F
FB19087
Guest
At least as long as it takes to burn through the last round of funding...........
House Call Pro info
- Thread starter rolandal
- Start date
F
FB19087
Guest
and your answer is BS
WillS
Supportive Member
Your rep Andrew is a great guy, very helpful etc. we just got turned off from HC though because of the reasons above. We aren't looking to compete with other companies using HC market app. We simply needed a scheduling software to do just that, scheduling. Not trying to get our customers to download an app that has competitors on it, can't use our own credit card processing system (to close out invoices using credit card you have to use HCs credit card processor or you can't close out invoices). Even if you turn off the market place text message notifications to customers telling them to download the app, the email invoices still advertise to the customer to download the app (at the bottom). According to the article above, HC is geared to promoting downloads of the app then personalizing small business needs for scheduling. For business not concerned with this, HC would be ideal for you.
Desk Jockey
Member
Yea I don't really care to be Johnny fookin Apple seed for anyone other than myself. 
Last edited by a moderator:
You aren't competing with any other companies in the booking app. All your customers that happen do download the booking app, either through a text notification (which you can optionally turn off), or through hearing about it elsewhere will only see you.
You're a young guy and building an impressive business fast in your area and our ideal customer so it's really frustrating that our marketing or demo didn't address the concerns you might have.
Also, you don't have to use our credit card processing, which is lower than anything else you'll find (1.99%). If you enjoy paying more or using your own system, you can simply close out the invoice by selecting Other.
According to this article: http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/16/housecall/ all we do is serve homeowners...... but in reality when we first started we were looking to solve our own problems (not being able to find a good service provider quickly and easily), and what we realized in about a years time that the people that need help too are the service providers which have to stitch together multiple different applications to run their business (most often we find them using a combination of Square/Google Calendar/Quickbooks online or some other outdated PHP web app built in the 200X).
So we set out to build the best service provider software that we could, knowing that the ones that "see the light/vision" in running their business in a modern way would love to be able to be booked via an app (which is the original HouseCall booking app).
In order for that to work we had to make sure that existing clients of the service professional would not be charged any referral fee since it's their client. Sounds fair right?
If you decide to ever not use HouseCall Pro, then all your data gets destroyed. Obviously if one of your clients installed the booking app, then we can't invade their phone and delete it from their miraculously (there is no API for that).
If you're worried about your client booking someone else, you should realise that if you provided them a great service at a fair price they'll call you up again.
If you did a shitty job or didn't provide a good service then they will either simply go back to google, yelp, angieslist, thumbtack, homeadvisor or any of the other many ways people look for carpet cleaners.
Sounds like how any other business and client would operate too?
smastio
Member
and what do you "covet" Clarice?
Desk Jockey
Member
"There's another old saying, Senator:
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining."
Fletcher The Outlaw Josey Wales
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining."
Fletcher The Outlaw Josey Wales
Last edited by a moderator:
smastio
Member
WillS
Supportive Member
That information should be passed onto your reps then, because I was continually told you can only turn off messaging on desktop and that we had to use your credit card processing device to close out invoices. The "other" option was not explained or offered.
Desk Jockey
Member
F
FB19087
Guest
So they would no longer see Russell Roberts and Todd Vincent if they navigated to carpet cleaning?
Desk Jockey
Member
Pathetic!
Yup that's right exactly right! His customers could either use the unique code that links them together or simply their emails!
Ruben Mier
Member
That is correct. You would have to turn yourself on in the marketplace. Then, your customers will not be able to see your competition if they download the booking app with your invite code (which is automatically embedded in your text notifications).
1. You have to be on in the marketplace
2. Your customer has to install the app through a text notification link which goes out when you schedule, when you're on your way, or when you close out the job
3. If your customer downloads the app independently of the automatic text notification links, they will ONLY be attached to you via the booking app if the email they enter into their consumer account matches the email you have of them in your database.
Does that make sense?
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
I like my "Square/google calendar/quickbooks online" combo more and more....
Ruben Mier
Member
True, you can quilt together several tools that generally don't communicate with each other and have separate account processes, or you can choose HouseCall Pro, the one-stop-shop tool that merges everything together. Personally, I would rather have one tool that does it all than a bunch of tools that have to be separately managed.
