Most service companies already have cell phones distributed to improve in-the-field communications and most cell phone providers now offer bundled text/phone/internet solutions that are the same price if not cheaper than the individual plans. Adding a mobile service management solution will organize and streamline the work flow of both small and large service companies, making them more manageable and profitable.

ESC Mobile is a simple and affordable way to outfit your mobile technicians with real-time job information and time tracking. ESC Mobile is a powerful and intuitive smartphone, tablet and laptop App for Service Technicians to manage work orders in the field, Technician managers to manage technicians in the field and office personnel to monitor everything with real-time updates to and from the field.

ESC Mobile has all the tools and features growing service companies need. Benefits and advantages include:

• Increased tech productivity by arming your team with the right information in the field ensuring jobs are completed faster and more efficiently.
• Increased response time with features such as GPS tracking and mapping.
• Increased field accuracy with access to all information needed to identify and work on the right equipment and eliminate illegible hand-written field notes.
• Increased customer care and professionalism with easy access to complete customer information across your network.
• Increased sales by increasing the productivity of your technicians and in turn allowing them to complete more jobs daily as well as giving your team information needed to quickly identify up and cross sale opportunities.
• Reduced costs by identifying areas of waste and inefficiencies. (Example. Reduced fuel costs with ESC’s route optimization and mapping functions.)
• Improved internal communications by giving your employees access up-to-the-minute company and customer information, all in a single location.
• Improved external communications with appointment reminders, status updates, technician profile emails, surveys, coupons and more.  
• Reduced collections by allowing techs to process payments in the field lowering processing costs, ensuring accuracy, reducing collection issues and improving cash flow.

The benefits of implementing a mobile solution far outweigh the cost. So what are you waiting for? Contact us today for a personalized demo on our ESC mobile solution.

The article is great, not just because it features dESCO’s app ESC Mobile, but also because it demonstrates the importance of implementing the right mobile technology in an HVAC company. Here are a few choice quotes from the article about what ESC Mobile is doing for HVAC companies:

“Our app appeals to and is accessible to everyone,” said Jonathan Frei of dESCO LLC. “First, the app appeals to the computer illiterate in its ease of use. Most people who are able to operate the basic built-in apps on their smart phone, like the calendar and contact manager, will be proficient with our app in a matter of minutes.”

[…]

Frei said the key is being able to connect with customers. “Connecting with customers is and always will be the most critical function of mobile technology for businesses,” he said. “Other connections, such as communications with the office, suppliers, and web data, are important, but only in so far as they enable better connections with customers. The measure of value for any new communication technology is how well it frees up your staff to pay attention to and spend time with your customers.

[…]

“In the past, if a technician needed a phone number, the service history on a customer, or a customer’s service agreement status, he would have to call the office and have someone look up the information and give it to him,” said Frei. With the advent of mobile computing, the tech can look it up himself, getting the information quicker and leaving the person in the office free to talk to customers or to do other important work.

“The technology is turning many two-person jobs into one-person jobs. Therefore, I am comfortable asserting the technology saves at least 50 percent of the time spent communicating work information,” Frei said.

You can read the full article on the ACHR News site here.

You can learn more about ESC Mobile for iPhone/iPad, Android or Windows Phone 7 on our site or you can try the app yourself by searching “ESC Mobile” in you phone’s app store.

In the video below, ESC Customer Meah Hurley, from Hurley Heat and Air out of Asheboro, NC, demonstrates how she accesses and uses ESC from her iPad.

Meah show how she logs into her desktop computer and ESC using LogMeIn Ignition for the iPad, how she navigates the ESC Dispatch Board, how she add and edits notes in a dispatch, and how she can create invoices for dispatches her technicians have completed.

Please excuse the background noise in this video. It was recorded during one of the breaks at the Charlotte, NC regional training.

The ESC desktop client is not designed to run on the iPad and is therefore not supported, but programs like LogMeIn Ignition for the iPad and other remote access app like it can help you access your desktop applications from the iPad. Keep in mind that the experience of a desktop app from an iPad will be very different, so keep that in mind if you decide to explore the variety iPad apps that can help you access your office PC.

There is also ESC Mobile for techs to manage their dispatches on an iPad and ESC Web Front Office for managers and dispatches on an iPad.

ESC regional trainings, where this video was filmed, are the best opportunity to learn about using ESC from our ESC Trainers as well as from other ESC users who might be using the software in a way you hadn’t yet considered.

To Learn more about the ESC Regional Trainings click here for the remaining ones for this year. For all other ESC training opportunities, go to our training page.

This webinar is part of the ongoing series of free webinars to help you get the most out of your ESC software.

The Webinar: Using the ESC Mobile Phone Clients – Time: 53:03 – In this webinar, Eric and Shelley show how to setup and use the ESC Mobile Smartphone apps. They demonstrate how to view dispatches, enter equipment in the field, take photos of the job site, change status codes, create invoices, accept payments, capture signatures, and send the resulting invoice via email.

