Service Monster has a monster competitor.

kingjoelking

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So for the last 3+ years I have been looking for a CRM/Scheduling system that would work for me. I finally settled on Service Monster not because it covered all my wants or needs but because it was good enough and better then what I was using. (Google Calendar) So I paid my $199 set up fee and been paying $80 a month and been blandly happy with it.

About two weeks ago somebody on Facebook mentioned that they have been using a product called “The Customer Factor” www.thecustomerfactor.com . So I checked it out. It is AWESOME!!!!!!! In my opinion it is a much better offering then Service monster.

When I heard about it I emailed them at about midnight and asked if I could have a test account to dink around with and see if I liked it. They emailed me back first thing in the morning, that that would be no problem, just send them a bit of info and they will set up an account. By 2PM same day they had emailed me letting me know my “test” account was available. It wasn’t a “test” account it was full access as if I had already paid for it. Sweeeeeeet!!!!

It took me about 1 hour to really get the hang of it. I had just gotten used to Service Monster so it was a bit of an adjustment. But in all reality I got used to it much faster then I got used to Service Monster.

Over the last two weeks I have emailed back and forth with them about 20 times with questions and features that I thought were missing. Always a very quick response. And always with a solution or a time frame when they would have that feature available. I hadn’t even paid a dime and was just testing the product out and they were that responsive. WHO DOES THAT???? They do.

It is a web based CRM/Scheduler. Here are the things I like about it.


It has a very simple work flow. That makes sense. When adding a new customer, You add the customer information after that is done scroll down click on schedule and then fill click on the date click on the drop downs for time and then enter the work to be completed. All on the same page without having to save click go to a different page, save go to a different page…….


IT IS GOOGLE COMPATIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn that is easy. Set up that you want it to be compatible with your Google Calendar and what it tells google what your schedule is. AMAZING!!!! With as long as Service Monster has been around I really don’t understand why they have not programmed that in yet. Absolutely mind boggling. So now I can just go to my Google calendar and it shows me the all the info I need easily to get to my appointments and makes it much easier to go to google maps and call customers. It also includes what the job is without having to go to a different screen. Tooo convienient!!!

Setting up call backs for customers is much easier and lets you enter info why you are setting a call back.

They provide HTML code to put a “Get a quote now” box on your website. When the potential customer clicks on this box on your website it lets them put in name, #, address, email and what question they have. Then when they hit send. It sends the prospect an email saying thanks for your interest in my company. We will contact you as soon as possible to answer your questions. At the same time it emails you telling you you have a new prospect that needs to be contacted. The information is immediately added to your Prospects list with all of the info populated so that when you contact them and turn the prospect into a customer you can just change them to a customer and all of their info is already in the system, so you don’t have to add it again. I put that box on my web page and the next day I got a new prospect. Too cool.


Did I mention it’s google compatible?


It is also is also set up to to automatically send customer reminders the day before service if you want it to. Just fill out the template and let it do the rest.

It is easy to set up and send invoices and quotes to customers from your smart phone/tablet/computer.

I think I forgot to mention it’s google compatible.


Its Quick books compatible and they are also currently working on making it Quick Books Online compatible.


Or it can be used as a standalone bookkeeping system.

Fully Searchable. Can run all sorts of reports. I would bet that as easy to work with as they have been that if it doesn’t have a report that you want they can set it up to run that report.

I am told havnt tried it yet, but have been told that it is to use with Send Out Cards also. Not integrated but very easy to do.

It only costs $34.95 a month. Unlimited users and unlimted routes.

Plus a bunch of other crap that I am forgetting.


And They are adding new features all the time.

Soo after 5 months and $599 I am leaving Service Monster for something better.

This is the product I have been looking for for the last three years. That is why wrote this book about this. Sorry for the loooooooong thread. Wait a minute no im not. I just helped you.
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joey895

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I also am seriously considering making the same switch.

I also emailed the customer factor to ask about QuickBooks online integration and they said they expect that to be complete within the next month or so and they would email me when its ready. At that time I'll likely go ahead and make the switch.

QuickBooks online and Google calendar integration are enough reasons to switch on their own.

The only thing that makes me hesitant is losing fill my schedule but I'm working on a way to fill that void.

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kingjoelking

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We are going to integrate our Send Out Cards with The Customer Factor. SOC can set up the same scheduled post cards or folding cards or whatever.
 

kingjoelking

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can you access your info when you are outside of cell range, ie when you are in a no-cell-zone, what do you do?
You do have the option of printing all of your invoices each morning with map and directions. You can even set it up where it does it automatically I believe either that or it is 1 click each morning. I live in greater Phoenix area so I dont ever think of not having cel service available.
 

