Vehicle Tracking Automatically Answers the Question, ‘Where are They?’

When a homeowner is waiting for a service technician such as a plumber or electrician, they are likely to be wondering, “Where are they?”

Housecall Pro, a software platform for home service professionals, has long found that its “On My Way” text messages to consumers are one of the favorite features of the platform users because the texts answers that question, reduce the need for phone calls and improve the customer experience.

Now, the platform has enhanced that feature by partnering with Force by Mojio to add vehicle tracking and fleet management capabilities. With these, the On My Way messages are supplemented with the service technician’s GPS location, vehicle make and license plate number.

“Customers may now track their technician and spend less time wondering when they will arrive,” Housecall Pro Co-Founder Roland Ligtenberg told PYMNTS.

Enabling Efficient Fleet Management

Vehicle tracking also helps the businesses by enabling fleet managers to see on a map the locations of their technicians and trucks. With this information, they can optimize their schedule, book more jobs and increase revenue.

When Housecall Pro’s users, known as Pros, log into the Force by Mojio dashboard, the managers can access a full suite of fleet management solutions including trip history, geo-fences, driver scores and fleet reports.

These tools help protect businesses against liability and reduce the costs associated with vehicle wear and tear, maintenance, insurance and taxes. For example, knowing the miles and costs associated with vehicles is handy at tax time, diagnostic trouble code alerts help managers prevent vehicle downtime and theft tracking devices may enable discounts on commercial insurance.

“As a Pro’s company grows, so do their fleets,” Ligtenberg said. “Pros have a huge need for insight into one of their most valuable assets — their vehicles — to run a successful business.”

Offering Modern Tools to an Underserved Market

The Force by Mojio solution works by utilizing GPS hardware that plugs into the fleet’s trucks.

This vehicle tracking solution is the latest enhancement added to the Housecall Pro platform. Housecall Pro was launched in 2015 and today focuses on helping small home services businesses with scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, accepting payments, getting booked online and other services.

The software is best suited for businesses in the residential home repair and maintenance market, including plumbers; electricians; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians; carpet cleaners; handyman professionals; housecleaners and others. But anyone may sign up for the service.

“This sector of the economy has long been underserved and was a great opportunity to make an impact by offering them modern tools to run their business,” Ligtenberg said.

Enabling Different Payment Methods, Better Cash Flow and Financing

Consumers use several forms of payment for these home services, including credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cash, check and bank transfers. The Pros who also do light commercial work find that local business use the same payment methods.

“Housecall Pro makes creating an invoice super simple and gives Pros the ability to accept credit card and bank payments in person, online via text or email, or over the phone,” Ligtenberg said.

To help the service businesses with their cash flow, the platform offers Instapay, which deposits credit card payments into their bank account within 30 minutes.

For larger purchases such as a new water heater or HVAC system, customers often rely on financing. To meet this need, Housecall Pro offers instant consumer financing through a quick online application.

“Housecall Pro’s core value has always been ‘Champion the Pro,’” Ligtenberg said. “Every feature is designed with this in mind, with the intent to help Pros either streamline or grow their business.”