The Webinar is broken into two sections: a segment focused on working with the ESC Mobile apps and a segment where Eric and Shelley answer the questions of the audience member of the live webinar. Be sure to stay tuned through the end where they answer questions from the participants of the live broadcast. During the Q&A session at the end, Eric and Shelley answer many common questions about the apps.

Watch the ESC Mobile Webinar

Even if you tuned in to the live webinar, you can watch it again here or share it with your co-workers or techs that will be using the apps. The webinar can help even a novice Smartphone user get up to speed with using ESC Mobile.

If you are interested in trying the demo version of ESC Mobile on your Smartphone, you can do so by searching ‘ESC Mobile’ in your app marketplace on your iPhone, Android Phone, or Windows Phone 7. You can also get more information about the apps on our ESC Mobile page.

dESCO also has many more free webinars you can view at your leisure. Our webinars cover variety of topics for using ESC effectively. We cover everything from effective quoting, dispatching to marketing and inventory control, and much more. Check out our webinar page for more.

If you have an idea for a future ESC webinar, please send it to jonathanf [@] desco-soft [dot] com.

Many people have been enjoying the benefits of the GPS mapping and routing on their Smartphones, and now Google has released a feature to make it even better. They have begun considering real-time traffic data when creating routes with Google Maps Navigation (Beta).

Google Maps Navigation (Beta) now takes into account real-time traffic conditions when calculating routes.

The new feature shows up in the smart phone version of the apps:

“You don’t have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps. Before today, Navigation would choose whichever route was fastest, without taking current traffic conditions into account. It would also generate additional alternate directions, such as the shortest route or one that uses highways instead of side roads. Starting today, our routing algorithms will also apply our knowledge of current and historical traffic to select the fastest route from those alternates. That means that Navigation will automatically guide you along the best route given the current traffic conditions.” (Via Official Google Blog: You’ve got better things to do than wait in traffic)

This can help save fuel if it keeps you from idling in traffic and plenty of time. Besides, by avoiding the congested areas, your customers will benefit from your company’s prompt service.

The Google Navigation app will not always be able to find a faster route, but it gets you where you need to go. Traffic data is not available everywhere yet but you can check out this real-time traffic data map to see if it is in your city.

However, ESC Mobile’s integration with Google Navigation, your techs will be able to get their dispatches and find the best route to your customers’ locations.

HVACChannel.tv’s Channel Manager, Ruth King, will talk with Dean Schreiner, President of dESCO, creators of the mobile application. See this latest technology live. Learn what the progressive contractors currently using this technology are saying. Call in or chat in your questions for Dean.

To allow the hosts to answer everyone’s questions, each session is limited to 50 people. There will be four sessions, 8 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, and 11 AM eastern time. To reserve your seat in the live program of your choice, call 877-520-4321 or email ruthking@hvacchannel.tv. If you miss the live sessions, they will be available from the HVACChannel.tv library after the last live program.

Click here to register for the live broadcast.

“The apps increase the efficiency and accuracy of technicians in the field by offering them all the information they need for the task at hand,” said dESCO President, Dean Schreiner. “The apps help service companies convey a new level of professionalism,” said Schreiner. “It takes advantage of today’s technology, by allowing the technicians to process payments in the field and immediately email receipts, while offering the ability to quote further recommendations on the job site. The apps reduce the dependency of obtaining information from the dispatcher by phone or radio”

The app, ESC Mobile, is a simple and affordable way to outfit service technicians with real-time dispatch information and time tracking in the field. ESC Mobile is available for download from the iTunes app store, from the Android Marketplace, or from the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.

For more information, call Jonathan Frei at dESCO at 800-226-7529 or Ruth King at 877-520-4321.

However, submitting lowball quotes has many drawbacks. Quoting the bare minimum leaves you with nowhere to go if the customer raises any sort of price objection. It also leaves money on the table for the customers you encounter who are willing to pay more to get high quality work and to have it all done in one visit. With each initial quote your customer accepts, there is the feeling in the pit of your stomach that you may have quoted too low. Finally, quoting low means you are probably only offering your customers solutions to their immediate problems. You are able to offer them so much more, but not if you will not provide a quote that offers a more comprehensive solution.

Instead of quoting the minimum amount, quote the price that will solve all your customer’s problems. Quote for the primary work that the customer needs as well as additional repairs that will save him money over time. That is a good business practice, both for your company (you make a bigger sale) and for your customer (he is happier with your work).

Ideally, the customer will accept your recommendations, making for a bigger sale, but if he declines the extras, you still have a basis for doing business. This is where technicians that are good at performing the work as well as communicating the long-term benefit of their work are so valuable.

