Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Smudger on September 02, 2013, 02:29:37 pm
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Hi guys,
A guy has been in touch with me, he is friendly freelance and he has said that we would be willing to put together a custom "window cleaning database" in the veins of george, aworka, window cleaner pro etc. As some of you know we use WCP and have liked it, but there is no further development, we have looked at George and Aworka and all have pluses and minuses, we have an opportunity now to create a "dream database" The guy is very open to new ideas and obvioulsy wants to make an "all singing all dancing" piece of software that does ALL that we could need - right now we are looking for your wishlist, what would you like on a new database? We would like the ability to bulk mailshot, and bulk email, we would like there to be colour to show online payers etc, so its quick to see at a glance should we knock for monies? We would like to be able to block out days if needed ie holiday, staff holiday or whatever, maybe the ability to auto email online payers an invoice etc...
Anyways this is a genuine opportunity - if there is enough interest, this could be in a beta version within a month - it would be really good to get as much feedback as possible to see if we can get this pushed forward.
Are there things you really dislike on your current programme, tell me! Things you love on your current programme - tell me!
Thank guys.
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I use wcp and to be honest it pretty much does what is needed to run a window cleaning business but agree it could do more. I have looked at aworka but its just not for me, i'm not a fan of all this cloud computing etc plus i really like the layout of wcp the scheduling page is the best by far IMO then anything out there at the moment. Off the top of my head i would like
Bulk e-mailing option
Auto recurring expenses
Able to invoice and e-mail from the program
better reports then wcp like the ability to see how much is made from a particular service (this cant be done in wcp)
option to add next to customer how they got on your books (ie leaflet, canvass etc) and the option of an end of year report to see how many new customers where gained from each method
I'm sure i can think of more..but most importantly i want a program that runs from my pc and is on my pc not in the clouds on someone elses server. Although wcp was a one of payment i would happily pay a subscription type payment method to keep the programmer interested in moving the program forward when it needed it thats where the wcp guys went wrong
paul
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Make sure it's usable on mac, iPhone ipad
Mr B
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Another thing that comes to mind, is a "nice looking" invoice, invoices on WCP are very very basic.
Love the idea above of source of lead too, and auto re-occuring expenses is another great idea.
Anyone else for ideas?
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Make it in to an app
Then can be phone, iPad etc, be so easy to use
Mr B
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be able to make a work list drag and drop in to the right order and print out
something I just found out I cant do with george
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be able to make a work list drag and drop in to the right order and print out
something I just found out I cant do with george
aworka is the same on the planner.
u have to go into a massive list and start finding jobs
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The creator of this programme will be posting on here later, so hopefully we can have some more comments for him and he will be able to answer any questions - it would be great to get this to a beta version so we can all see what we think.
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Hey all,
Rob here - the freelance developer Smudger kindly mentioned.
I was reluctant to butt in but Smudger urged me to "get involved" so you know this is for real!
So, in a nutshell my "thing" is building apps (web, mobile, sometimes desktop) that help people manage their businesses more effectively.
I've built all sorts of systems over the years - from a patient database for a mental health network, to a mobile app for social workers, to a quoting system for a forklift distributor.
Cheesy as it sounds, I always strive to understand what the user *really* needs from their software, in order to be more organised, productive and happy in their work / business.
Anyway... 'nuff about me!
Smudger asked if I would be willing to build their "dream" window cleaning database. I said sure I would, but the penny soon dropped that it wouldn't be viable as a one off bespoke project.
And then the thought crossed our minds that perhaps there's a larger opportunity here: to build the *perfect* window cleaning software for all you guys!
To pick up where George, aworka and WCP left some gaps, and give you a system that has everything you need, and crucially, continue to listen and respond to your evolving needs over time.
Pause (sorry, I ramble when I'm excited ;))
Getting back to the point of this post. Is this something you would get excited about? Helping shape your ideal app - web, mobile or otherwise?
We've had some great suggestions for features so far, but I really want to get this post humming, so keep'em coming and I'll add them to the wish list!
If there is enough interest, I *will* build it, and I'll be looking for guinea pigs to feedback on Version 1 ;)
Thanks for listening,
Rob
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aworks but with all the features its missing, like daily events on the end like appointments etc
the ability to alter all a customer details with one click.
the ability to drag the jobs up and down a day on the planner.
really good earner for the right software when u think if only 200 people subscibed its £2k a month
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Another feature aworka misses (although it is being addressed - but it has been this way for some time!) is you cannot forward plan you can only see 4 weeks at a time?
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Thanks Carl.
Might take a while to get up to 200 customers - but the potential's there if we can get this right as you say :)
Any monthly profit I make from this I'd divide by my hourly rate and plough straight back in to ongoing development based on feedback (and support of course).
Quite honestly it'd be great if I could make at least a part-time job out of looking after you guys on the software side. Would make for a nice change from chasing freelance work all the time ;)
Anyway - feature requests noted. Seems the drag and drop planner is shaping up as a "must have".
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Hi rob
would this be a desktop version like window cleaner pro or a cloud based system. Have you downloaded wcp to get a feel of what is needed. I personally would love a more up to date program but i do like the layout of wcp.So basically if you intend to go along the desktop version way then i'm in.
Thanks
paul
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Hi Paul,
I'm by no means looking to dictate here, you'll always be the best judge of what works best for you, but my preference would definitely be a web / cloud based system.
Key advantages in my mind:
1. Web / cloud is much, much (much!) easier to maintain and add new features. If I add a new feature to a web app, everyone benefits instantly. If I fix a problem with a web app, it gets fixed for everyone instantly. With a desktop app I've got to release a new version of the software, which you then have to download and install. After a few updates we end up in a situation where everyone is running different versions of the app, with different versions of the database (on their local machine), making it really difficult (and error prone) to push out new features. You end up having to bundle in a "migration tools" to bring your database up to the latest version. Not fun for anyone. Or you don't push new features at all - I imagine that's one of the walls WCP have hit.
2. If we go cloud, then it paves the way for releasing complimentary mobile (iOS / Android) apps that will let us do some really nifty things. Ideas off the top of my head include enabling you (or your employees) to tick off jobs as completed, sign up new customers etc while "out and about", and for headquarters (as it were) to be able to monitor how their employees are getting on throughout the day - just my initial thoughts, I'm sure you guys will have some much more creative and insightful ideas here!
Is your issue with cloud not so much about where the data is stored (cloud tends to be more secure in this regard, as it's double if not triple backed up!) and more that cloud / web often means the user interface is less intuitive and snappy than a desktop app? If so, I can assure you user friendliness, "snappiness" and productivity will be top of my agenda in building this. There are lots of things we (I) can do to create a "desktop like experience" on the web / in the cloud.
Haven't downloaded WCP yet but I certainly will if I move forward. I've had a good look at aworka but I'm getting the impression what people are after is a web / mobile based app that replicates the nice UI / layouts of WCP, but also moves the game forward (and continues to do so).
Sorry, I waffled again! Hope you get the gist and keen to get your further thoughts / input on this.
Cheers,
Rob
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tbh, i think aworka will pretty much do everything that's needed in the near future.. so i do see you struggling like WCP did to make any money out of it.
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HI there,
We did look at aworka and quite liked it until the forward planning problem, then it was a no go for us. Personally I think all of the programmes do want we NEED, but I would like a programme that would do things that I would like, mailhosts, bulk email, facebook, twitter interaction and lots of the other things mentioned by other here are great and would be really beneficial too. My very short experience of aworka was that the forward planner thing could not be changed "overnight" or in a very short space of time, this concerned us, although other aspects of it looked ok, buy we went back to WCP.
