4. Procedure

We'll look at a typical workflow of a new customer requiring a call out to look at a broken gate as this is the most commonly used process. We'll run through first contact to final follow up.

Assume we have been called by a new customer. Pick up the phone and immediately state the company name so that people know they have dialed correctly and are through to a real person who can help them. A friendly proffesional telephone manner is essential.

A. Logging the Job

• Open the CRM (Customer Relations Manager) tab in Clik.

• Select new customer and enter full customer details and site notes. Be sure to include all details including first name, last name, full invoice address and postcode, full site address and postcode if different, all telephone numbers, email addresses, site contacts if different. If you do not add these now they will not appear on the jobsheets and you will have to manually add them to jobsheets later. Check spelling and recite details back to the customer to check. It is sometimes easier to receive details by email if the customer is OK with that BUT do not do this because of lazyness as customers do appreciate it when WE eneter all their details in the computer as it saves them doing it and as does help make a good first impression. If you have a phone in one hand then it can be tricky and slow to type details into the computer so I recommend writing down details with a pen and paper.

• Create a jobsheet. In the CRM/jobsheets tab/ click add new and a new jobsheet will open. Check the site address is the one you want and change it using the dropdown. All the site addresses for that customer will appear, chose the correct one.

• Go to details and in "work to be done" Copy/paste the customer’s email or write verbatim what was said. When customers describe gate issues they sometimes do not make sense. For example a customer may state that the gates "do not open or close". Well if you think about that it's not possible to know this because if the gates do not open then how would you know that they do not close? So try to get accurate information or if this is difficult then just write verbatim what the customer says, stating that these arethe customers word eg "The customer says that the gates were acting funny". That way the engineer attending will know they need to do a bit more research.

B. Setting Job Type & Status

• Job Types: Call Out / Survey / Small Job / Install / Supply Only. In Clik there is a job type dropdown to help us organise tasks into relevant departments. Sales staff do not need a list of job that need invoicing but do need a list of jobs that need quoting. So correctly asign the job. 

  • Call out: The example we are dealing with in this lesson, a visit to gain info on a new problem.

  • Survey: Customer needs a visit to asses their requirments

  • Small Job: This is a premeditated visit, we know what we are doing, it's probably been quoted for but is not a full install of new gates.

  • Install: A new set of gates, automation, multiple days/engineers will be there.

  • Supply only: We are just posting out transmitters or similar, no engineers time will be charged.

• Status Options: There is a status asigned to each job to show and help filter jobs. They can be summarised as: Accepted but not ready, All parts ordered but not arrived, Ready to issue, Issued, Invoice, Invoice and FAR, Proccesed as required

  • Accepted but not ready: means we need to organis the job, order parts, confirm details

  • All parts ordered but not arrived: We have ordered gates etc but they will take a few weeks to get here so we cannot start work yet.

  • Ready to issue: Everything is ready to go, all parts are here, just need to arrange with the customer.

  • Issued: Means we have arranged a time with the customer and allocated the job to the engineer.

  • Invoice/Invoice FAR: The engineer changes this status once they have completed the work and it tells us to either invoice or that FAR (Further Action Required) so we know to check these jobsheets first as they need some action by us, either a quote, parts, or another visit etc...

  • Processed as required: Means that we have invoiced the job and it needs no more action> that can mean invoiced, warranty, cancelled.

C. Scheduling

Once the jobsheet is done click save and go to the diary page.

• Add provisional diary booking or stack jobs on an abitrary day in the future.

• There is a map tab on Clik, you can use this to see where jobs are goegraphically. Group jobs geographically to save time and fuel. Or you can use personally knowledge of geography or use Google maps to plot jobs. 

• If you can confirm a date in advance with customers then do so. Be careful to manage expectations accurately. We cannot know how long call outs take, they range from 10 minutes to 3-4 hours. Give large windows of time. Only the first job of the day can be offered at a specific time.

• Confirm parts/info before final confirmation. Do not shcedule jobs unless we have the parts physically in stock. Murphy's law says that just as you need them they will not turn up. 

• Call/email customer to confirm appointment → mark CONF. Any job that is confirmed at a day/time must be marked CONF in the title so that we know immediately not to move it without communicating with the customer.

D. Allocation to Engineer

• Assign to correct engineer in Clik. Once a time has been agreed and the engineer is ready to receive their jobsheet you can allocate engineers to jobsheets. Go to the engineers tab on the jobsheet and select the engineers that will be in attendence. Select all engineers that will be there so that each one can read/complete jobsheets. In our system the jobsheets automatically changes status to "issued". 

• Ensure they receive the job on their device. A quick call to notify and confirm receipt of jobsheets is useful.

E. Post-Job Wrap-Up

• Office to check job marked as Invoice/FAR. If you suspect a job has been completed but you are not seeing this onthe system then a call to the engineer is required. Check they ahve completed the jobsheet, ticked completed, changed status as required.

• You will see in Clik, in the jobs list, a list of completed jobs awaiting sync. Click sync, or merge, to get these jobs back into the diary page or your jobs list. 

• Look at your jobs list and sort/filter by status, eg "Invoice". Then you can click on each one and do the process required. Work through the list starting iwth anything with an FAR as they are generally more urgent.

• Generate follow-up promptly: Everyone likes to get their invoice or FAR promptly. Commercial customers pay 30 days later if a bill is sent 1 day later if it takes the date to the next month. 

• Once you have done any extra work on the jobsheet write what you have done in the "work done" section. It will be date stamped and is essential record keeping. Write:

  • Invoice numbers

  • Quote numbers

  • Parts quoted and costs

  • Telephone conversations had

  • Otheractions take eg "I craeted a jobsheet for a second visit...."

• Mark job Done/Invoiced: Once action is taken which alters the status of the jobsheet then change the status accordingly. This may now require a quote so set status to "Quote required" so that the sales department will see it on their list of tasks.

• Periodically review open jobs for anything missed. Mistakes can be made by anyone so it is worth checking weekly if any jobs seem to be on the callendar and in the wrong colour, status and check they are correct.