My System for Client Tracking, Billing, Ticketing, etc.

[MikeLierman]

It has taken me a while to accept the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all invoicing, client tracking, notes taking, etc; either software based or web-based it's just not there.

Therefore today, I have decided to stick with a system that I had originally started using. It involves three steps, but it works nicely for me. So I would like to explain what I use in case others are in the same situation as me.

I have in the past tried CommitCRM, TS MAN, Spreadsheets (I shuddered at that idea and never even tried it), MyIT CRM, nothing seemed to be a one-size-fits all. My problem was I wanted a good system that was mostly all online, that way everything was uniform and could be accessed anywhere.

For printing out invoices I use Microsoft Office Account 2009--although it's, dare I say "the plague" (which some people have informed me it is), it works nicely. I have a customized professional looking invoice and it suites my needs. I don't track client information in this program, it's soley for tracking open and close invoices and billing customers. I have it installed on my laptop. I have a printer/scanner. I have an extension cord that plugs into the cigarett liter in my car and travels all the way to the trunk, I plug in my laptop and print the invoice, have the customer sign it and then I scan it into the system when I get back home.

When I scan it into the system, the invoice appears in a dropbox share. I am planning from now on to tell the customer that if they want a copy of the receipt (and automatically be able to see all future invoices/receipts) they need to sign up for dropbox account. (I used to email them a copy of the invoice/receipt, but that is time consuming).

When computers come into the shop I use a free online software call osTicket which allows me to create tickets, prioritize them and best of all I can login using my Droid phone and see everything as well as make notes. Everytime you make a new note, it sends an email to the customer telling them the status and allowing them to click on that link and see that ticket of theirs. (They can also create new tickets via my website.) I have had times where customers would continually call me everyday asking for an update on their computer. This solved that problem because they get email updates and can click the link to see the current status.

Finally, on my Droid phone, I have 3G so I can access the Dropbox and see scanned invoices and such, I can see ticket status and edit them, and my contacts sync with Google (as does my calendar). So I use my contacts to store client information and notes and addresses.

It's not perfect, but I guess it works. I desperately needed someway to allow clients to see their status cause that was beginning to be a big problem. More and more I am seeing clients wanting to access every single bit of paperwork I have on them such as past invoices and tickets. This online solution solves the problem. I hate paying for an incomplete solution so that's why everything I use is practically free. if there was a one-size-fits-all solution that did everything and was exactly what I wanted I wouldn't mind paying $300 but no such thing exists so this is good enough.

Hope this has helped someone. Feel free to ask questions or poke holes in my system. (Or suggest different ways of doing things.)


Mike Lierman

Note: If anyone feels like this should be merged with one of the already existing millions of threads about CRM stuff, feel free to do so.

 

[keeperofthecode]

I currently use quickbooks to track everthing but I'll look into OSTicket. It would be great for customers to be able to get updates automatically. We typically have 50-60 systems in our shop being worked on or waiting to be worked on and the phone calls get to be a bit much. I recently hired a receptionist just handle calls because my techs were spending half their day answering customers questions.

 

[callthatgirl]

I'm using Quickbooks and testing Service sidekick....I think once that is in place, then I will know what doesn't work.

I am working off Outlook and Excel. Seriously. Doing well though, but as biz grows, I need to move ahead.

I can't used my phone for ticketing as I have too many people working with me now.

 

[sjlplat]

osTicket looks interesting. I'll have to try it out.

I've been using Quickbooks Simple Start for invoicing and general bookkeeping. It seems to do everything I need it to do at the moment.

 

[dahljh]

We are also at a point where having a one-stop software solution would be great. At the moment we are using 3 programs to keep track of work orders/inventory/accounting.

We use:

WorkTracer for both depot and onsite work orders. We have tried many programs, both web based and non-web based, and have settled with this easy to use application. We can hire a tech and they can be contributing to the work process within minutes. There are numerous features including a semi-working POS system that keeps track of inventory and also handles walk-in sales. It also sends updates to our website each time we update a work order. Our customers can go to our website and check on their progress. One huge benefit is the cost. For one extremely low price, we get a program that lets us have unlimited employees and is also networked. We have one computer at the counter for intake, two at the technician benches for work order notes as we work on machines, and one in the office for calling customers or sending out invoices. No individual licenses for each employee or workstation. Drawbacks: It does not have any Quickbooks export function and is a little skimpy on custom reporting.

PhpCoin for ISP/web development/hosting accounts. Easy to use and is the best program we have found for recurring invoicing that is needed for domain name, hosting, secure certificate renewals, etc. It is web based and automatically creates and emails invoices, sends out overdue notices, and will even shut off accounts upon expiration for all of our recurring web hosting products/services. It has PayPal integration for accepting credit cards and has a trouble ticket/FAQ system. It's truly an automated application that saves us a lot of time and money.