We would really like to hear all opinons good and bad, to see if it is worth rob getting together a beta version. Keep the feedback coming
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be able to make a work list drag and drop in to the right order and print out
something I just found out I cant do with george
+1
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tbh, i think aworka will pretty much do everything that's needed in the near future.. so i do see you struggling like WCP did to make any money out of it.
Thanks Dave, valuable input nonetheless.
I've no interest in doing this unless I can bring something genuinely new / useful / better to the table, so if aworka really have it nailed, I won't bother!
But, other comments suggest this isn't the case (for everyone).
Must be one or two things you feel are lacking with aworka - how about easier (e.g. drag and drop) job scheduling or better reporting on how your business is doing?
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Thanks 8weekly - looks like a running favourite that one :)
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Thanks Smudger - didn't think of Facebook / Twitter integration (though I probably should have!)
How would you see this working? Wouldn't want to throw it in there just because everything's social these days if you know what I mean!
Perhaps a feed of your company Facebook and Twitter accounts would be handy though.
While we're talking integration, there's also scope to integrate with online accounting software such as Xero and KashFlow, for sync'ing contacts and invoices, if that would be at all useful...
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I currently use George, and like it. Although it is limited so if something better came along I would certainly consider it.
One thing which has always put me off changing is the fact I use the reference number system that George generates. Many of my customers (perhaps about 600-700) pay online and give me only that number.
if I were to change it would be a nightmare getting them all to use a new reference number, so unless the new software could somehow copy that from George I am not sure i would want the headache it would give me.
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One thing which has always put me off changing is the fact I use the reference number system that George generates.
Thanks Steve, that's a crucial point.
"Import from George / aworka / WCP" goes (high) on the wishlist, as does option to continue to use whatever referencing system you're already using.
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aworka you can already drop and drag your work from day to day!
What am trying to say is.. aworka doesn't do everything at the moment and neither will your software when it comes out, but by the time you get it running and tested and out there most of what people are wanting on here will already be implemented in aworka ;)
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Hi Paul,
I'm by no means looking to dictate here, you'll always be the best judge of what works best for you, but my preference would definitely be a web / cloud based system.
Key advantages in my mind:
1. Web / cloud is much, much (much!) easier to maintain and add new features. If I add a new feature to a web app, everyone benefits instantly. If I fix a problem with a web app, it gets fixed for everyone instantly. With a desktop app I've got to release a new version of the software, which you then have to download and install. After a few updates we end up in a situation where everyone is running different versions of the app, with different versions of the database (on their local machine), making it really difficult (and error prone) to push out new features. You end up having to bundle in a "migration tools" to bring your database up to the latest version. Not fun for anyone. Or you don't push new features at all - I imagine that's one of the walls WCP have hit.
2. If we go cloud, then it paves the way for releasing complimentary mobile (iOS / Android) apps that will let us do some really nifty things. Ideas off the top of my head include enabling you (or your employees) to tick off jobs as completed, sign up new customers etc while "out and about", and for headquarters (as it were) to be able to monitor how their employees are getting on throughout the day - just my initial thoughts, I'm sure you guys will have some much more creative and insightful ideas here!
Is your issue with cloud not so much about where the data is stored (cloud tends to be more secure in this regard, as it's double if not triple backed up!) and more that cloud / web often means the user interface is less intuitive and snappy than a desktop app? If so, I can assure you user friendliness, "snappiness" and productivity will be top of my agenda in building this. There are lots of things we (I) can do to create a "desktop like experience" on the web / in the cloud.
Sorry, I waffled again! Hope you get the gist and keen to get your further thoughts / input on this.
Cheers,
Rob
Basically all i want is a program like wcp but brought up to date if it has to be cloud then so be it, my issue is not so much with security but having to have access to the web to view it, it's ok saying you can change this and that out and about but if you cant access the internet then its pointless. I personally print a few days worth of work out at a time and then update wcp when i get home (takes 5 mins) i'm not really bothered about being able to tick off jobs etc while i'm out working but i can see why people would.
I've had a good look at aworka but I'm getting the impression what people are after is a web / mobile based app that replicates the nice UI / layouts of WCP, but also moves the game forward (and continues to do so).
the above bit you mentioned is exactly what i would like as i said earlier wcp scheduling page is by far the easiest way of scheduling work IMO
paul
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What am trying to say is.. aworka doesn't do everything at the moment and neither will your software when it comes out, but by the time you get it running and tested and out there most of what people are wanting on here will already be implemented in aworka
Thanks Dave - fair point of course.
I'm curious though...
How responsive have you found aworka to be to requests for improvements?
How long have the mobile apps been "coming soon" for?
Photos of the mobiles look a wee bit dated so I'm thinking a while ;)
Not that I'll be in able to release mobile apps from day one, but the point is I would continuously improve this system based on user feedback.
As I'm a developer, I wouldn't need to hire one to make improvements. All I'd be spending is my time, and if I've got happy paying customers, I'm happy to do that :)
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the app for aworka is already done its just web based not app based.
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integrate it with textlocal for bulk sms..would be ace
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integrate it with textlocal for bulk sms..would be ace
Great idea - thanks Carl.
What would you use this for mainly? Chasing up payments? Confirming appointments?
Our window cleaner confirms all his next days appointments (manually) via SMS - must get a bit tedious!
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if txt was to come in to the software i think most would use it for chasing debits.
thing is most mobile phones will allow you to send texts for free as part as your contract.. it would be better if it could be done from your phone maybe? if that's even possible
some do text before visiting... but i think off there head because your tied down to a day anything could happen in the morning.. van doesn't start and then you look a let down.
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integrate it with textlocal for bulk sms..would be ace
Great idea - thanks Carl.
What would you use this for mainly? Chasing up payments? Confirming appointments?
LETTING CUSTIES KNOW WE COMING NEXT DAY ,SO LEAVE PAYMENTS,GATES ETC
can also be used for offers and payment requests.
Our window cleaner confirms all his next days appointments (manually) via SMS - must get a bit tedious!
IT DROVE ME INSANE WHICH IS WHY I SWITCHED TO TEXTLOCAL AND BULK SEND THEM with a no reply service.
i used to get "budgie is bad can u come after 10am so u dont disturb him"
now i get money is in/under ??
you personally could ask them/consult about getting a discount/commision on your platforms interface whilst using them.
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if txt was to come in to the software i think most would use it for chasing debits.
thing is most mobile phones will allow you to send texts for free as part as your contract.. it would be better if it could be done from your phone maybe? if that's even possible
some do text before visiting... but i think off there head because your tied down to a day anything could happen in the morning.. van doesn't start and then you look a let down.
use the other van then?
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what other van ???
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what other van ???
the catch 22 van.
have a backup plan wether its a van or a car etc.
sometimes there are impossibilities like torrential rain or -4
other than that you control it
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Talking about vans - could you do with any features around keeping track of vehicles, equipment, supplies etc?
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@Rob Morgan.
Please make sure you download a trial version of WCP to have a look at the 'Scheduling' screen.
It is very intuitive and one of the best experiences i've had with planning my day. month. year.
WCP would be number one with further development, it definitely has a solid base to build on and worth a good look to get some ideas for your new software.
