How are you or your techs using Service Monster in the home?

[Mikey P]

Please describe your invoicing or estimating process that you use SM for while at the job.


How much control do you let your techs have of the program?


Are most customers receptive to have an emailed receipt?


Do they let you hook up to their WiFi if your phone signal is dead?


Does the time spend dealing with the tab/laptop in the home equal the time spent at the end of the day catching up? More or less?

 

[Mikey P]

I'd like to have Joe do a live tutorial on the subject.


Stay tuned..

 

[clean image]

the problem I have is once you give you tech access to SM to complete WO or write up estimates, they have access to your entire customer database.

 

[WillS]

The techs have access to everything like that? We have not started using Service Monster yet. You can't set up techs with a seperate login or limit access to what they can see? Can they run reports and stuff from it to when logged in?

 

[Mikey P]

well, sure, you can limit their access to any degree with SM..


Access to past jobs is a big time saver.

 

[WillS]

Are technicians able to login at home and print out a customer list or rev reports etc? I would consider that a huge liability if you have many techs or turn over is higher at your business and that tech decides to go to a competitor.

Anyone that uses SM do you have a confidentiality agreement, non-disclosure your techs sign?

 

[Mikey P]

All they can see is the schedule and job histories

 

[clean image]

Mike, That is incorrect

I brought this up recently with SM, I think their tech login is serious flawed for allowing this oversight...

Where I do have problem is, as a technician security role(lowest level), they have ability to make a new estimate and work order, then they can search for existing customer, at that point they have every customer profile at there fingertips, and can print screen with IPad.

This is a Big problem.

I Can Not imagine any Multi truck Operation that would want every lead technician complete access to their Entire database at anytime, at there discretion.

Is there a way fix this?

I guess they feel more multi truck companies want this than do not.

Will,
you can limit their access to a certain computer or ip address ?

And yes you could do confidentiality agreement, non-disclosure your techs sign, however nothing to stop them, that would all be after the fact....
For an old company i work for, a tech did this for years before leaving on his own.....

 

[Mikey P]

Edit-

Sorry you are correct..

I trust my guys so didnt look for this..

 

[TomKing]

Are technicians able to login at home and print out a customer list or rev reports etc? I would consider that a huge liability if you have many techs or turn over is higher at your business and that tech decides to go to a competitor.

Anyone that uses SM do you have a confidentiality agreement, non-disclosure your techs sign?

yes they can log on from home.
They can't print reports but it would not stop them from taking information off of it.

For as great as SM is this is the worst thing about it.

It needs a tech veiw that only shows them what they have for the day.

Using it on a phone is also a big problem.

You can very easily move appoinment inadvetantly.

If you are a one man show not such a big deal. Lots of users like us and big problem.

I opened it on my phone the other day just to check it out. Moved a appointment by accident. Took a conversation with 3 people and 10-15 minuts to figure out what had been happening.

SM is great on a desk top with a CSR for a multi truck mobile is a different story.

it also does not have a user level that allows office reports and keeps the financial private. You are forced to allow a CSR to have total access if you want her to be able to print out simple lables for post cards.

We have a non compete and confidentiality agreement. That is still not going to stop the talking if someone leaves you for another employer. It will stop them from becoming your competitor.

 

[jkowalski]

There are a few clarifications I can make that I think will help but I want to be in the office before I do.

Additionally, while I haven't heard these tech concerns but a few times (the security roles we have is great for most) adding a Mobile only' tech mode would he super simple. I'll talk with our product manager and make sure this gets into the next sprint. (we publish sprints weekly)

You could also do this yourself by limiting their desktop access to machines you control.

 

[jkowalski]

http://www.servicemonster.net/support/what-are-the-different-security-roles/

One more addition, you can disable drag and drop of you are using the desktop version on your phone.

 

[jkowalski]

Mobile weakness is being addressed with iOS and Android native releases in a few months. We already have prototyped the tech successfully.

 

[clean image]

Mike, I did, 2 clicks and you have access to every customer name, phone and address.

Joe, Thanks for you quick attention.

As it is now, in mobile, if they want to add a new customer, they have to pick from current database.
If this was disabled, I,m fine with that.
A CSR could easily put a new customer in their column in minutes

Also I see a area for customer signature?

 

[jkowalski]

shhh it's in beta,:-)

 

[WillS]

I've been wanting to convert to SM for a while now. I think we are finally going to get on board with this next week. I purchased 4 tablets for the technicians to use so we don't have to leave hard copy receipts, they don't have to walk up using a clip board anymore, just the professional look.

 

[hogjowl]

If you run slide-ins, how long before they're stolen?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

If I worried about my guy stealing customer lists he'd be gone.

 

[jkowalski]

In my experience, data theft does not come from techs. It comes from Office Managers.

 

[Russ T.]

A simple app for a techs phone might be really helpful. Room by room square footage would be cool. Something easy to deal with on the fly, with limited access for security purposes.

The mobile version is almost unusable on iPhone 6. Everything's way too small. I can't imagine it's much better on a slightly bigger phone.

iPad works well. I tether from my phone.