Quickbooks Pro for accounting. We use it for Accounts Payable and Payroll.

Several years ago we used a web application called RepairShop2 that was EXCELLENT and did everything we were looking for. For some reason the author has not maintained it and I just don’t trust the app anymore without ongoing security updates.

Unfortunately, all 3 programs we use now have separate customer databases that do not integrate with each other. Also, after servicing business clients for over 8 years we have a huge amount of “Onsite Specs” (Individual workstation info, Router/Firewall info, passwords, etc..) that we have in an in-house database. This is where a web based app would make our onsite calls so much better.

Wouldn’t it be great to have one application for our industry that handles everything?

We would be interested in forming some kind of group or committee with other businesses here to gather specs on an "all-in-one" application that fits our specific industry needs. We could discuss hiring a programmer as a group to make such an application. The need is there. If the cost was right and the application fit all of our needs I am sure every tech here would purchase it.

Any thoughts?

 

[sjlplat]

We would be interested in forming some kind of group or committee with other businesses here to gather specs on an "all-in-one" application that fits our specific industry needs. We could discuss hiring a programmer as a group to make such an application. The need is there. If the cost was right and the application fit all of our needs I am sure every tech here would purchase it.

I can program it, but it's a major undertaking. I'm just guessing it would take at least 6 months before I have anything ready for alpha testing. If I have input from businesses who can give me usable ideas, it would be a lot easier to implement than if I just wing it. I just started in the business, so I have a lot to learn about how it all works, what works best, what doesn't work, etc...

 

[dahljh]

I can program it, but it's a major undertaking. I'm just guessing it would take at least 6 months before I have anything ready for alpha testing. If I have input from businesses who can give me usable ideas, it would be a lot easier to implement than if I just wing it. I just started in the business, so I have a lot to learn about how it all works, what works best, what doesn't work, etc...

I am also a programmer, just have no time. I envision a web app, probably in PHP/mySQL.

One criteria I would l love to see is access through a Blackberry.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[ash]

I have been using Zoho Invoice for a while now but have not taken advantage of Zoho CRM. They have recently created an app for GoogleApps users which integrates their CRM product into googleapps accounts.

They also provide Zoho Creator which allows for designing your own database app or choosing from one of many others in their own marketplace (all these marketplaces are going to get confusing!). I've just noticed that there is a Zoho Help Desk app that can be installed for free and plan on checking it out later. With all the modularity and customization that can be done it would seem to have the ability to fit anyone's needs, but as I've said, I haven't ventured far beyond the functionality of the invoice service.

What I like about Zoho is that you can sign in with your current google, googleapps, yahoo, or facebook account and have access to trial/free versions of all their products. The free versions are usually limited in terms of number of users per app, number of invoices per month, etc but otherwise fully functional. APIs are also available for further customization.

 

[markr]

CommitCRM does almost everything we need including a client-web-portal. In the past I used to develop small apps and utilities myself (I used Visual Basic). Personally I think that developing such an all-in-one system will take years, not just months... and that the costs (your time) would be much higher than buying any available commercial system now and having your time spent on your business.

 

[manderso]

It has taken me a while to accept the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all invoicing, client tracking, notes taking, etc; either software based or web-based it's just not there.

Therefore today, I have decided to stick with a system that I had originally started using. It involves three steps, but it works nicely for me. So I would like to explain what I use in case others are in the same situation as me.

I have in the past tried CommitCRM, TS MAN, Spreadsheets (I shuddered at that idea and never even tried it), MyIT CRM, nothing seemed to be a one-size-fits all. My problem was I wanted a good system that was mostly all online, that way everything was uniform and could be accessed anywhere.

For printing out invoices I use Microsoft Office Account 2009--although it's, dare I say "the plague" (which some people have informed me it is), it works nicely. I have a customized professional looking invoice and it suites my needs. I don't track client information in this program, it's soley for tracking open and close invoices and billing customers. I have it installed on my laptop. I have a printer/scanner. I have an extension cord that plugs into the cigarett liter in my car and travels all the way to the trunk, I plug in my laptop and print the invoice, have the customer sign it and then I scan it into the system when I get back home.

When I scan it into the system, the invoice appears in a dropbox share. I am planning from now on to tell the customer that if they want a copy of the receipt (and automatically be able to see all future invoices/receipts) they need to sign up for dropbox account. (I used to email them a copy of the invoice/receipt, but that is time consuming).

When computers come into the shop I use a free online software call osTicket which allows me to create tickets, prioritize them and best of all I can login using my Droid phone and see everything as well as make notes. Everytime you make a new note, it sends an email to the customer telling them the status and allowing them to click on that link and see that ticket of theirs. (They can also create new tickets via my website.) I have had times where customers would continually call me everyday asking for an update on their computer. This solved that problem because they get email updates and can click the link to see the current status.