I'm currently on the look out for new software so if you need a Beta tester, let me know, i've done quite a bit of bug reporting and feedback for other developers.
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Talking about vans - could you do with any features around keeping track of vehicles, equipment, supplies etc?
The ability to record milage would be good
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I use George for recording all business expenses through the year, so at the end of year the report generated gives me most of the figures for the tax return.
Also, pocket George shows me at a glance which customers are in arrears, up to date, or even in advance.
I like the front page of George with the monthly & weekly summaries and the comparison to same point last year.
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Thanks all for the really constructive and insightful responses - this is starting to gather steam :)
To keep things organised and make this "democratic" (!) I've set up an ideas forum (http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com) where you can vote for your favourite ideas and submit your own:
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com
Please (pretty please) can everyone who submitted an idea, and anyone who hasn't yet but is keen to have a say in the shape of this thing, please visit the forum (http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com) and get voting and submitting!
If I can get enough confirmed interest, I'll get cracking on this next week, and aim to have a beta ready by end of October.
By voting or submitting an idea, you will automatically get free and exclusive access to the beta (pre-release) version when it's ready, and an ongoing say in how the app looks, feels and works.
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Thanks to our early bird Paul (p1w1) for submitting his ideas and votes - came through loud and clear!
Paul - any chance you could add "WCP style planner" while you're there, as I know you and several others are keen on this.
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com (http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com)
Looking forward to seeing the ideas forum fill up - thanks all!
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Shameless bump ;)
The new window cleaning software "feature wishlist" is filling up nicely - 15 ideas 30+ votes and counting:
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com
As they say - "don't be shy" - stick a vote or two on your favourite ideas, if only to be on the list for the beta when it's ready...
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Havent had chance to read through all posts yet, but i am interested. Ideally all i want is it to be available on android, so im not doing everything when i get home.
Also my other concern is, i loved WCP its all i use and it has been fantastic wont lie, but they could only take it so far. Maybe this was because of the one off payment and not an on going thing for them. Its such a shame they didnt carry on. What will make you different to carry on devoloping?
Auto invoicing after a job is complete would be great to, creating an invoice on WCP isnt that much of a hassle then emailing separately can become tiresome if you have about 5 to do!
Let me know, im in (depending on cost to ;D)
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Hi LWC,
Yep - Android and iOS apps are definitely on the list. I know a lot of window cleaners use printed job sheets, and I'd cater for that of course, but for the more mobile app oriented, it seems to me it would be great if you could tick off jobs, mark people as paid, sign up new customers etc while out and about. So yep - definitely on the list, might not be something I get to in version 1, but if there's enough take up I'll definitely do it. Having an app in the app stores would also help get the word out = win-win :)
And yep, that's what I keep hearing. WCP sets the bar but a) it's not web based and b) it hasn't moved forward in about 3 years now. Likely reasons for it not having moved forward are probably because (as you say) the one off payment doesn't make ongoing development worthwhile, and as I emphasised to Paul (p1w1) earlier in the thread - desktop apps are notoriously hard to keep updated, because everyone ends up with a different version running on their machine and upgrades (where there's a database involved) are tricky to get right.
Reason this would be different is being a developer, I only have to cover my time here. I don't need to hire a developer to make (customer led) improvements. As long as there's some income coming in I'll just divy that by my hourly rate and plough it back into improving the app rather than chasing freelance work ;)
Super cheesy as this sounds, people give software development purpose for me - so if people are into this thing (and it's paying the bills), I'll be into it!
Anyway, waffling big time here!
Auto invoicing is an excellent (and not yet suggested) feature idea - please post it on the ideas forum:
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com
By voting or posting on there you'll automatically get access to the beta on a free trial basis when it's ready :)
Cost - haven't figured that out yet, and I'll probably take input from the beta testers on it - but it will be competitive and realistic.
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how many hours would you work on it if say 50 people bought into it at say £10 pcm
i know if its the dogs danglies you will get loads and loads more than that.
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Hi Carl,
I guess that'd be good for about 2 days a month, but I'd probably end up working on it more than that, especially in the early days. Either way I work fast, so you'd see a lot of bang for buck even for that.
Truth be told, if I am going to make this thing the dogs danglies as you say, I'd like to think there might be a wee bit (just a wee bit) more in the pot per month, especially if it's being developed ongoing. I'd also probably look to reward loyalty - e.g. discounts for paying 3, 6 or 12 months upfront (once you know you like it!)
I know you're comparing with aworka, but - fine as it is (and it's not like I've got anything to compete yet!) - it is a somewhat generic system, catering to "everyone from web designers to gardners", and therefore could never really do the ful business for any one specific market - i.e. window cleaners.
I think the attention to detail and window cleaner specific feedback I'll put into this should be worth a bit more, but...
To be honest I'll probably look to take feedback from you guys during the beta! Perhaps see what you think of it first, then see what it's worth to you...
But hey, going back to your original point, in the bigger picture of things, if this could support me full time, and if there was stuff to do on it that would add value to it and make users happy (and make it more appealing to more people and therefore make it grow), I'd gladly work on it full time - ongoing.
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so a freelance designer is on £250 a day eh!!! lol pulling your leg m8
you will get out of this exactly what you put in m8 im sure u know
i love the idea of adding the extras to keep track of what you have done and also to use as a mailshot/call to them next year to secure repeats. with reminder system.
would be cool to have the ability to see 2 rounds on 1 planner aswell with differnt ids/colours etc etc.
so i can print what they are doing and myself on different sheets.
my day is one offs etc etc etc and appointments so would be cool to be able plan in advance . say a fascia and gutter cleaned next monday , and patio clean and 4 appointments at 5.30,6.30 etc etc
as do i like the idea of when adding a new custie to the system u could specify where it came from: canvass,leaflet,recomendation, telesales, walk up, and a page where it shows the values of each type of new custie however gained.
i really think as i mentioned that integrating with text local would be ace and a button to text the whole lot u tick from the planner.
the expenses page could be clearly set out.
wages,diesel,insurances,sundries.marketing etc etc
would also be nice to see all info on 4 wkly customers values,6 weekly values , 8 weekly values.
for me the drag and drop up and down a day is absolute important.
i actually mailed chris at aworka about this today as i couldnt work out how my monthly value added up.
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Look forward to seeing this Rob. Best of luck. Any idea how if possible to transfer old customers into new database? Thats another fear of mine is moving it all over.
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i actually mailed chris at aworka about this today as i couldnt work out how my monthly value added up
how is it worked out on aworka? was wondering myself
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i actually mailed chris at aworka about this today as i couldnt work out how my monthly value added up
how is it worked out on aworka? was wondering myself
im still unsure myself tbh lol
u cannot seperate 4/8 wkly jobs to see there value so im stuffed other than going through pages and pages to see .
aworka is so cool at times but pes me off big time at others
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Lol - cheers Carl. To be honest rates are all over the place. Everyone's a blimming web designer these days so it's a tricky market, but what I do is a bit more business / productivity / problem solving oriented, so I tend to do OK. No two ways about it though, I'd be making a loss on this for a while, but I've taken punts on much stupider things ;)
So yeah, top notch ideas all - I know it's a bit of a faff but any chance you could pop these on the feature wishlist? No worries if you don't get a chance, I'll round everything up from the forums at some point.
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com
So how responsive do you find aworka - both to support and new feature requests? Checked them out on the wayback machine and their sales website hasn't changed in a couple of years - has the app?
