POS system vs clipboard

I used to carry a clip board with service orders and invoices, etc. I had an excel sheet printed to keep my schedule and had to call to run my cards. Last year I stopped giving paper receipts, and started using Square to accept credit cards.

since ive never had a customer complain so bad we had to go to the service order contract I used to make them sign before each job, I stopped using those and only use the POS that square has on my ipad. Keeps track of my invoices, I can export reports, etc.

And since I was using my ipad, I starting using the calendar to keep my schedule, the last update even includes a map on each event. I also downloaded another app to keep track of my expenses/receipts.

Ho do you guys handle this? ive always had an the idea to build an app with everything I need, but its just to expensive. It would be nice to have an app where you can keep the schedule, service orders, with signature, customer data base, etc personalized for carpet cleaners.

I have been asking for an industry-based all-in-one program just like you mentioned, but nothing yet out there that I know of.

I'm still a cross between Barney Miller and Star Wars. Some tech in play, but also keep paper records and issue invoice copies both on-site and via email.

This is by far my greatest weakness....organization.

Im handling it the way you used to Bus the scheduling gets a little rough when I don't have it in front of me and I have to call them back to put them on the schedule

By the way, was I the only one who read the title and expected a different definition for "POS"?

I'm no expert on "point of sale", but I have tremendous experience dealing with a lot of "POS" in my life.

I have been using a program called the Customer Factor for the last year. It does all the above except for the signature thing. They are still growing so it doesnt have every feature like real cool apps (they are releasing them soon) and stuff. I us it on my tablet or at home on my PC. I keep track of all my customers, it keeps track of expenses and will sync with quickbooks if you need it to, I can email invoices to the customers on site, send my thank you postcards and reminder postcards also from the program.
They are releasing soon a text message reminders so you can shoot a text to the customer as you are headed to the job.

My first thought of POS was something else. My bad

we use google with some add ons.

there are several programs just like you describe for carpet cleaners

house call, service monster, razor sync

they all cost money and ive tried them all except house call. I like google + square with youcanbookme

TimM wrote:I have been using a program called the Customer Factor for the last year. It does all the above except for the signature thing. They are still growing so it doesnt have every feature like real cool apps (they are releasing them soon) and stuff. I us it on my tablet or at home on my PC. I keep track of all my customers, it keeps track of expenses and will sync with quickbooks if you need it to, I can email invoices to the customers on site, send my thank you postcards and reminder postcards also from the program.
They are releasing soon a text message reminders so you can shoot a text to the customer as you are headed to the job.

I think you told us about them before....I should have listened, I really like their website. It sounds like a pretty good system for me and will be trying it out.

Thanks for the tip and the topic gang.

Youcanbook.me was mentioned........man what a calamity of errors that is, in my experience anyways.

milspec6 wrote:

TimM wrote:I have been using a program called the Customer Factor for the last year. It does all the above except for the signature thing. They are still growing so it doesnt have every feature like real cool apps (they are releasing them soon) and stuff. I us it on my tablet or at home on my PC. I keep track of all my customers, it keeps track of expenses and will sync with quickbooks if you need it to, I can email invoices to the customers on site, send my thank you postcards and reminder postcards also from the program.
They are releasing soon a text message reminders so you can shoot a text to the customer as you are headed to the job.

I think you told us about them before....I should have listened, I really like their website.  It sounds like a pretty good system for me and will be trying it out.

Thanks for the tip and the topic gang.

It is like anything else in this industry, you ask 5 people about a product and you get 5 different answers. Like I said, it works good for me, its affordable, they are very proactive on adding features and anytime you have a question they are very quick to get back to you. They do offer free web hosting also. There is no set up fees and if you dont like it after the first month they will give you your money back.

TimM wrote:

milspec6 wrote:

TimM wrote:I have been using a program called the Customer Factor for the last year. It does all the above except for the signature thing. They are still growing so it doesnt have every feature like real cool apps (they are releasing them soon) and stuff. I us it on my tablet or at home on my PC. I keep track of all my customers, it keeps track of expenses and will sync with quickbooks if you need it to, I can email invoices to the customers on site, send my thank you postcards and reminder postcards also from the program.
They are releasing soon a text message reminders so you can shoot a text to the customer as you are headed to the job.

I think you told us about them before....I should have listened, I really like their website.  It sounds like a pretty good system for me and will be trying it out.

Thanks for the tip and the topic gang.

It is like anything else in this industry, you ask 5 people about a product and you get 5 different answers. Like I said, it works good for me, its affordable, they are very proactive on adding features and anytime you have a question they are very quick to get back to you. They do offer free web hosting also. There is no set up fees and if you dont like it after the first month they will give you your money back.

Every part of that description sounds good to me....especially the customer service side of it.  I don't like using programs without support that doesn't put you on hold for 4 hours.  

No kidding, I was put on hold for 4 hours by a company and then they dropped the call when they tried to transfer me to yet another department.  I think that was illustrated in Dante's Inferno as well.

milspec6 wrote:By the way, was I the only one who read the title and expected a different definition for "POS"?

I'm no expert on "point of sale", but I have tremendous experience dealing with a lot of "POS" in my life.

LOL, it's almost like we're related