Jobber looked REALLY slick but I'd miss Fill My Schedule.

 

[hogjowl]

Font EVEN get me started on SM and square footage ...

 

[jkowalski]

iPhone coming.

 

[hogjowl]

iPhone coming.

Is that meant to be comforting?

 

[jkowalski]

not to you Marty. :-) I have other comforting things for you.

 

[Mikey P]

http://www.servicemonster.net/support/what-are-the-different-security-roles/

One more addition, you can disable drag and drop of you are using the desktop version on your phone.

This this to be device specific. I want to drag on drop on my pc but not my fablets.

 

[TomKing]

Font EVEN get me started on SM and square footage ...

What's your problem Marty? You set up for units and put the number of units in and then you have your price.

They will customize it for you as long as you use the fields in the program. Not hard at all.

SM will also enter in a custom work order form.
We have ours in and they update as we need. I have never used the one that comes standard.

SM also will allow multiple work order forms. We have one for Carpet, Specialty work, Rugs. I will be sending a new one in a week just for production from our Flooring Store.

What's not to like? Like I always say little not to like about SM.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Please describe your invoicing or estimating process that you use SM for while at the job.

We use a check off walk through sheet. They guys do the walk through, check off what will be cleaned and room sizes and any special notes.

Then they sit down at the kitchen table or island and input everything into SM. The customer fills out a 1/2 carbon copy sheet with their info so we are sure to copy the correct spelling of names, street, email in to SM.

After the work order is complete, we show it to the customer on the lap top - they have a line item view of everything. They then approve the order or we make any changes (taking off a room, protection etc). Once we get final approval, we get to work. After walk through they sign off on the 1/2 sheet that lists the total and payment method and we process payment in SM. The customer gets a copy of the 1/2 sheet with their total, safety precautions (that they inilated). I review all the invoices in SM for spelling/grammar and then email the detailed copy to the client - could be the same day, sometimes I do them all for the week at the end of the week.

Are most customers receptive to have an emailed receipt?

Yes. And those that aren't get the 1/2 sheet or we are happy to print out from SM and mail to them.

Do they let you hook up to their WiFi if your phone signal is dead?

We never hook up to customer wifi. We have a jet pack that stays with the lap top at all times and we use that for our wifi. Worst case scenario if we are in an area that we can't get a signal, we do everything manually. Once back at the office or in the truck traveling to the next job, who ever isn't driving will put in SM and we email it out.

Does the time spend dealing with the tab/laptop in the home equal the time spent at the end of the day catching up? More or less?

Transitioning to SM from paper has saved us huge amounts of time. Mostly for me on the back end in getting things to Quickbooks. However, we no longer have items that were missed when doing a total and the math and sales tax are always correct since SM totals it up. Saves time when changes are made to the work order because techs are no longer crossing things out or having to re-write the whole order. Just delete or add what needs to be taken off or added.

We set the the permissions so that the techs only have access to certain things in SM.

 

[TomKing]

We use a check off walk through sheet. They guys do the walk through, check off what will be cleaned and room sizes and any special notes.
View attachment 2206

Then they sit down at the kitchen table or island and input everything into SM. The customer fills out a 1/2 carbon copy sheet with their info so we are sure to copy the correct spelling of names, street, email in to SM.

View attachment 2205

After the work order is complete, we show it to the customer on the lap top - they have a line item view of everything. They then approve the order or we make any changes (taking off a room, protection etc). Once we get final approval, we get to work. After walk through they sign off on the 1/2 sheet that lists the total and payment method and we process payment in SM. The customer gets a copy of the 1/2 sheet with their total, safety precautions (that they inilated). I review all the invoices in SM for spelling/grammar and then email the detailed copy to the client - could be the same day, sometimes I do them all for the week at the end of the week.


Yes. And those that aren't get the 1/2 sheet or we are happy to print out from SM and mail to them.


We never hook up to customer wifi. We have a jet pack that stays with the lap top at all times and we use that for our wifi. Worst case scenario if we are in an area that we can't get a signal, we do everything manually. Once back at the office or in the truck traveling to the next job, who ever isn't driving will put in SM and we email it out.


Transitioning to SM from paper has saved us huge amounts of time. Mostly for me on the back end in getting things to Quickbooks. However, we no longer have items that were missed when doing a total and the math and sales tax are always correct since SM totals it up. Saves time when changes are made to the work order because techs are no longer crossing things out or having to re-write the whole order. Just delete or add what needs to be taken off or added.

We set the the permissions so that the techs only have access to certain things in SM.

Bring your ipad to Florida. Folks will want to hear from you on this live. I would like to hear as I am sure Karen will. See you soon!

 

[PrimaDonna]

I'd love to do a session that is a mock appointment. From phone call setting up appointment (Have participants "call" and demo several different types of calls and how we handle them), to ringing the door bell, doing the walk through before and after and collecting payment. We could even use the "flood house" if they are building that again as the "home". Then let them do the same. A role playing session. Would be fun!

 

[Mikey P]

Ill see if there is time.