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Thanks LWC.
Did you pop a vote or idea on the wishlist so I've got your email? Want to keep you in the loop when the beta's ready to go.
http://cleanerplanner.uservoice.com
Import from other products (aworka / George / WCP) will be a priority (assuming it's possible - need to investigate) as will bringing in your existing customer and job references so there's no nightmare tallying things up with your bank statement :)
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Erm i did put idea up, not sure i did it right, i entered email, anyway, its matt@ladderless-window-cleaner.co.uk
Thanks
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Ah yes, gotcha thanks Matt - sorry, lots of ideas to keep track of, but that's a good thing :)
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Updates ;D lol
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has he given up alleady javascript:replaceText(' :-[', document.postmodify.message);
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I'm still here ;D
Made a start yesterday. Will keep you all updated over the coming weeks via email.
Anyone who didn't sign up for the beta but fancies it - please drop me an email: rob@cleanerplanner.com
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Hi
I personally think the program needs to have two levels of subscription basic & pro
The pro version would have
bulk text & emails
Rams file attachment
Customisable columns in the job section
Day planner that looks like a diary with the time of day on the left so you know when you are running late and need to speed up
Plus a off line tablet version that can sync up when you have a web connection
Paul
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Noted - thanks Paul.
Would you be interested in trying out (and feeding back on) a beta version when it's ready? I'm shooting for end of October.
If so please pop me an email: rob@cleanerplanner.com
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Some software wired through pumps and controllers, monitoring water output. So you can see how long each job takes, location of the vehicle to make sure your employees aren't doing any rogue jobs.
It would also allow you to see how much money each tank or litre of pure water is making you. (You get the general idea).
If I could have all this implemented into round software then I'd be in, otherwise I'm quite happy with excel spreadsheets.
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Some software wired through pumps and controllers, monitoring water output. So you can see how long each job takes, location of the vehicle to make sure your employees aren't doing any rogue jobs.
It would also allow you to see how much money each tank or litre of pure water is making you. (You get the general idea).
If I could have all this implemented into round software then I'd be in, otherwise I'm quite happy with excel spreadsheets.
lol i don't see how that would be possible to be honest to link software to your pump, however Rob may be able to to do something with some sort of GPS tracker that you can buy from the likes of maplins linked to his software? i dont know.
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Some software wired through pumps and controllers, monitoring water output. So you can see how long each job takes, location of the vehicle to make sure your employees aren't doing any rogue jobs.
It would also allow you to see how much money each tank or litre of pure water is making you. (You get the general idea).
If I could have all this implemented into round software then I'd be in, otherwise I'm quite happy with excel spreadsheets.
Think you'll be sticking to your spread sheets then.
.on the other hand perhaps you could have a way you could enter how long the job takes and how much water that job takes so when you are scheduling work for that day every job you select there would be a seperate column stating how long all the selected jobs should take and how much water will be needed, wcp can provide the time it takes but not the amount of water needed.
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Come on sunshine windows, lol? How would that work.
Why not fit a water meter after pump and workout roughly how much you think youll use. This is something youll never be able to monitor the way you want to properly.
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I reckon with all the modern technology available to us now, this is something that can easily be achieved.
Fair enough, it might cost a bit of money to develop, but the benefits of having a system like this in place when you employ would be we'll worth the cost.
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You couldnt monitor water the way you want to...what about the extra water used when theres a stubborn mark, bird poo...first cleans? Dusty windows...you going to accuse them of doing extra houses every time?
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Negative, negative, negative! That's all that comes from too many people on here.
Of course you can monitor it. If it's a new clean they're doing, then they tell me first before they commence working on it. If I turn up unexpected and find them doing a job that's not on the list, they're sacked, simple as.
A few stubborn marks wouldn't amount to an extra jobs worth of water.
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how you going to link that to a pump though? so u can monitor how much water used? what you going to plug into it? even if rob was able to make software to do.. what you going to plug into your pump or into your computer ipad or laptop?
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That's why I'm not a programmer. There must be tech out there that could allow all of these things. It's just a case of piecing it all together to make an all singing and dancing, tracking/monitoring round software package.
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thats electronics mate not software programming first of all..ud b better off speaking to ian @ spring
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Source is a good idea
But what about coupling it with a total of new work gained per week / month
Then looking back you can see what worked wel in a particular week / month
I did have a spread sheet but got out the habit with so any different systems etx...
Like everyone says one system to fit all needs
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I'm keen to have some new software as i dont find WCPro ideal.
i really need some thing that can handle multiple users accessing the same DB
I would prefer something cloud based as i could access it from a moibile device
as we schedule in cleans i would like to be able to give a due date to a clean and the clean appear on the relavent day (on WCPro you assign a due date, but you still ahve to drag and drop any cleans onto the worklist for a day
other than these things WCPro is mostly good enough as software, tho the lack of updates for new platforms is slowly killing it
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Good to see some healthy debate ;)
Sunshine Windows - thanks for the novel ideas. One or two other window cleaners have suggested similar "monitoring" related features, such as being able to look back and see which lad(s) worked on a specific job / day, so if there'a a complaint (or praise!) you can track it back to who was on the job. Your ideas for recording actual job duration and location (via GPS) would compliment this nicely, and would be very feasible when we have a native mobile app.
The idea of monitoring pump output is brilliant, though as Dave fairly (and thankfully!) pointed out, the electronics side would be a bit outside by area of expertise. That said, never say never. It would certainly be an "icing on the cake" feature to look at well down the line, but if it's something others would benefit from, then I imagine a mobile electronics whiz could design a monitoring unit that beams usage data (e.g. via Bluetooth) to the iPhone app.
Or another low-tech approach - get the lads to manually check and input the tank level (if it's visible?) into the app after each job?
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Paul and Richard - thanks for your input. Please check your inboxes - just popped you both emails to follow up on your situations / needs and ask if you'd like to be in on the beta.
Anyone - if you stumble across this thread and you're curious - don't be shy ;) Drop me a quick email and I'll pop you on the beta list so you can take the new software for a spin when it's ready.
rob@cleanerplanner.com
I'm aiming for end of October. Made a strong start this week and will probably have something to show (e.g. screenshots) over the next couple of weeks, but I'd better not over-promise ;)
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I don't know if it is possible but what would be nice is to be able to tick boxes for 20 to 30 customers on the worksheet to send emails or sms but be able to send different messages Eg
before clean email/sms
Your windows are due tomorrow and your cleaners will be jim & john leave gate unlocked
after clean email/sms
Your windows were cleaned click here to pay your bill ect.
Just a thought ;)
Paul
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hi richard,
we schedule all our work in for set dates too, and do not have to drag and drop on WCP, we scedule a date adn it appears on the planner ? We don't drop and drag on WCP at all? Perhaps I can help, or perhaps I have mis-understood your post.
Mrs Smudger
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Paul - thanks for the excellent suggestion. Makes perfect sense and I think there's a fair bit of flexibility / automation we can build in to the SMS functionality when I get to implementing it. Will happily take your and other users' input on board at that point so we can make this much needed feature as useful and powerful as possible (without overcomplicating it!)
Richard / Smudger - I've been mulling this over myself. As far as I understand it the issue here is that WCP *forces* you to allocate every job to a round, and the round then automatically takes on the *earliest* date of all jobs on that round. While I can see how this works well for residential / area rounds, I imagine it's less than ideal for one off and perhaps larger commercial jobs?
