How Do You Stay Organized?

[PCX]

Along the same lines I can have mhelpdesk opened on several computer (in fact we do) so I may set up some more termnals for that specific purpose. Man I need to expand the shop again.

As for the clerk, I could probably afford one part time but I have other places where I need/want to spend that money.

[bitbytes]

Originally Posted by PCX

Online ticket system via tablets (this works great for anything involving drop down menus like our diagnostics and ticket status)

We use MH also. We have adopted the tablet method because of its speech to text capabilities. We have 7" Samsung Tablets that are nice and portable.
My tablet is always by my side as I record all my logs and tech notes via speech to text, create new tickets, create invoices. It saves a lot of time and I find it makes my notes even more detailed this way. Also my notes are in one place and one place only, no double entry. I hardly touch my desktop anymore.

We basically use our tablets as our tech clipboards. When a customer calls, we grab our tablets and open a new ticket and record the issue (type it in).
For check-in/out we grab our tablets and create the ticket or take the payment, e-signature t&c and close the ticket.

We have even gone paper-less with this process.
Customers receive all their paperwork via email, but if they like a printed copy we can do that also.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by bitbytes

We use MH also. We have adopted the tablet method because of its speech to text capabilities. We have 7" Samsung Tablets that are nice and portable.
My tablet is always by my side as I record all my logs and tech notes via speech to text, create new tickets, create invoices. It saves a lot of time and I find it makes my notes even more detailed this way. Also my notes are in one place and one place only, no double entry. I hardly touch my desktop anymore.

We basically use our tablets as our tech clipboards. When a customer calls, we grab our tablets and open a new ticket and record the issue (type it in).
For check-in/out we grab our tablets and create the ticket or take the payment, e-signature t&c and close the ticket.

We have even gone paper-less with this process.
Customers receive all their paperwork via email, but if they like a printed copy we can do that also.

Yeah, the last time I tried the speech to text feature, it did not do so well. If it did, that would be a different story. As for using them to check in customers or log calls or do invoices, its way more efficient to do those tasks on a computer.

By the way, how are you taking the payments? mhelpdesk has not implemented that feature yet.

[bitbytes]

That's taking through our regular CC Terminal.
Are you running ICS on the tablet? Speech recognition got much better with this version.

[PCX]

Actually I am now. I just got the new 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich, so I will try it out and see how well it works.

[sudo]

I use a Note sheet. Every computer that comes in gets one.

I attached the document to this post for anyone to see and use. The first page has a section for diagnostics which are always ran first, a section for malware scanners, and the rest is for handwritten notes for every step of the way to service completion. The second page is for continuing handwritten notes if you ran out of space on the first page, which I always do. Also every technician is required to date and initial every time they write notes.

It follows the Business Kit theme that is sold on here. Actually, the note sheet that I use in practice has the Reformat checklist on the back of the first page. I removed the reformat checklist from the document since it is a paid document within the Business kit sold here. Then the second page is just notes continued double sided.

EDIT: I then use ShopManager to help me track the oldest computers in shop. Knowing which computer is the oldest (priority) and then having well documented notes for each computer keeps things running quite well. Just stress to your tech or make it a habit to have things well documented so the next tech can just read and pick up where you left off.

Hope this helps or gives ideas. It works well for me at least.

[PCX]

Thanks. This is similar to something I made a while back. The only problem is getting all the information onto a couple of small (but slight larger than normal) sticky notes.

Can anyone possibly give me a quick break down of what their basic procedure for keeping track of repairs between yourself and other techs? I honestly never worked in a shop before I owned my own, so I have nothing to really reference from.

[sudo]

Any specific reason for wanting sticky notes?

I usually keep everything in a folder (I use to use black plastic clipboards) and leave it right in front of the client's computer. Check-in form, data back-up, and notes all in a folder with a asset tag on the front. Makes it easier to staple everything together and file it when we are done.

[HubCityPC]

You mentioned you use MHelpdesk...have you tried their mobile app? The techs could easily update tickets quickly on their phones without having to be in front of an actual computer. Sure it wouldn't really work for entering detailed notes on a job but it works great for some of the simple things.

I use Mhelpdesk as well but I'm a one man show and I realize your needs are much different than mine. What I do for procedural type stuff is to use Google Docs. I created a spreadsheet that is basically a checklist. I print one out for each job and check off as I go to make sure I don't forget anything. It's not job specific. It's more like add to MHD, give biz cards, upsells, change status in MHD, send survey, follow up call, etc. I left out a lot of steps but I have the document broken down into three sections - start of job, during job and at job completion. All in all I probably have about 25 or so steps that I make sure to hit on with every customer. Obviously this could be shared with your techs (and accessed on a mobile device) or printed, filled out by hand and attached to each computer that comes in.

Just a suggestion...works for me.

[PCX]

Because we have about 40+ different computers / tickets that are open at any given time and having clipboards or folders everywhere is just not practical. Sticky notes at least stick to the laptop or desktop. If I had some type of over-sized sticky note form, that would help. I was also wondering how shop owner manage this many ( or more) computers / tickets at a time with several techs.