Finally, on my Droid phone, I have 3G so I can access the Dropbox and see scanned invoices and such, I can see ticket status and edit them, and my contacts sync with Google (as does my calendar). So I use my contacts to store client information and notes and addresses.

It's not perfect, but I guess it works. I desperately needed someway to allow clients to see their status cause that was beginning to be a big problem. More and more I am seeing clients wanting to access every single bit of paperwork I have on them such as past invoices and tickets. This online solution solves the problem. I hate paying for an incomplete solution so that's why everything I use is practically free. if there was a one-size-fits-all solution that did everything and was exactly what I wanted I wouldn't mind paying $300 but no such thing exists so this is good enough.

Hope this has helped someone. Feel free to ask questions or poke holes in my system. (Or suggest different ways of doing things.)


Mike Lierman

Note: If anyone feels like this should be merged with one of the already existing millions of threads about CRM stuff, feel free to do so.

Were you able to customize the customer fields (listings) to add certain fields (customer hardware, passwords)? I can add them in the custom field tab, but the fields are too small. Memo is too small. Can you use accounting 2009 to keep track of customer hardware/licenses?

 

[jmyersnc]

have you tried MHelpdesk yet? I've been using it for a few months, and I can do that with it.

 

[MakoLogics]

Freshbooks

We use Freshbooks.com I have to says it's amazing, I can create invoices on my iPhone see whats been paid or who owes money. I can set up monthly contracts that re-bill automatically, bill hourly, accept Credit Cards etc. The absolute best thing about this service besides the support, the fact that I set it and forget it. What I mean by this is it keeps track of EVERYTHING, people who have not paid etc. If they don't pay on time it send them an email every X days. This is great for me because that's my biggest problem, getting paid. Usually after the 3rd email they pay up. I just dont have time to chase people for payments.

I have tried many other solutions, for me this is BY FAR the best fit.

O and it has the best looking invoices!

 

[TimJacobs]

I can program it, but it's a major undertaking. I'm just guessing it would take at least 6 months before I have anything ready for alpha testing. If I have input from businesses who can give me usable ideas, it would be a lot easier to implement than if I just wing it. I just started in the business, so I have a lot to learn about how it all works, what works best, what doesn't work, etc...

I can help test it.... I'm not a programmer, but any thing I can do to help, I would.... You can always start with a Shell Program and Change it to our needs...

Something like MyIT CRM, This is just me rambling....

Oh and I know I don't post much but I do read everyday.

 

[ZPR]

I use OSTickets for drop offs and I use Quickbooks Simple Start 2010 for Invoices, I used to use GnuCash when I first started out.

I keep a copy of the invoice as a PDF on my computer. But if they want a copy right there, and I am onsite, I still got to pull out my 3-part Invoice book, otherwise I would just E-mail them the PDF.

But outside of Invoices, I have a paper file system organized by the name on the account. But currently working on a solution using PHP and MySQL to help minimize the paper work

 

[arringtondla]

Client Tracking Software

Hello.

Is anyone here using or looking at a help desk system called "Personal Helpdesk for Outlook" or "Team Helpdesk for Outlook" by assistmyteam.net? It has a lot of features like a solutions knowledge base, asset tracking, collaborating or escalating tickets between techs, a web portal for customers to place tickets and check up on job status, a technician portal, email alerts and Skype integration for SMS messages, a ton of reports and you can even export your data to various databases like MySQL or MS Access all done through MS Outlook.

Of course the one major negative about the software, is it doesn't have a POS/customer billing feature; you could input your job time/rate at least. I suggest that this could be something to look into; there is a free 30 day trial to download and the support staff are very helpful. I'm thinking about using it since I'm a 'on site only' guy; it seems to be more suited for me since I can receive email alerts for new tickets on my Android phone while I'm out and everything is in one place. Plus I'm still a little worried about the security and privacy using online services like Freshbooks or Quickbooks Online. What do you think?

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

If you setup a small business server in your office, you can sync your exchange/outlook calendar and emails with your crackberry, iphone, android.

You can then keep your clients asset information, IP address, remote user name and password and any other info you need for each client on your pda.

We use QBooks for Work order/Invoicing, CRM and accounting.

 

[DCGPX]

Were you able to customize the customer fields (listings) to add certain fields (customer hardware, passwords)? I can add them in the custom field tab, but the fields are too small. Memo is too small. Can you use accounting 2009 to keep track of customer hardware/licenses?

I use MS Accounting 2009 Pro as well, simply because Ive used it since the free version came out and got used to it.

I use the Details tab on Customers and added new Header 'PC Details' and then fields for Windows version/Key, Admin/User passwords, router password/IP address. This is only info I keep and for Data protection Account file is encryped and password protected.

Its quite flexible that way , if need be I could change it to PC Details 1 add another PC Details 2 for multiple PCs if I needed.

Other swear by PCRT and similar but MSA2009 suits me at moment.