I wonder if the solution here would be to allow you to create jobs that aren't allocated to a specific round, and are simply scheduled for their due date. In a sense, each of these jobs would work like a "one job round", so you'd see these jobs pop up on the scheduling page when they're due so you can pull them into your next days worksheet along with any (multi-job) rounds you also need to cover.
Does that make sense?
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Rob,
On wcp we have simply named one round commercial, we name another gutters all our regular rounds are listed by area. This allows us to see our commercial all on one round. You can put whatever clean date u want against each job, obviously all our jobs on area 1 have next clean dates the same as all other jobs in area 1, if however one job in that roundis away one the due date and they want to be cleaned say the following day, assuming we are happy to do that we just change the due date to one day later for that job. It's very easy. And when we have done that rogue job when we do our end of day on wcp we just make sure it's next due date is set to where it should be.
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Paul - thanks for the excellent suggestion. Makes perfect sense and I think there's a fair bit of flexibility / automation we can build in to the SMS functionality when I get to implementing it. Will happily take your and other users' input on board at that point so we can make this much needed feature as useful and powerful as possible (without overcomplicating it!)
Richard / Smudger - I've been mulling this over myself. As far as I understand it the issue here is that WCP *forces* you to allocate every job to a round, and the round then automatically takes on the *earliest* date of all jobs on that round. While I can see how this works well for residential / area rounds, I imagine it's less than ideal for one off and perhaps larger commercial jobs?
I wonder if the solution here would be to allow you to create jobs that aren't allocated to a specific round, and are simply scheduled for their due date. In a sense, each of these jobs would work like a "one job round", so you'd see these jobs pop up on the scheduling page when they're due so you can pull them into your next days worksheet along with any (multi-job) rounds you also need to cover.
Does that make sense?
I do the same as Smudger.
Most of the time WCP workd perfectly letting me know when the jobs are due again, 4 weekly etc. However there are times when people schedule cleans in.
For that I have just made up a round called 'scheduled' which works perfectly well.
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I would like a native android app. Most my work is in rural Lincolnshire and there is very little coverage of 3g.
I currently use George and print outs, tried everything else but cloud based doesn't work out this way.
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Clapham - Thanks for the input - just popped you an email. Native apps will definitely be in the pipeline, though my initial priority will be to get the core web / cloud app right. If there is sufficient interest (and custom :)) for the web app, then I will definitely build native iOS and Android apps as well (most likely as a free download for subscribers to the cloud service). These apps will need to be capable of working in offline mode where there's no signal, and automatically upload / sync to the cloud when signal returns.
Paul / Richard / Smudger - Thanks for the clarification. I have a feeling WCP might still be lacking a bit of flexibility here (and it's just that you've found a clever workaround :)) but the last thing I want to do is mess with what works and stuff features in people don't need, so... I think I'll adhere to the "proven" scheduling workflow that you're used to as a starting point, and if (after trying the beta) it still looks like an extra feature / setting is required here to accommodate Paul and other window cleaner's needs, I will be more than happy to accommodate.
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when do you think we get to play with the beta version?
aworka is doing my head in.
shifted all work forward by one day and it bunched together 4 days work in a weeks time.
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Hi Carl,
Short answer - I'm shooting for 1st October, so just under 2 weeks time.
I had said end of October, but I'm making really good progress, and I think it's going to make sense to get this in front of you guys to kick the tyres and feedback sooner rather than later.
It's also become very clear (and your comment about aworka backs this up) that the planner (in particular) has to be absolutely spot on.
Consensus is that WCP has the best planner on the market at the moment, so I'm following its lead as a starting point for feedback / improvement.
Once we've ironed out any niggles like the one you're seeing with aworka, or Richard's seeing with WCP, we can crack on with the new and exciting features such as bulk SMS :)
I'll be in touch...
In the meantime if anyone else fancies being on the beta list, just drop me an email: rob@cleanerplanner.com
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i like aworkas planner in appearance as you can see the whole months rounds in 1 screen.
however you cannot drag and drop jobs up or down the planner on a particular day.
ie:
if i add 10 new customers to a day to first clean them.
they are automatically at the end of the round order page as they were added last.
so u have to open the rounds in 2 collums and drag /find them that way then move to right day.
imho its a pain in the ass.
i want to move them up or down on that day on the planner.
when you are consistenly picking up/canvassing new work you have to move them quickly into the right days,AFTER the first clean.
i dont make them wait 2 weeks to get done i do them mostly the next day then move them .
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Would it be possible to sync the round addresses with google maps or similar to give the best and most efficient routes for the days jobs.
I travel to the same areas 2 or 3 times a month but can't be bothered trying to reorder the whole round manually,
It would be great if you could input a new customer address and the programme automatically recognised where abouts that job should be placed in the round.
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also
as per the bulk sms feature to leave gates money etc,
a valuable tool would be the ability to bulk sms/email/paypal request from the debts page.
i wish i could programme as i know exactly what would work for me and i think others.
perhaps even an app for custies that is updateble by you to show when they are next due.
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also
as per the bulk sms feature to leave gates money etc,
a valuable tool would be the ability to bulk sms/email/paypal request from the debts page.
i wish i could programme as i know exactly what would work for me and i think others.
perhaps even an app for custies that is updateble by you to show when they are next due.
i really like that idea
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Thanks Sunshine, Carl and Paul.
All brilliant ideas, please keep'em coming and be assured they're not falling on deaf ears!
I've got my head down right now, focusing on getting a solid base app in place to give us a springboard realising these new and exciting features. A skyscraper needs solid foundations and all that!
As I said, my plan now is to accelerate the development and get an early beta in front of everyone on the beta list by 1st October.
This will be a solid app that does all the fundamentals that you would expect, but will also include a handful of cherry-picked new features (based on your votes / mentions).
From there I intend to lay out a clear roadmap (based on your further input) detailing exactly what features are to come, in what order (again based on votes) and when they will be implemented.
Exciting stuff!
In the meantime, please do keep the ideas coming. This thread along with the ideas forum and personal conversations I've had with you all via email will be my hymn sheets moving forward :)
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I just think that if you could replicate the desktop version of George and put it in the cloud, and do a mobile version just like pocket George you would be on to a winner.
The only reason I stopped using George is because I started using mac. If it was cloud based, I would never have stopped using it.
I think Paul who wrote it missed a trick by not putting it in the cloud and charge monthly for it, as I think that everybody on this forum used it at one time as it was the best software going, and all for £50.00.
The format of the reports etc. would probably look dated now, but it could do everything you needed. From scheduling jobs to reports for my accountant.
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Had a look at a lot of the posts, found them very interesting. A lot of the requirements you want will rely on the capabilities of the device. Even the water control could be possible with sensors attached to a wfp system. Seems Roundpartner has a lot of these features included already or nearly ready to release, such as invoicing, prospects and adding extras. Be interested to see if this is a one off payment or monthly subscription. Aworka has made some improvements with mobile. Roundpartner has a mobile version that synchronize with the tablet and desktop. Both work on ios and android and Windows.
I think the big one is off line capabilities and multiple user functionality
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/.\
.
.
would you be roundpartner ?
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Yes.
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Yes.
detection work completed :P
time for a glass of white :)
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Pour me one out too. :P
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hmmm, how come I've never heard of Roundpartner before?
Anyways, how easy would it be to transfer data from George to Roundpartner?