Your customers want options. If you quote the absolute minimum, the only options you give is “yes” or “no.” Rather than a basic dichotomy, by quoting more than the bare minimum you give your customers a menu of choices from which to select. Options also provide a point of negotiation your technicians can work with beyond a simple “yes” or “no.”

So, when working with quotes for your customers remember to:

1. Quote above the minimum require to solve your customer’s problem
2. Give your customer a menu of options to choose from
3. Use the extras as negotiation tools

To take advantage of quoting above the minimum, and frequently adjusting quotes to maximize your relationships with your customers, it is helpful for your technicians in the field to have the mobile tools they need to quickly create, edit, and email quotes to your customers.

As more field service companies turn to GPS vehicle tracking to lower their fuel and maintenance costs, protect their assets, and provide better service to their customers, it is beginning to be a necessity to remain competitive.

The 2011 GPS Vehicle Tracking buyers guide from SageQuest is packed with helpful tips that will make the process easier. The guide will save you time and help you make the right decision for your company. The guide will also help you avoid some common pit falls companies encounter when choosing a GPS system. Since picking out a GPS provider can prove to be a longer term decision, it is important to know all the facts and get it right the first time.

Download the 2011 Buyer’s Guide for GPS Vehicle Tracking

The SageQuest GPS Buyer’s guide makes it easy to decide if a GPS vehicle tracking system is right for your service business, and what you should look for in one for your company.

The 2011 Buyer’s Guide includes:

• How Vehicle Tracking Works
• Three Categories of Systems
• Choosing the Right Solution
• A Step by Step Approach to Shopping
• A Solution Review Worksheet
• And much more

Download the 2011 Buyer’s Guide for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest, an ESC integration partner, provides GPS fleet tracking and management solutions that improve the efficiency and productivity of mobile workforces. Unlike other providers, SageQuest focuses on delivering true business insight and the personal service you need to maximize your potential return. The award-winning product, Mobile Control, provides a comprehensive set of tools and the flexibility to fit the needs of virtually any mobile workforce.

The new features of the Windows Phone 7 app include signature capture, the ability to add and modify equipment, and the ability to modify status change times, and a quick way to bring up directions or change status.

The signature capture is now part of the summary screen. There is a line in the summary that reminds the technician when the customer’s signature has not been captured. The screen shots below show where you enter the signature for capture and the screen you can show to customers to sign.

Signature Capture:

You are also now able to add new equipment from the Equipment screen. The equipment will be added to the ESC database when the dispatch is completed and marked as “Finished.” The screen shots below show the equipment the customer has and the screen you would use to add new equipment.

Add\Download Equipment:

You are also now able to modify the status change time before the status change is sent back to ESC. When you select a new status code you are given the option to edit the time. However, once the status has been changed and sent to ESC, you are not able to change the status. The screen shots below show where and how you can choose to edit the status change time.

Modify Status Change Time:

You also now have the ability to bring up Bing Maps by long tapping on the customer’s address on the dispatch screen. You can also change the status by long tapping on the current status code. These functions also work by using the icons at the bottom of the Dispatch screen, but this provides another easy way to do it.

If you haven’t tried the ESC Mobile app for the Windows Phone 7, you can download it in the Windows Phone 7 app store or through Zune.

Also, if you are of the iPhone or Android persuasion, you can download the ESC Mobile app for those devices in their respective app stores. Get the iPhone app here or the Android app here.

All the apps are free to download and come with a connection to a sample database, so even if you are not an ESC Mobile or even an ESC customer, you can try the apps and see how they will work for you, your technicians, and your business.

However, companies thinking using this technology to build their business need to get a grasp on what kind of return on their investment to expect. As with any capital improvement project, you need to know what kind of return on your investment you should expect before investing.

The math for calculating ROI is simple, but determining the realized benefit and total investment cost to getting there is challenging. SageQuest’s ROI guide will help you know where to start, show you what numbers you need to know, and share stories of businesses that have benefited by using GPS vehicle tracking. You can download the guide at sage-quest.com/roiguide or by clicking the link below.

Download the 4 Steps to Understanding ROI for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest’s guide takes away the guessing game that comes along with deciding if a GPS vehicle tracking system is right for your service business. The guide offers the key information that demonstrates both the potential savings and added values a vehicle GPS system can produce.

The guide includes:

• The 4 easy steps to understanding ROI
• Key ways you can save
• A complete example with real numbers
• A fill-in worksheet to calculate your own ROI
• Examples of customer savings

Download the 4 Steps to Understanding ROI for GPS Vehicle Tracking

SageQuest, an ESC integration partner, provides GPS fleet tracking and management solutions that improve the efficiency and productivity of mobile workforces. Unlike other providers, SageQuest focuses on delivering true business insight and the personal service you need to maximize your potential return. The award-winning product, Mobile Control, provides a comprehensive set of tools and the flexibility to fit the needs of virtually any mobile workforce.