Part 3 of a four-part series looking at the points to consider when choosing a CRM. Here we take a look at the enhanced functionality that can set one CRM apart from another.
A good pest control CRM provides more than just customer management tools – it should also deliver enhanced functionality with on-the-job management tools for increased efficiency and professionalism. Report writing functionality is now a core requirement for pest control CRMs, but barcoding packages are a game-changer that are not included in all CRMs. The barcoding functionality in Service-Pro Pest-App includes a wide range of tools, which allows small businesses to compete with larger businesses in the commercial pest control market.
Barcodes can be added to any pieces of equipment but are most commonly used in conjunction with termite or rodent bait stations. Their use in rodent management programs, particularly in commercial accounts, delivers significant efficiencies and improved analysis for the pest manager, along with meeting any HACCP or other compliance requirements required by the customer.
The Pest-App barcoding package not only allows of identification of an individual bait station but allows a range of information to be captured by the pest manager including location, amount of bait added (along with batch number) and amount of bait eaten. The information from all the bait stations can be linked to an activity report, which can be easily visualised as an activity heat map on an uploaded site plan (shown in main picture, above). This allows both the pest manager and client to identify pest activity patterns and hotspots, to better target investigations and treatments.
The site map functionality is integral to the smooth performance of the Pest-App barcoding package. Site maps can be uploaded or created from scratch. Importantly, each time the site map is changed, it is saved as a revision attached to the relevant service report, so the service history is preserved. A recent upgrade to the site map functionality now allows for multiple site maps to be created for the one site, which allows for easier management when multiple buildings may be involved.
Photographs are an essential component of inspection records and help significantly in detailing results and helping with customer communication. With Pest-App, photos can be taken from within the app, annotated as required, and inserted automatically into the correct location in the report.
The combination of the barcoding and flexible report writing within Pest-App allows reports to be fully HACCP compliant and customised depending on the needs of the client.
The barcoding also provides an additional benefit for pest control business owners and customer alike – it produces a timestamp and GPS co-ordinates for each location. Not only does this provide additional detail on the treatment but also provides the pest control company and customer confirmation that the treatment has been carried out.
All these reports can be accessed by the client through the customer portal, which also allows them to access any other uploaded information such as product labels, safety data sheets and insurance documents. With a complete service history and current action plans available to call up, the Pest-App portal is fully compliant with HACCP requirements.
A CRM that includes additional functionality, like Pest-App, takes business efficiency to the next level. By including such functionality within the one app, it also eliminates the need for multiple software packages, further increasing efficiency and reducing expenses.
In the final part of this series, in the next issue of the magazine, we will take a look at CRM functionality that can be utilised to grow and sell your business.
Part 1 of this series looks at the factors to think about before opening a CRM app.
Part 2 of this series examines the enhanced functionality that can set one CRM apart from another.