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hopefully not as easy as it will be to this one that Robs working on :)
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Just go to 'my account' and there is an option to upload your work from George. Loads it as a round. Quite simple function to create. Think this was the first thing we did as a lot of guys use George and thought it would be helpful for those coming over. Probably works both ways.
http://blog.roundpartner.co.uk/2013/02/uploading-your-data-from-george-to-roundpartner/
Explains how to do it
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Another from me
2 vans work on same day ( same planner but ability to see what and where each vans doing and going, able to move jobs from round to round on same page if that makes sense)
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just bumping it up to see how things where going :)
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Hi Paul - thanks for the bump :) Nice to know you're still as keen to see this as I am to get it in front of you!
It's been going very well. I spent most of last week on it. Consequently my freelance stuff has piled up a bit and I'm being chased like an animal this week!
I spent a lot of time getting the fundamentals (I hope!) right - customers, jobs, rounds, worksheets, accounts are all in place and (I think) working really well.
So, in terms of a functional system, it's more or less ready for beta, but... I'm very keen to squeeze in at least 2 or 3 of the most popular feature ideas before opening the beta doors!
Want to make as big a splash as possible ;)
So, it will be a wee bit longer I'm afraid. I had originally said end of October, I then (perhaps a bit hastily!) brought this forward to 1st of October, but now I'm very much into the thick of the project and can see the road ahead more clearly, I think somewhere in between (i.e. around mid October / another 2 weeks) is looking realistic.
Hope you can bear with me - I really want to make it worth everyone's while.
In the meantime I've been planning a quick email update to everyone on the beta list, including some screenshots of progress so far. Not quite the same as taking it for a spin yourself I know, but will hopefully give you a feel for what's to come very, very soon. Will email this out over the next day or so once I've cleared my desk of other bits and I'm back on the case.
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thanks for the update Rob looking forward to testing it out
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Another dream is born.
:D
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Hi Paul - thanks for the bump :) Nice to know you're still as keen to see this as I am to get it in front of you!
It's been going very well. I spent most of last week on it. Consequently my freelance stuff has piled up a bit and I'm being chased like an animal this week!
I spent a lot of time getting the fundamentals (I hope!) right - customers, jobs, rounds, worksheets, accounts are all in place and (I think) working really well.
So, in terms of a functional system, it's more or less ready for beta, but... I'm very keen to squeeze in at least 2 or 3 of the most popular feature ideas before opening the beta doors!
Want to make as big a splash as possible ;)
So, it will be a wee bit longer I'm afraid. I had originally said end of October, I then (perhaps a bit hastily!) brought this forward to 1st of October, but now I'm very much into the thick of the project and can see the road ahead more clearly, I think somewhere in between (i.e. around mid October / another 2 weeks) is looking realistic.
Hope you can bear with me - I really want to make it worth everyone's while.
In the meantime I've been planning a quick email update to everyone on the beta list, including some screenshots of progress so far. Not quite the same as taking it for a spin yourself I know, but will hopefully give you a feel for what's to come very, very soon. Will email this out over the next day or so once I've cleared my desk of other bits and I'm back on the case.
WCP has just packed up on me! I wanna test drive your Beta!
I'm ready Rob, lets do this.
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WCP has just packed up on me! I wanna test drive your Beta!
I'm ready Rob, lets do this.
Lol - sorry, shouldn't larf ;)
Just sent you an email. I'm working on the data import side at the mo and will be getting in touch with 1-2 users of each existing system (WCP, George, aworka) to work with them to get this right.
Often an "import" feature is just lip service - I want to ensure it works seamlessly and sets you up on CleanerPlanner with your data the way it should be so you can crack on with the new system.
Once the import is rock solid and I've got those 2-3 killer new features in place, I'll start opening things up...
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Oh dear i think you might be copying other software.
I think that is illegal and for self gain.tut tut.
I think we might be at cross purposes.
All good software has an import / export feature.
e.g. Word lets you export to PDF, Google Mail lets you import from Outlook etc.
This is simply giving you rightful control and ownership of *your* data.
Am I missing your point?
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whats happend to this then ::)roll
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Hi Dave - thanks for the nudge.
Rest assured CleanerPlanner is alive and well (as am I ;)) and we're inching ever closer to the beta.
I've literally just this minute sent out the first "pre beta" login to Smudger, the window cleaner that got me / us started on this idea.
The goal right now, with her help, is to get the core round, job and customer management features ship shape (it's not far off, but I'll let her be the judge).
Once we've ironed out the kinks I can start inviting more beta people on board, confident that it will handle their day-to-day business smoothly.
Then, once I've got a good handful of people on there using it for their day-to-day, I'll start layering on the exciting new user requested features :)
So, from where I'm at right now, my original estimate of end of October is looking very, very realistic for the "big launch" ;)
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Hi Rob, I had an iOS app built about 2-3 years ago now and have been using ever since. I just wanted to let you know about it as it might help both you and I as using my developer for only my single use is a little expensive and by the sounds of it with more investment of time and money yours sounds promising. Btw I have never used or seen George, WCP or Aworka as I use my app.
The features..
Firstly it is app based, the recorded payment data is sent via email when selected in a CSV file.
It also performs a back up when synced to iTunes like any other app.
When I open my app I have 4 icons, Customer list, All payments, Misc & Routes.
Customer List screen shows in a drop down style...1 John St, 2 John St and so on. The list is as long as it has to be. If I click on any address it opens a new page with the clicked adress at the top then below a box where the price is stored (which can be edited at any time) then below this a oblong box divided into 6 sections. These are the payment method boxes. Paid, Not Paid, PNT (pay next time) then the bottom 3 boxes Cash, Chq, Card. If I first select paid then I obviously select the method. Once I select Not Paid or PNT on my customer list page it shows next to the said address as NP or PNT. This enables me to visually look down the list at pace as I scroll to indicate the money owed, also when I receive a sent cheque I can edit this to paid, all via the app. At the bottom of this payments page I have three icons, the one I'm on currently 'payment' then 'Address' where like an address book I can type in all the clients details phone number email etc.then I have a 'Payments' tab where I can see all the payments history for the client I am looking at. Then back to the main page where the customer list is..the next tab is 'All payments' this shows all payments recieved to date and is the exported CSV file. This file can be trimmed in the next tab 'Misc' this is from where I export the CSV email and can trim the payment list if required as it does not automatically trim from my last export so I have to do this here (an oversight at the time of build). And lastly the 'routes' tab here I have a scroll with the various areas we work in and when I select one the customer list automatically shows my these clients. It's a quick way of navigating the app should chq's arrive from random based clients which happens every day. I hope this helps for now, it works for me to a point. Paul my developer now says in hindsight due to a few small probs a web based app would of been better and easier for him to manage. Anyway I wish you luck and look forward to your version. I think any advance in making our lives a bit easier is great news..
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Oh I forgot to say I have at anytime the edit function to remove or add a new client to the list. An 'edit' tab at the top of the customer list to delete anyone from the list or a + tab to add a new client to list.
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Hi Dave - thanks for the nudge.
Rest assured CleanerPlanner is alive and well (as am I ;)) and we're inching ever closer to the beta.
I've literally just this minute sent out the first "pre beta" login to Smudger, the window cleaner that got me / us started on this idea.
The goal right now, with her help, is to get the core round, job and customer management features ship shape (it's not far off, but I'll let her be the judge).
Once we've ironed out the kinks I can start inviting more beta people on board, confident that it will handle their day-to-day business smoothly.