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
I can make toast and coffee at the same time. :-)
Ruben Mier
Member
You should invite me over for breakfast then. I understand where you are coming from. We are just trying to make it easy to run everything under one roof so you don't have to log-in to everything and keep track of separate accounts. We also have a great post card/email customer remarketing feature (an many other features that can help your business). Calendar, quickbooks, and payment processing are just 3 of our many features. PLUS, we are cheaper than Square (1.99%)
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
When i left salesforce and all their apps, they didnt sell that information to the rookie of the week
When i stop using an app they dont get to keep that information and sell it to a competitor
When i stop using an app they dont get to keep that information and sell it to a competitor
Ruben Mier
Member
When i left salesforce and all their apps, they didnt sell that information to the rookie of the week
When i stop using an app they dont get to keep that information and sell it to a competitor
Again Shane, we will not sell anything of yours to anyone. We will not market to your client list.
Desk Jockey
Member
There are always going to be inherent issues when the seller of the app is more concerned about proliferation of the app than they are on your business. 
That doesn't mean you should sign up, just know what you signing up for.
That doesn't mean you should sign up, just know what you signing up for.
Mikey P
Administrator
Ruben
Lee uses a Jitter Bug.
Move on.
Lee uses a Jitter Bug.
Move on.
Ruben Mier
Member
This is simply incorrect. We are not more concerned with the proliferation of the app than improving businesses, and our track record shows it. There has been no other field service management software that has developed more features to help businesses in so short a time as HousCall Pro. We literally take feedback and implement changes/features within an average of two weeks.There are always going to be inherent issues when the seller of the app is more concerned about proliferation of the app than they are on your business.
That doesn't mean you should sign up, just know what you signing up for.
If we didn't care about improving your business, we clearly would not do this. We would be mass marketing the app, which we are not. Our going concern is to develop a one-stop-shop tool to run and grow your business. Thats all.
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
How come every article online says you match up homeowners with contractors? You said its imperative the pros bring in the clients....
This field service angle started when you started posting on forums.
Ruben when a cleaner leaves HC the customer keeps the app and it is still live. They are just not in carpet cleaner section anymore, 50 $69 whole house guys are.
We dont bring customers to angie, they advertise and bring customers to us.
Quit being disingenuous, you know all this ....
This field service angle started when you started posting on forums.
Ruben when a cleaner leaves HC the customer keeps the app and it is still live. They are just not in carpet cleaner section anymore, 50 $69 whole house guys are.
We dont bring customers to angie, they advertise and bring customers to us.
Quit being disingenuous, you know all this ....
Ruben Mier
Member
I am not being disingenuous at all. The articles you are referring to were sourced back when we were pushing the consumer side of our app. We have since then shifted drastically and began developing features for service professionals to create the best software as a service tool for pros like you.How come every article online says you match up homeowners with contractors? You said its imperative the pros bring in the clients....
This field service angle started when you started posting on forums.
Ruben when a cleaner leaves HC the customer keeps the app and it is still live. They are just not in carpet cleaner section anymore, 50 $69 whole house guys are.
We dont bring customers to angie, they advertise and bring customers to us.
Quit being disingenuous, you know all this ....
IF the customer downloads the app, they will have the right to continue using it. This is no different than your customer going on Yelp or Google to find other alternatives. Are you going to go after them also? You can't control your customers tastes and preferences. Our booking app is no different than the millions of other alternatives your customers can select to find services.
Comparing us to Angie's is not effective at all. We don't do bids. We simply create tools to run your business. Ultimately when there are more consumers on the app, you will get more business, but as it stands now, we are creating a product for service professionals to better operate their businesses. I really don't see why you are so accusative on these threads.
This "field service angle" is our business model. Not an angle.
Desk Jockey
Member
50/50? I don't see how the app serves me 100%.
If I were to ask my client to up load a service app, I'd want it exclusive to my company.
Maybe I'm asking too much but I only care about myself.
I don't care if you're going to kick me back a few dollars for others service providers business. I'd rather not be associated with that type of program. Maybe its just me but I'm not willing to put that burden of downloading an app just to schedule me. Nothing personal!
Ruben Mier
Member
You would show up in your category exclusively. If your customer downloads the app via your automated text notifications or using your code, your customer would only see you in the carpet cleaning section.50/50? I don't see how the app serves me 100%.
If I were to ask my client to up load a service app, I'd want it exclusive to my company.
Maybe I'm asking too much but I only care about myself.