Ron Werner

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I live in a more rural area, just outside a major city. There are times I am out of cell range when doing a quote, or cleaning for a repeat. For quotes, it means doing up the quote and then entering it when I get home, and since my phone has my calender on it I can easily schedule a time and it will sync later. When cleaning for a repeat client, its nice to have the history available so that when I get there I can just copy and paste the work order, or I would have to bring the whole hardcopy file for reference. I currently use software on my laptop, ie the one computer software. Yes, I am limited to the need to have my ONE computer, however, I don't need internet so I can be anywhere and have complete access to my datebase.
 

handdi

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its pretty cool it looks to have a built in email program also
i hope you keep us up to date on this
How does the program run on a iPad?
sm can be a real hassle sometimes not scheduling an appt sometimes\
Also sm seems to lock up not loading pages at times and very slow looking for previous customers
 
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kingjoelking

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its pretty cool it looks to have a built in email program also
i hope you keep us up to date on this
How does the program run on a iPad?
sm can be a real hassle sometimes not scheduling an appt sometimes\
Also sm seems to lock up not loading pages at times and very slow looking for previous customers

I dont know how it works with I-pads. I just sent a few receipts and invoices this week using my phone. (im an android person) It was pretty smooth and easy using my Note 2. A little bit of getting used to since I am used to Service Monster but really not that bad. It would definately be easier to use on my tablet if it hadnt just died on me.
 

jcooper

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Are you guys using these programs running more than one truck?

If not, how can something like this help?

when I get there I can just copy and paste the work order, or I would have to bring the whole hardcopy file for reference.

I'm a pretty tech savvy guy, but I think I'm missing something... Would an appointment book and a pen be simpler?

We get a call - we put info in a spiral notebook, if they book, info gets put into the appt. book and on wall calendar. Day of job it goes on invoice, gps and I'm there.
End of month client info goes in quickbooks. Carbon copy of invoice goes in the file cab.

For real, how can something like this help?
 
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kingjoelking

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I can run everything with my phone. Enter customers, email quotes, invoices. One click on my phone sets gps. With Google integration I get a text 15 minutes before I need to leave to get to next job. So if I have a 10:00 Google maps knows where I am and texts me at 9:15 telling me that I need to leave by 9:30 to get to the next job on time.

Not to mention it puts call backs, follow ups and such n one place. It can also be set up to automatically email reminders to the customer the day before. It just simplifies things for me.

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kingjoelking

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Oh and one click also calls customers if need to.

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idreadnought

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Just for clarification service monster will email clients any schedule you want. It is not turned on by default but a quick call and you can set it up.

With that said there are several things about service monster that need improvement. For starters using the calender on a tablet is all but useless. Touching the screen to scroll will drag and drop appointments to different times and days. Another feature that would be absolutely awesome would be text reminders.
 
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kingjoelking

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Does it show multi trucks on the calendar?

It says you can set up crews. I only run my one truck.

I also emailed them today and asked about signature capture for invoices and they said that they are looking into it and it will be implemented soon.

Unbelievable service.
 

Able 1

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It says you can set up crews. I only run my one truck.

I also emailed them today and asked about signature capture for invoices and they said that they are looking into it and it will be implemented soon.

Unbelievable service.

Hmmm, Kind of weird to me that you would care about the scheduling SO much since you only run one truck(can't you just write it on a napkin)?? I mean why the hell do you have a service like this that does not send out postcards? Oh, "send out cards" I get it now, we have been through this before.. Service monster does have some faults, but it has made me a lot of money.. I don't use SM for scheduling because I only run 1.5 vans, but the postcards are great! Are you just trying to sell this, because it stinks of that..
 

Bee Busy

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I run 1 van and like keeping things simple on an appointment book...to quote the king of cheese hair metal: Kip Winger says "Down Incognito" :)
 

kingjoelking

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Lol. Get nothing out of shilling this other then the fact that I finally found a product that works. I like things that simplify what I do. Whether it's presprays, machines or crm's. Service Monster being able to send Ty cards is nice, but honestly Google integration is more usefull.
It would also helps that this company actually ads updates to its software cobstantly. I know from the boards people have been requesting an app and Google/I - Phone integration for over two years. Only response I have ever heard is. "Yeah we're looking into that. It's on the list."

