Is field service software like Jobber or Housecall Pro worth it for a small service business?
It can be, if you will use the quoting, scheduling, invoicing and payment parts every week. Jobber and Housecall Pro describe themselves as running those jobs in one place, with some marketing extras added. Whether it is worth it depends on your volume and habits, so compare what each does, whether you can export your customer list, and whether a simple tracker would already do.
What these tools say they do
Jobber's home page calls it "The all-in-one system for high-performing service pros". Housecall Pro's features page says it covers "scheduling, dispatching, estimates, invoicing, and payments in one place". Both also describe a page where customers can look at their own work: Jobber's help says clients can "view quotes, invoices, and upcoming appointments", and Housecall Pro lists a customer portal where they can approve estimates and pay invoices.
These are the vendors' own descriptions, not tested results.
The parts that touch marketing
Jobber's marketing page describes review requests sent after a job, follow-up emails to past customers and online booking. Housecall Pro lists review management, email marketing, online booking and campaigns that send emails and texts, plus an ad item for Google Local Services.
Text customers only with their consent, and the related answer on texting a lead explains why. Ask for a review plainly, and do not offer a reward for one.
What to compare before you sign
Ask whether you can take your data with you. Jobber's help page says an admin can export the client list as a CSV or vCard file, which is emailed to them. Housecall Pro's help page says an admin can export the Customers and Jobs lists. That Jobber page covers the client list, so ask whether job history and notes come out too.
Also ask whose name is on the payment account, what the contract says about ending it, and whether your lead sources are recorded anywhere you control. For comparison searches such as Jobber versus Housecall Pro, the better test is not a winner but which one fits how you already work.
When a tracker or CRM is enough
Software like this tends to earn its place when several jobs a week, more than one person on the schedule, or quotes and invoices written by hand are slowing you down. If your trouble is leads slipping rather than scheduling, a shared sheet may do first. The related answers on a simple lead tracker and on what a CRM is describe when to move up.
Sources
- Jobber, home page
- Jobber, "Marketing Tools"
- Jobber Help, "A Guide for Your Clients: How to Navigate Client Hub"
- Jobber Help, "Export Client Information"
- Housecall Pro, "Field Service Software Features and Tools"
- Housecall Pro Help Center, "How to Import & Export Jobs and Customers"
Related answers
- How do you set up a simple lead tracker?
- What is a CRM, and does a small business need one?
- Can you text a new lead or a past customer, and what consent do you need?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.