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When running a lawn mowing business that provides on-site yard maintenance services to customers, it is imperative that you maintain an organized schedule of your upcoming field service jobs.
With so many types of lawn maintenance job scheduling software products to pick from, it may seem overwhelming trying to decide the right software for you and your business, which is exactly why we have created this guide.
We understand that you should spend less time reading and more time growing your business, so let’s get started.
What is Lawn Maintenance Job Scheduling Software?
Lawn mowing scheduling software is more than just an operating system used to organized appointments and tasks. Job scheduling software has the ability to record the hours an employee has worked, record an employee’s time and attendance, synchronize multiple calendars, allow users to access and book their own appointments, send automatic reminders, create invoices, dispatch employees, and so much more.
Each software has something to offer, and no two solutions are the same, so it is important to know what each software has to offer to decide which one is right for you.
Depending on your business, you may need job scheduling software that is tailored more for appointments, dispatch, and calendar synchronization and less with features related to employee pay, time, and attendance tracking.
Decide What You Need in Your Scheduling Software
Before you began reading this guide, you probably had an idea of what you need the field service scheduling software to offer.
Job scheduling software may include any of the following features. It is important to keep in mind that some software may offer all of these features, while other software may specialize in only one or two specific features that go into scheduling jobs and running a business. This is why it is so important to know what features you need the job scheduling software to include.
Field Service Calendar Management
This may be the most important feature of job scheduling software. Calendar management will keep your appointments, jobs, and tasks organized. Calendar management will let you or your employees know what the tasks are for each week and where they are located, allowing you to make more appointments to fill in the gaps where there are vacancies. Software specifically designed for lawn mowing companies to manage their accounts with a calendar is very important.
Automatic Job Reminders
You can set automatic reminders to call, text message, or email the client 24 hours before the appointment or visit. Automatic reminders help clients confirm, reschedule, or cancel their appointment. If canceling, the job scheduling software should be able to update the calendar instantaneously so that you and your staff have a real-time view of both scheduled jobs and vacancies.
Schedule Recurring Visits and View Follow-Ups
Most lawn maintenance accounts are set on a recurring schedule. This means, you should set up the account, with job tasks, assign it to a crew, then set the recurring schedule. Sagenine provides a designated section in the software where you can add, view, and edit the lawn mowing job--including changing the day, crew and time.
Creating Invoices
Your software should have an invoicing feature included, so that you can take care of all the needs of the businesses in one place. This feature may not be a requirement for you if you have an invoicing and financial application that you prefer to use and keep separate from your job scheduling and work orders.
Inventory & Purchase Orders
You may be required to keep spare parts or materials on-hand when making a service call. You will need to keep up with your inventory to know when the last order was made and how much product you currently have. Job scheduling software with integrated inventory and purchase order capabilities can help you keep track of all the components that are related to each scheduled job.
iOS or Android Application
To be able to track work orders, view calendars, and communicate with other team members, look for lawn mowing software that includes a mobile app that your crews can use daily.
Let’s Look at the Best Job Scheduling Software Available
Now that you know some of the main features that can be found in job scheduling software, it’s time to take a look at some of these applications to see what they have to offer and how they may be the best for you.
Upkeep
Upkeep is used by manufacturers, restaurants, schools, and municipalities all across the nation to help streamline work orders and maintenance requests. While the software is designed to help large companies with multiple facilities, Upkeep has a plan for smaller businesses that do not need some of the features the high-end plan has to offer.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is job scheduling software that is designed to give customers the ability to schedule and pay for service calls online. Customers can view your real-time availability when selecting their appointment so there is no confusion for you or the client on what time will work for each of you.
You can also create custom intake forms for customers to complete when they set up their appointment. This allows you to gain specific information about the customer and the service they are requesting. Other features of Acuity Scheduling include calendar synchronization, PayPal compatibility, automated reminders, and subscription and membership packages.
Service Titan
Organizing jobs, dispatching service technicians, and invoicing jobs are all possible with ServiceTitan. ServiceTitan works with many third-party applications, such as Quickbooks, Intacct, and GreenSky. While in the field, use the GreenSky add-on to offer financing to customers on-the-spot. Other features include reporting payroll, viewing customer agreements, monitoring inventory, and scheduling appointments. There is also a ServiceTitan mobile application that allows you to access all of these features on-the-go.
ServiceTitan is a good choice, but it is very expensive: expect to pay $250 per user per month. (Most lawn and landscape companies will not need this product).
Conclusion
We hope we have helped you understand what to look for when choosing the best job scheduling software for your business needs. The most important step in the process is to decide what feature(s) you want the job scheduling software to have. Also, monthly cost is a very important factor in choosing your field service software. If cost is important to you, have a look at Sagenine's field service software. Sagenine does not charge per-user, and you can start small and scale as you grow your lawn maintenance business.