Meter billing and service scheduling software.

[PLAYER1READY]

Hi Everyone
I'm looking for software to run a photocopier service department and it would be great if anyone with experience can recommend software they use.

Customer database.
contract management.
Meter billing (customer input via auto email).
Job scheduling.
reporting.

MSA looks like the best solution but they've told me they won't take us on due to being based in Australia and are unable to support us, so is there anything similar, also Jim2 looks good but it's very expensive.

Thanks
Brett

[mloudy]

If anyone within the compnay is familiar with Access they could create your own. I had no Access training and was able to develop a database to do nearly everything we need.

"customer input via auto email", this it does not due. A Microsoft update about a year ago broke this ability. For the hadnful of copiers that did not send us meters on the first day of the month I would step through a process which took about a minute and it would send an email to all those customers requesting meters. When they replied it dumped meters directly into the datdabase. Unfortunately that doesn't work anymore. I still get the replies but have to manuuly enter the meters. I spend about 30 minutes on the first of the month entereing meters that are emailed to us by the copiers, roughly 500 copiers. Many more meters are collected by MPS software installed at the customers location. When a tech closes out a service call that meter also updates in the system. If the current meter exceeds the "Billed to" meter then it shows up on a report to be invoiced.

Over the years employees request new features and I am able to modifity the database. Just about anything you want to create can easily be found on the internet in Access forums.

Our system is based on Asset Tag #'s. Service Calls and supply orders are entered via the Tag#. There is a way around it if the customer doesn't know the Tag# or if they give us an incorrect #.

We no longer use this database for billing but we run the reports out of it and use Quickbooks to invoice. This adds an extra step that a true software solution would not. Bascailly double entry to go back and add the "Billed to" date and the "Billed to" meter.

The last quote I got for industry specific software was over $12,000.00 and required two week out-of-state training. Additional licenses were $2,950 each and then there were the annual support costs. Feature requests, if they could be done were even more money.

I tried and gave up many many times over a period of 2 years to develop our software but finally came up with a version and put it into use. We have been using it for 9 years now.

[progoffice]

We use a product called Miracle Service. It's built on Microsoft Access. I don't pay the bills, but I believe this is one of the cheaper solutions out there for what you are wanting to do. It works great for a small dealership like us and might be all that you need. Field Service Management Software | Miracle Service

[Asterina]

It is necessary to think about this