Then, once I've got a good handful of people on there using it for their day-to-day, I'll start layering on the exciting new user requested features :)
So, from where I'm at right now, my original estimate of end of October is looking very, very realistic for the "big launch" ;)
This is fantastic news! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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have you considered selling different versions of the software at different prices.
so people who want a cheaper basic version can get that, and people who want more features pay for it.
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Is it nearly ready getting desperate now ;D ;D
Thanks Paul
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Hi Paul,
Great to know you're keen to get your hands on it - makes all this toiling worthwhile ;)
So, it's really, *really* getting there now.
I've invited three "pre beta" testers onboard, and together we're giving those tyres a jolly good kicking and whipping the system into shape for the launch.
We've already thrashed out tons of small (and some big) but all very important improvements, which I wouldn't have thought of without their input - e.g. monthly scheduling (I wrongly assumed *everyone* worked to a 4 week cycle for "monthly" jobs), time / people totals on the planner view, option to override the next clean date from the worksheet (but return to the original schedule after that), facility to pick your working days (e.g. Mon, Tue, Wed etc) both for your whole account and individual jobs, etc etc.
So, all good stuff and keeping me very busy ;D As I said, plan is to thrash away at these small (but important) things for the next week or so to get the core system really solid, and then look to add in a good handful of new user requested features in time for the launch - bulk email is looking like #1 candidate right now, blocking out staff holidays probably #2.
Now, what I am going to do over the next couple of days, is pop a link on here to a proper beta signup page. This will be a short form where you can register interest in the beta, and give me some initial info (e.g. business name, current software etc) that will help me setup your beta account and email you your login details when the time comes. Will also help me get a clearer handle on how many people are genuinely interested in logging into this thing and taking it for a spin :)
So, please continue to watch this space and thank you for your patience - I really hope to make this worth the wait for everyone.
P.S.
richard - Thanks for the suggestion. Yep, haven't given much detailed thought to pricing yet! But you're certainly not the first to suggest a tiered pricing structure depending on whether you need the bells and whistles or not. So, off the top my head there will probably be 2 or 3 versions - e.g. Essential, Pro and Ultimate, or something like that. Will seek feedback on this when the time comes.
Fin Clearview - Thanks for the insight and sorry for not responding sooner. The way your app works sounds broadly similar to the way CleanerPlanner works, albeit yours is a mobile only app I guess? Do you run multiple vans? If so do you have a problem syncing everything up? CleanerPlanner might make life easier in this regard :) There won't be a native mobile app from day one, but if the web / cloud system gets enough take up, development of accompanying iOS / Android app is almost a certainty.
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Hi all,
OK - very (very) nearly there now. Thanks for your patience.
I've put up a beta signup page where you can also see a "teaser view" ;) of the planner:
www.cleanerplanner.com/Beta.aspx
If you're eager to take CleanerPlanner for a test drive, please submit your details and I'll be in touch very shortly with your login details.
Plan is to bring people onboard personally, one at a time on a first come basis for now, while I continue to make further small fixes and improvements based on user feedback.
Once (if - who knows?!) we hit the 10 - 20 user mark and the system is running smoothly for everyone, I'll start to open the taps and bring people onboard more rapidly.
Really looking forward to welcoming more people onboard and hearing all your thoughts and suggestions :)
Rob
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Thanks to everyone who's signed up for beta so far. I'll be in touch with you very shortly to discuss next steps, whether you want to import your data etc.
Mostly new names so far which is good of course :) But just to say if you signed up to the ideas forum a while back, please can you re-sign-up via the form below.
http://www.cleanerplanner.com/Beta.aspx
Sorry, I know it's a faff, but the ideas forum is on another system, and it's not easy to copy details across (also keen to find out if you're still interested rather than bothering you if you're not :))
Talking of the ideas forum, over the next few days I'm going to go back over all your ideas, forum posts and emails and pull together a definitive list of features requested to date.
I think I'll then put this up as a page within CleanerPlanner, with a status next to each feature - e.g. done or to-do and a planned release date - and keep this page regularly updated.
I have a feeling I've already implemented a good handful of the ideas we discussed - will be interesting to take stock.
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any screen shots of the mobile version, looking good you have done well to put it all together in a couple of months
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Cheers Jonathan.
I've designed the web app to be responsive and it scales down well to iPad resolution. Obviously it works on iPhone but I'll admit there's still some work to do here before I move out of beta.
It's probably not going to be practical to shoehorn some of the larger grids and views into an iPhone screen so I'll probably build a separate mobile optimised view.
Further down the line I may look at building native iOS and Android apps with offline support, but that's a way off.
By the by - can RoundPartner import from WCP?
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No wcp uses some encription similar to how microsoft and won't format the dates and jobs properly , we haven't spent much time pursuing wcp. Lee Burbrigde used wcp before he started using roundpartner and manually input all the data, which we have done for other customers that have wpc(takes an hour or two). We had no problem with George and if people want to export from roundpartner to cleanerplanner they can do a back up file and upload.
I had a look at your landing page on my tablet and looks nice, but a bit small on a mobile phone screen.
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Yep, getting data out of WCP isn't easy! Most of my users are coming from WCP so I had to figure out a way. Manual input would be too time consuming and error prone.
Dates are fine but schedules are a bit tricky. Currently assuming them based on last clean and next due dates, which works fine for the most part.
George and Aworka are relatively straightforward as you say.
Great that RoundPartner makes it easy for you to get *your* data out. I'll be doing the same. It's only fair that people should be able to move around if they wish.
Thanks again for the mobile feedback. As I said, mobile optimisation is next on the list, but I decided to prioritise getting the printable worksheets spot on, as this is how most WCP users work.
Also spent a lot of time fine-tuning the scheduling system and planner based on feedback. Figured it made sense to get the fundamentals right before focussing on mobile.
Just checked out the mobile view in RP. Very nice - quick and easy to use. Great that you can add customers and prospects while out of the move. Can't see a way to add jobs though?
Also I see it's got a calendar sync which is brilliant but does the app work offline? Lots of cleaners have asked for offline support so I'll probably go the native route when I build the mobile app.
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We have a add new customer button. We have redesigned the mobile app to work offline, it is in beta at the moment. We have gone for the mobile first route. Guys like to use the built in calendar on phones as this gives familiar feel. ( think apple and Google do this really well) wish you all the best.
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Yes due to the limited space on a mobile screen the add customer is the plus sign next to customer.
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Hi Rob,
I'm registered now but cannot seem to find the app in the (Apple) App Store.
Has anybody else had any joy downloading the App?
Cheers
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Hi Deeege,
I've been inviting people onboard this week (personally / one by one for now). There's been a fantastic level of interest and lots of feedback and questions to respond to (and tweaks to make to the system along the way) so it is taking some time. Thanks for your patience. If you drop me an email at rob@cleanerplanner.com I can ask you a for a couple more details that will help me set up your account that bit quicker when the time comes.
Just to be clear though, CleanerPlanner is a web / cloud app first and foremost (for now). It works great on iPad and I'm literally (this moment) optimising it for iPhone and Android as some issues have been highlighted there during beta testing. However, while "native" iOS and Android apps are absolutely on the cards (once we've got a solid user base together :)) for now you won't find the app in the App Stores - it's only accessible via your web browser on your PC or Mac, or your web browser on your iPhone / Android via 3G.