So yeah when I find a product that is actually doing the things I have been looking for and responds to questions with we can do that. I will shill it. Not because it makes me money, but because I know other people are looking for the same thing and are frustrated by, we'll get around to that someday.

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FredC

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Works...or will work? Seems a lot of things you mentioned are in the "We are working on it pile" and as long as they send you an email about it...well...that is just stellar

The horribly shitty site screams that this is a 3rd party selling a whitelabeled solution. Screenshots of your interface?

and then there is this BS or lack of coding abilities (did i mention whitelabeled?) :

http://www.thecustomerfactor.com/faq.htm#nofreetrial




and last but not least I can't comfortably do business with a guy who has ever done an over the shoulder glamour shot****.............




****added to list
 

kingjoelking

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Works...or will work? Seems a lot of things you mentioned are in the "We are working on it pile" and as long as they send you an email about it...well...that is just stellar

The horribly shitty site screams that this is a 3rd party selling a whitelabeled solution. Screenshots of your interface?

and then there is this BS or lack of coding abilities (did i mention whitelabeled?) :


http://www.thecustomerfactor.com/faq.htm#nofreetrial




and last but not least I can't comfortably do business with a guy who has ever done an over the shoulder glamour shot****.............




****added to list


Interesting link. I never saw the part where they dont offer free trials. I emailed them and asked them for a dummy account. They set me up on a fully live account.

As for now it does everything SM does accept fill my calendar, and some things Service Monster doesnt. The things that i keep mentioning that it is going to do are things that Service Monster doesnt do that I asked the customer factor about.

And I will agree that Service Monster has a prettier interface. But The Customer Factor actually has a more usable interface.

And I will admit some trepidition in dealing with a company that uses an over the shoulder glamour shot.

As for screen shots. Theres a video way down on the bottom of the page that shows them using the system.
 

kingjoelking

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At-A-Glance are the best appointment books hands down..

Appointment books arn't Android compatible. What, would you have me manually enter addresses into my phone for directions? That sounds like alot of work.
 

Able 1

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LOL, keep selling your shit, there is no way a "normal"one trucker needs to pay for scheduling, but postcards are a good thing to have.. To your point, I know my area well enough I don't need directions.. Do you answer your own phone?
 

kingjoelking

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Needs? No. One does not need a CRB, or an Rx20 or a Sapphire upholstery tool or corner guards , or................ But they, just like this and Service Monster are tools that make it easier. I live in the Phoenix metro area so even though I have lived here 40 years I haven't memorized every street yet. Nor will I.

But hey if you like SM better use it. :) I find this product to be easier and has the features I want.


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jwfoulk12

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Needs? No. One does not need a CRB, or an Rx20 or a Sapphire upholstery tool or corner guards , or................ But they, just like this and Service Monster are tools that make it easier. I live in the Phoenix metro area so even though I have lived here 40 years I haven't memorized every street yet. Nor will I.

But hey if you like SM better use it. :) I find this product to be easier and has the features I want.


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How is this working out for you? Are you still using it?
 

Kipp

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SM has alot of good, I couldn't pull the trigger though because they don't have a viable option for keeping both your lead and customer database under one roof. I wanted a system that would take a prospect from lead to customer to follow up without every any double entry...
 

Shane Deubell

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SM has alot of good, I couldn't pull the trigger though because they don't have a viable option for keeping both your lead and customer database under one roof. I wanted a system that would take a prospect from lead to customer to follow up without every any double entry...

Yes, thats why i could never use any of them either.
 

idreadnought

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interesting that this thread came back up. I started a service business in a different industry and naturally I needed customer management and scheduling software. The industry is pest control and service monster would not work at all for that industry. However it did give me a good glimpse of what other customer management and scheduling programs offer.

Things I like about service monster:

Ease of use, I demoed one program that took about 40 hours of training and use to figure it out. Yikes!!
good amount of reports available.
Great customer service!!! one company actually limited the customer service to 2 hours a year, after they would charge you for it.
I think it is reasonably priced.

Things I would love to see changed and could possibly convince me to switch at some point.

The ability of a tech to only see and print his schedule. Why this isn't already built into the system is beyond me. Pleaaaase Service monster.... Fix this!!!!!
text reminders, The software I chose for pest control charges 3 cents to send a reminder text to a customer
Automated phone reminders. Again, reminder calls for appointments seems like a brilliant way to remind customers that don't have a texting phone. I am charged 4 cents
 

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