard).
Even if this includes a manual copy/paste step, it eliminates the slowest part: hunting through Polaris/Empower to find the right record.
Option B: Validate what fields TripWorks exposes to automation tools
Before committing to any workaround, verify what TripWorks sends in its automation payload for reservation updates.
What you are looking for:
- Custom field values
- Internal notes
- Guest count and passenger data
- Reservation ID and customer email/phone
If custom field values come through consistently, it unlocks a lot of “small automation” wins.
Implementation checklist (practical steps)
Identify the minimum data needed at check-in (name, reservation time, waiver status, link)
Confirm whether Polaris/Empower can send reservation + waiver completion notifications
If yes, decide webhook vs email and define the payload fields
If no, capture identifiers from the Polaris emails you already receive and parse them
Add a TripWorks custom field or internal note location for the unique waiver code or link
Create the dashboard (start simple) and train staff on a single flow
Common pitfalls
- Relying on “generic waiver links.” These are useful for walk-ins, but they break attribution when you need reservation-level status.
- Overbuilding the dashboard. A “ready or missing” status gets you 80% of the value.
- No shared identifier across systems. Pick one identifier (often email or phone) and use it everywhere possible.
Get help building this
Building a reliable TripWorks + Polaris waiver tracking system usually breaks at the identifier step — when there's no shared field to link the Polaris waiver back to the TripWorks reservation. If you've hit that wall, book a ZoomFlow session — one of our consultants can map the data flow with you live and ship the working notification or dashboard in the same call.