I don't care if you're going to kick me back a few dollars for others service providers business. I'd rather not be associated with that type of program. Maybe its just me but I'm not willing to put that burden of downloading an app just to schedule me. Nothing personal!
Moreover, you can now UNIVERSALLY shut off the consumer app altogether with the simple toggle of a button.
Ruben Mier
Member
Here is a nice, informative post that my CEO wrote:
Hi all,
I am Ian Heidt the CEO of HouseCall.
Sorry I wasn't able to respond as quickly as you would have liked. I was simply asleep last night when the thread got going. Got back up this morning to work on some more features for the software and Roland and Ruben pointed me to the thread to chime in.
Happy to do so!
Also wanted to take the time to write something thoughtful and open it up for any follow-up.
Why did we start HouseCall?
We wanted to create the best experience for service professionals and their customers. Increasingly, everyone is using their smartphone for everything. In addition, software systems are starting to connect customers and service providers together. It just makes things easier from a customer service perspective.
We didn't see much new technology being offered in the home services space that really used the best of what mobile could offer. So we all quit our jobs and started HouseCall. We are simply a tight group of friend with spouse, kids, mortgages trying to take a stab at building a great company. Hopefully if you have interacted with any of us personally, you will have found that we extend the care we have inside the company outwards.
What is our business plan?
It is to sell software to home services companies to better run their business. Our software is relatively inexpensive for the features it offers for a couple reasons. 1) We use the latest software technologies, and the cost to create software has plummeted in the last 5 years. If we don’t price it appropriately, someone else will. 2) We still have some additional features to create and we are offering everything at a discount while we are getting going. We think it’s only fair that companies that help us grow share in that through a reduced price. The price will go up in the future, but TMF folks can lock-in now at a reduced price. And things will only get better.
How do we view the customer app?
The customer app is an important part of the service because we think it helps the experience. If someone has a quick question, they can message you. If you choose to send the 'on my way' notification, customers can see how long it will be until you arrive. If someone can't quite remember who cleaned their carpets last year, they can quickly find you in the app. By inputting you customers in the CRM, we can then make you the default provider for those customers.
We think that is fair. Your customers see you. My Dad was a house painter my whole life and he built his business on word of mouth referrals. He did great work and people were happy with his service. They trusted him. That trust translated into repeat business time and time again. We want to strengthen that bond now that the world is going digital. The only way to link that up is to associate a digital information like a customer email address or code with your business.
As part of HouseCall, if we can drive you new customers through the customer app there is a 10% referral fee. There is never a fee for existing customers and they can use the customer app freely.
Also, the app is designed to drive customer booking across home services categories because we have seen that is what homeowners desire. An easy place to take care of all the things in their home. Our typical customer app behavior in San Diego is that homeowners are introduced to the app through a service professional they trust and use the app repeatedly with that service professional. They then love that they have been introduced to a convenient way to find new service professionals in other home services categories that are not competitive to the person that introduced them to the app.
Do I have you use the customer app?
No.
How do I turn it off?
Until now we have said just call us. This has been because 99% of customers have been excited to use it as a marketing channel. It gives them the ability to offer their customers the latest technology.
On Sunday, we will include a simple ON/OFF switch in the web portal to turn it off.
Why wasn't this available before?
We are just trying to get through all the things we still need to make the service exceptional. We still have a long ways to go and with a relatively small team, we just can't get to all the things we want to at once.
Also we are learning along the way about how to make it great. We listen to feedback you give and make changes. We will always do that. It's the only way IMHO.
But, we are FAST. We didn't even know postcards mattered 2 months ago. We hadn't come across that need before, but quickly realized its importance in driving new business to your companies. So I asked the team how quickly we could have it done. We worked through weekends and finished a working version in 10 days. We can also use the latest technologies and pass any cost savings on to you.
We commit that we will keep working just as hard to improve everything else. And boy do we still have a ways to go!
What else are we still working on?
Estimates, Qty * Unit pricing, Discounts, Crews (sending more than 1 person to a job) Tax on individual items, Additional role/permissions for employees, Show all jobs on the apps for Admins (not just jobs assigned to that person), + more!
Are we going to market to your customer database without your permission?
No.
Do we give you tools to market to your customer database?
Yes.
What is the refund policy?
Full refund within 30-days of signing up.
Happy to answer more questions & see you on the webinar too!
Grabbing lunch now, but back in 45 mins.