I don't want to mislead anyone. If you're on the market for a 100% mobile app, with offline support (works where no signal) CleanerPlanner is not the one for you, yet! (but still one to watch ;))
However, if you're looking for a feature-rich web/cloud based replacement for WCP or George (or you're looking to try an alternative to aworka or RoundPartner), with advanced round management, scheduling and customer database features (and much, much more on the way), wall planner, printable worksheets, debt list, expenses, advanced reporting (soon) and (in a bit...) SMS reminders, bulk email, pretty invoices, staff and vehicle management features, all backed by consistent ongoing development and friendly, responsive support, then come on in, the water's warm!
Hope that makes sense! Any questions give me a shout at rob@cleanerplanner.com.
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"The water is warm...." most definately! CP is coming on rather well in my opinion, WELL worth a look at, the supprt side has also been very good, any small glitches have been amended immediately and some great features to come too bulk text bulk email and so much more, hvaing played with the others and still returning to WCP - Cleaner Planner is very very good so far.... Come on jump in........................ the waters warm ;D
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Thanks for that Rob.
I should have made myself clearer, I have already got my login details etc. I already have a bit of feedback too. I was frantically searching the AppStore looking for the app but now I realise it doesn't exist. Doh!
Cheers, Danny.
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How much does it cost? Also I think some people might be worried about exposing contract info on iCloud ? Or is it safe?
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Crystal-clear - please could you drop me a quick email at rob@cleanerplanner.com to discuss? I have emailed you a couple of times but maybe the email I have for you isn't correct.
deeege - glad I made sense there despite rambling on a bit ;) Really keen to get your feedback - please can you email me when you get a mo.
P.S. Thanks Smudger :)
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hi rob
i don't use any software only because i haven't found anything i like the look off.
i do it all by hand and by using the calendar on my iPhone,i like to book jobs in on the go and swap rebook customers on the phone as i speak to them where ever i am which i can do with the iPhone calendar.
when i get home i write them all manually into an accounts book and put a cross next to who hasn't paid,then when the cheques or bacs payments come in i mark them as paid.
doing end of months accounts is a pain in the a,,,,
adding up all my collums in a pain in the a,,,, lol
if i could find software that wasn't strict with 8 weekly and 4 weekly etc that i could drag n drop etc
COUNT ME IN
if you want to re search the way i do it more your welcome to call me
regards cliff
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Hi Cliff - would be good to chat more about this :) Feel free to drop me an email at rob@cleanerplanner.com and I'll fill you in on where things are at.
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hi rob
i don't use any software only because i haven't found anything i like the look off.
i do it all by hand and by using the calendar on my iPhone,i like to book jobs in on the go and swap rebook customers on the phone as i speak to them where ever i am which i can do with the iPhone calendar.
when i get home i write them all manually into an accounts book and put a cross next to who hasn't paid,then when the cheques or bacs payments come in i mark them as paid.
doing end of months accounts is a pain in the a,,,,
adding up all my collums in a pain in the a,,,, lol
if i could find software that wasn't strict with 8 weekly and 4 weekly etc that i could drag n drop etc
COUNT ME IN
if you want to re search the way i do it more your welcome to call me
regards cliff
You can drag and drop on the planner in aworka .
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how do i register on this system
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Hi - we are curretnly using CP and it is very good - best to contact rob direct on (see above post but copied below for you)
Feel free to drop me an email at rob@cleanerplanner.com and I'll fill you in on where things are at.
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Hi Guys,
Great news - Cleaner Planner is now live!
You can contact Rob directly at rob@cleanerplanner.com or chat on his own sub forum by clicking here! (http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?board=54.0)
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/cleanerplannerbanner.jpg) (http://www.cleanerplanner.com/?utm_source=ciu&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=launch)
A message from Cleaner Planner can be seen below:
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Hi Everyone,
After 6 months of rigorous testing, tweaking and polishing with the help of my brilliant beta testers, Cleaner Planner is now officially open for business!
You can find out more about the new features CP brings to the table such as SMS, GoCardless integration and iOS & Android apps, as well as details on plans and pricing on the new website:
www.cleanerplanner.com
Or to jump straight to the 45 day free trial:
www.cleanerplanner.com/trial
As always, I'm on hand both here on the forum and via email at rob@cleanerplanner.com to answer any questions you may have and help you set up some of the more advanced features has to offer.
If you'd like to import your latest backup or export from your existing software so you've got some data to play with simply email it over and I'll set this up for you.
I do hope you'll find time to take CP for a spin and I look forward to hearing how you get on :)
Cheers,
Rob
_________________________________________
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Is it possible to import all customer details, job histories and notes from wcp database?
Thanks
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Hi Simon,
WCP export / import is not easy as you probably know!
But yes - we can import jobs, customers, debts and notes.
We can't import history (i.e. transactions) but then you generally wouldn't when moving to new software.
You would decide on a cut-off date and keep your old software there for a period for archiving / reference purposes.
Let me know if you have any further questions :)
Btw - Cleaner Planner should be a good fit for you as it works in a very similar way to WCP - revolves around planning your day / week and preparing your worksheets (printed or mobile) ahead of time which some people find is a much more organised way of working, especially if you run several vans (in CP you can assign pre-prepared worksheets to vans / operatives and that's all they see).
Thanks,
Rob
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Thanks rob. Also how do u download the iPhone app I don't see it on the app store
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Hi Simon,
App's not in the app stores yet but will be soon - it's a manual download / install for now that I can walk you through.
Only really makes sense to install it once you've got set up and your head round the central web-based Cleaner Planner first.
Have you signed up for the trial yet? Feel free to drop me an email at rob@cleanerplanner.com and I'll walk you through things.
Rob
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2 weeks into using George now undecided who to go for!!! Aggghhh
How much is CP gonna be per month? When is the app coming? And I'd like to know like Cliff if we are governed by the 8/6 or 4 week scheduling?
Cheers
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Hi Fin,
Details of packages, pricing and free trial, as well as the new time-saving features CP brings to the table are all on the new website:
www.cleanerplanner.com
iOS and Android apps are ready and people are using them - not in the app stores yet, but I can help you install and set these up once you're up and running on web-based CP.
Scheduling is flexible in CP and fits around the way you work. Either you can stick to a rigid 4/8/12 schedule or you can for e.g. say you want to do a job monthly but only on Mondays or Tuesdays and CP will schedule it for you.
Any further questions feel free to drop me a note rob@cleanerplanner.com.
Cheers,
Rob
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Hi Rob,
How easy would it be transferring all my data from excel spreadsheets onto CP.
With the GoCardless intergration, does it automatically debit a customer once you've marked the job as done, or is there still an option for the customer to pay cash on the day and to avoid a gocardless transaction?
Cheers,
Lance
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Hi Lance,
Yep - Excel import should be doable providing the data is neat and tidy :) Please feel free to forward the XLS to rob@cleanerplanner.com and we can go from there.
GoCardless is semi-automatic which I think is best (safest). Customers who don't pay cash on the day appear on your debts list as normal. If they're set up with a DD pre-auth in GoCardless then a "Start GoCardless" button appears next to the debt. Click the button to kick off the GoCardless payment process. When the payment drops into your account the debt is automatically cleared in CP.
Any further Q's just drop me a note.
Cheers,
Rob
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Sounds great Rob.
I'll have a chat with you next week, as im home alone with the kids this weekend, so won't have a spare minute during the day and don't want to take up your evenings discussing work.
Cheers,
Lance
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£25 a month !!!!
Im out .