To go Paperless or not?

[Kevin De Medeiros]

Been doing some research on new crm software and am wondering how many companies are still using paper invoices.
I started my company using software called Mistral 2000. Did a pretty good job of keeping track of clients and automatically doing pop-ups for callbacks, appointment confirmation and re occurring service appointments. Only two drawbacks are that u have no way of emailing clients unless u do a mail merge with another program , and that you needed to print out an invoice.
A little dated but works pretty darn good.
I'm curious , with all the new software , whos still doing it old school and do u have any intention of changing?

 

[Mikey P]

Service Monster.

 

[joey895]

Actually, I've been paperless for the last 2 or 3 years and I just had some new invoices designed and ordered. I'm basically going back to physical invoices for 2 reasons. 1. I plan to list price quotes for other services I offer on the invoice, I hope to add on some additional sales. 2. I am looking to get off the truck in the relatively near future and feel that sending techs out you need to have a paper trail for the work that is completed. Actually there is a 3rd reason and that is it is faster to write out an invoice than try to type it into one of the online crm's or apps

 

[hogjowl]

Your problem is so 2010.

We've been using ServiceMonster around here for 6 years.

 

[jkowalski]

We have an import process for Mistral, but I can't quite remember what we pulled over.

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

Service Monster.

I've been in touch with Sam at service monster. Two things with this program. I cannot take advantage of their postcard program cause they won't send to Canada. 2nd I'm hearing their mobile app is outdated.

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

Your problem is so 2010.

We've been using ServiceMonster around here for 6 years.

From past posts I hear it's and awesome program. And my problem is so 2002 .

 

[Mikey P]

The mobile app gets a full face lift in September

Can you get sled dogs to deliver the cards?

 

[Bob Pruitt]

I just had some new invoices designed and ordered

Would like to see what you designed. Other guys forms as well.

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

The mobile app gets a full face lift in September

Can you get sled dogs to deliver the cards?

I wish I could get them to deliver. I work alone now as my sister got a high paying job. I've been struggling in this business as I've got a lot of clientele and it goes from being crazy busy in the summer and fall and then dead after Christmas til about April. Very hard to keep staff on yearly and its too much for me in the summer. I don't keep in touch with clients at all and a lot just call me back when they need me. So I need a program that can take care of that automatically so I don't have to and that can fill my schedule so I can eventually bring in full time staff. It's been a balance I havent been able to resolve for the last seven years.

 

[jkowalski]

Our mobile 2 app may be outdated, but we've released mobile 3 a few months ago. It's pretty slick. It's always getting better but this is an actual iOS or Android application. Sam doesn't talk about it too much yet during the sales process because he knows I'm still smoothing out some of the edges.

Mike refered to our complete rebuild of Servicemaster 5. Servicemonster 6 will be released in September.

We use to ship to Canada. Did a fairly good volume. Then you guys raised the rates to a dollar a stamp and completely killed the volume. After that we were losing money on the duties and transfer process to Canada

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

Our mobile 2 app may be outdated, but we've released mobile 3 a few months ago. It's pretty slick. It's always getting better but this is an actual iOS or Android application. Sam doesn't talk about it too much yet during the sales process because he knows I'm still smoothing out some of the edges.

Mike refered to our complete rebuild of Servicemaster 5. Servicemonster 6 will be released in September.

We use to ship to Canada. Did a fairly good volume. Then you guys raised the rates to a dollar a stamp and completely killed the volume. After that we were losing money on the duties and transfer process to Canada

Yeah I hear u. I'm curious if those postcards can be sent to me directly in a package and just mail them from here. I haven't spoke to Sam yet and about the program as he was going to walk me through it but just when through a hell of a work week.

 

[Mikey P]

Ive told this to Joe in person, I think that the tent cards should switch to post cards after they go a full round.

People are too lazy to open an envelope if they already know what's inside.

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

Ive told this to Joe in person, I think that the tent cards should switch to post cards after they go a full round.

People are too lazy to open an envelope if they already know what's inside.

How well are these postcards working for u?

 

[joey895]

Would like to see what you designed. Other guys forms as well.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

@joey895 Looks like you sell protector... I like that! Great job on the invoice!

 

[joey895]

@joey895 Looks like you sell protector... I like that! Great job on the invoice!

I have to give credit where it's due. It was designed by Ryan Kettering http://prolificprints.com/

I haven't sold much of anything in the past but I'm getting better.

 

[hogjowl]

Is he still hanging out in that wasteland?

 

[Bob Pruitt]

I have to give credit where it's due. It was designed by Ryan Kettering

Like that they specialize in Service Businesses. Will give them a try. Thank you.

 

[Cleanworks]

I wish I could get them to deliver. I work alone now as my sister got a high paying job. I've been struggling in this business as I've got a lot of clientele and it goes from being crazy busy in the summer and fall and then dead after Christmas til about April. Very hard to keep staff on yearly and its too much for me in the summer. I don't keep in touch with clients at all and a lot just call me back when they need me. So I need a program that can take care of that automatically so I don't have to and that can fill my schedule so I can eventually bring in full time staff. It's been a balance I havent been able to resolve for the last seven years.

Kevin, I am in the process of switching to quickbooks cloud. I am still in the process but it looks like you can email your invoices directly to your customers from your computer, a tablet or your phone. Although I have printed invoices as well as my qb generated invoices, I am looking to reduce my paper ones. Very few people require a printed invoice and even for rentals, if they show an invoice on their phone after a move out, it is still valid. Doesn't have everything that service monster has but I think it will do.

 

[jkowalski]

Postcards are great for prospecting. Client retention results are higher with the tent fold cards.

If you have a decent volume I think we could arrange to have your cards printed and stuffed then sent to you directly for stamping and Postal Service.

 

[jkowalski]

We also integrate with QuickBooks Online.

 

[jkowalski]

Ryan does amazing work!

 

[Cleanworks]

Joe, if your program does the reminding for me and prints out the data. I have several services locally that specialize in sending out reminder and thank you cards. Could I use your program to automatically email them the data and have them send out the cards?

 

[jkowalski]

Yep!

 

[joey895]

Like that they specialize in Service Businesses. Will give them a try. Thank you.

You won't be dissappointed. Here are the latest brochures he did for me.

 

[smastio]

You won't be dissappointed. Here are the latest brochures he did for me.

View attachment 16634 View attachment 16635

Joey - You know what's missing - right?

 

[Papa John]

How well are these postcards working for u?

Ive told this to Joe in person, I think that the tent cards should switch to post cards after they go a full round.

People are too lazy to open an envelope if they already know what's inside.

Yeah I hear u. I'm curious if those postcards can be sent to me directly in a package and just mail them from here. I haven't spoke to Sam yet and about the program as he was going to walk me through it but just when through a hell of a work week.

The SM app allows you to print up your own mailing labels to that you can do the cards Yourself. I put these together while watching TV-- so no real lost time.

I switch to postcards for 3 reasons: they are cheaper, more likely to be read, and if the original customer has moved at least the new resident can read/use the discount card.
Be sure to include a return address on the cards so that you can keep your mailing list current--SF sure has a high turn over rate-- we lose about 30% per year of our customer base to move outs.

In My City-- Email Marketing seems to be a NO-NO-even to current customers- so I cant go paperless with this part.

 

[joey895]

Joey - You know what's missing - right?

Good call. I'll make sure I add Online booking to the next batch.