In car computer system

[Lonny]

Does anyone here use a laptop/printer for on the job invoicing? I am going to be a one man show for a bit and don't want to have to go back to the 'office' to input invoices at the end of the day. Just curious- yes someday it will kill me.

 

[Gary T]

I do. I got a ram mount computer mount for my laptop. I just picked up the cannon ip100 mobile printer. I have a Sprint USB cell modem. It all plugs into a 1500 watt power inverter. I can do anything form the truck that I can do from home.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Not in our service vans, but I have mounted a lap top and printer in my van for estimates, etc... Some cell phones are high speed modems, I pay $10 per month extra for unlimited data with sprint.

 

[Lonny]

Laptop and cell sounds like the way to go. cheers guys!

 

[Able 1]

There is no over heating problem with them? Do you guys take them out while your TM is running?

 

[Jim Martin]

for me it would just be a waste of time.......for someone else it would be a good reason to break into my truck.........

I just stay a day ahead of myself and all work orders are already printed and ready to go.. for the next day....I carry blank ones but I don't fill one out maybe 3 times a year....

keep it simple ..time is money.....

 

[Lonny]

What happens if they decide that they want a carpet protector after all? Or they weren't quite as, uh forthcoming as they should have been concerning the condition of the carpet? Hand written is great-unless your handwriting is mine that is.

 

[Jim Martin]

What happens if they decide that they want a carpet protector after all? Or they weren't quite as, uh forthcoming as they should have been concerning the condition of the carpet? Hand written is great-unless your handwriting is mine that is.

the price for everything is already on the work order to the far right.. the total is always blank .If some thing changes I add it on.. ..if not then I just carry the total to the bottom.....

 

[Ron Werner]

I'd get to the quote/job, do up the quote/workorder, they would add or subtract something, etc etc. I got tired of passing a "scribbled-on/crossed out/hard to follow/arrows pointing to the total" workorder to my clients. Then have to come home and enter everything into Mistral. So I bought a laptop and porty printer.
I also got a laptop so I could do inhome presentations during a quote. More influence from JP.

I just replaced everything, bought a $700 laptop at Christmas (my first one was $2400!! 4 yrs ago) and the HP Officejet 470 portable printer in July-$450 (the first one 4yrs ago cost me $634). Everything has a battery so no power issues. I carry that in a backpack so it looks less conspicuous in my truck, and its my office away from home. When I do a quote, or when I'm there to do the work, I enter everything into Mistral, and print it out right there. Nice clean professional work order. Wow's them all the time.

The beauty of it is, when they pass me a check right then, I enter paid, and ALL my paper work for that job is done, right there! I have a filing cabinet drawer filled with old invoices from 94-2003. I bought Mistral in Jun2000, I bought the laptop 5 yrs ago and haven't added one sheet of paper for filing since. I use an offsite email account to store my backup files.