Kind regards,
Ian
Hi all,
I am Ian Heidt the CEO of HouseCall.
Sorry I wasn't able to respond as quickly as you would have liked. I was simply asleep last night when the thread got going. Got back up this morning to work on some more features for the software and Roland and Ruben pointed me to the thread to chime in.
Happy to do so!
Also wanted to take the time to write something thoughtful and open it up for any follow-up.
Why did we start HouseCall?
We wanted to create the best experience for service professionals and their customers. Increasingly, everyone is using their smartphone for everything. In addition, software systems are starting to connect customers and service providers together. It just makes things easier from a customer service perspective.
We didn't see much new technology being offered in the home services space that really used the best of what mobile could offer. So we all quit our jobs and started HouseCall. We are simply a tight group of friend with spouse, kids, mortgages trying to take a stab at building a great company. Hopefully if you have interacted with any of us personally, you will have found that we extend the care we have inside the company outwards.
What is our business plan?
It is to sell software to home services companies to better run their business. Our software is relatively inexpensive for the features it offers for a couple reasons. 1) We use the latest software technologies, and the cost to create software has plummeted in the last 5 years. If we don’t price it appropriately, someone else will. 2) We still have some additional features to create and we are offering everything at a discount while we are getting going. We think it’s only fair that companies that help us grow share in that through a reduced price. The price will go up in the future, but TMF folks can lock-in now at a reduced price. And things will only get better.
How do we view the customer app?
The customer app is an important part of the service because we think it helps the experience. If someone has a quick question, they can message you. If you choose to send the 'on my way' notification, customers can see how long it will be until you arrive. If someone can't quite remember who cleaned their carpets last year, they can quickly find you in the app. By inputting you customers in the CRM, we can then make you the default provider for those customers.
We think that is fair. Your customers see you. My Dad was a house painter my whole life and he built his business on word of mouth referrals. He did great work and people were happy with his service. They trusted him. That trust translated into repeat business time and time again. We want to strengthen that bond now that the world is going digital. The only way to link that up is to associate a digital information like a customer email address or code with your business.
As part of HouseCall, if we can drive you new customers through the customer app there is a 10% referral fee. There is never a fee for existing customers and they can use the customer app freely.
Also, the app is designed to drive customer booking across home services categories because we have seen that is what homeowners desire. An easy place to take care of all the things in their home. Our typical customer app behavior in San Diego is that homeowners are introduced to the app through a service professional they trust and use the app repeatedly with that service professional. They then love that they have been introduced to a convenient way to find new service professionals in other home services categories that are not competitive to the person that introduced them to the app.
Do I have you use the customer app?
No.
How do I turn it off?
Until now we have said just call us. This has been because 99% of customers have been excited to use it as a marketing channel. It gives them the ability to offer their customers the latest technology.
On Sunday, we will include a simple ON/OFF switch in the web portal to turn it off.
Why wasn't this available before?
We are just trying to get through all the things we still need to make the service exceptional. We still have a long ways to go and with a relatively small team, we just can't get to all the things we want to at once.
Also we are learning along the way about how to make it great. We listen to feedback you give and make changes. We will always do that. It's the only way IMHO.
But, we are FAST. We didn't even know postcards mattered 2 months ago. We hadn't come across that need before, but quickly realized its importance in driving new business to your companies. So I asked the team how quickly we could have it done. We worked through weekends and finished a working version in 10 days. We can also use the latest technologies and pass any cost savings on to you.
We commit that we will keep working just as hard to improve everything else. And boy do we still have a ways to go!
What else are we still working on?
Estimates, Qty * Unit pricing, Discounts, Crews (sending more than 1 person to a job) Tax on individual items, Additional role/permissions for employees, Show all jobs on the apps for Admins (not just jobs assigned to that person), + more!
Are we going to market to your customer database without your permission?
No.
Do we give you tools to market to your customer database?
Yes.
What is the refund policy?
Full refund within 30-days of signing up.
Happy to answer more questions & see you on the webinar too!
Grabbing lunch now, but back in 45 mins.
Kind regards,
Ian
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
Good responses.
We are a tough crowd, but will genuinely shorten YOUR learning curve. A win/win.
We are a tough crowd, but will genuinely shorten YOUR learning curve. A win/win.
Ruben Mier
Member
Yea we are grateful for feedback for sure. Just trying to make HouseCall Pro the best experience out there.
