Admin or Dispatcher–How Jobber Works for Different Roles in a Company Updated March 13, 2024 20:47

Overview

As a dispatcher or someone in an admin role, you likely handle incoming requests and scheduling at your company, as well as making sure that the team members who are doing the work know what needs to get done once they get to the job site. In this role, you are primarily working in an office so these features highlight using jobber.com, however many of these things can be accomplished from the Jobber App as well.

Scheduling

You're the one responsible for getting the work in the books, whether that's the first assessment of a client's property, a weekly visit to a long-term client (we call these recurring jobs), or a job where once the work is finished that's the end of that contract (we call these one-off jobs).  

Scheduling an assessment

When a new client calls in and you want to record their information. before creating a quote for them, your first step should be to create a request. When creating a request, if it's for a brand new client you can add their information to the system directly from the request.

Starting from the Create tab on the side navigation, click Request. 

You will be brought to a blank request where you can select the client this request will be for by clicking the plus sign.

For a new client, select Create New Client and you will be prompted to enter their details including contact information like their name, property address, phone number, and email address.

Now that the client has been added to this request, you can start filling out the details and if needed, schedule an assessment. 

Assessments are scheduled on requests. The assessment blocks out time on your calendar for team members to visit the property and contains the details of what needs to be done during this time. We mention above that requests can be created by you from the requests page, but they can also be created by your clients and submitted online. 

From an existing request, click Schedule Assessment in the top right corner.  

If you're creating a new request, scroll down to the assessment section and toggle On-site assessment required to ON. 

This will add a section to your booking request form where you can enter the instructions for the assessment as well as a scheduled date, time, and assign a team member.

When you save a request for the first time, there are two options:

• Save request: This saves the request and takes you out of the edit screen, back to the top of the request where you can view the request details.
• Save and...: Clicking this button gives you a list of other actions you can do in addition to saving the quote. These are things that might save you a step or a few clicks. Your options are to:
  
  • Save and Convert to Quote: the request is saved and you are brought to the quote creation screen with a reference of the details from the request so that you can build a quote based off that information.
  • Save and Convert to Job: the request is saved and you are brought to the job creation screen with a reference of the details from the request so that you can build a job based off that information.

Once a request has already been created, the button changes from Save Request to Update Request. The update options are to:

• Update Request: The request is updated with the changes you have made to it. 
• Update and...:  Clicking this button gives you a list of other actions you can do in addition to updating the request. These are things that might save you a step or a few clicks. Your options are to:
  • Update and Convert to Quote: the request is updated with your changes and you are brought to the quote creation screen with a reference of the updated details from the request so that you can build a quote based off that information.
  • Update and Convert to Job: the request is updated and you are brought to the job creation screen with a reference of the details from the updated request so that you can build a job based off that information.
    • Note: These update options create new quotes or jobs. These options do not update any existing quotes or jobs that were based on this request. 

Scheduling a job

There are two types of jobs in Jobber:

1. One-Off Jobs - Jobs with one visit, or multiple visits, but without a repeating schedule. (Eg. Spring clean up, move-out clean, HVAC repair), and one final invoice. 
2. Recurring Jobs - Jobs with multiple visits that are done periodically, or on a repeating schedule, with one or multiple invoices. (Eg. Weekly cleaning, snow removal, monthly lawn mowing).

These jobs have different visit schedules, but one of the main differences between them is the billing frequency. One-off jobs are typically billed once at the end of the service, whereas recurring jobs will be billed multiple times such as after each visit, weekly, or monthly.

Visits are each time that you go out to a client's property to do work, whereas jobs are the whole duration of work or the whole contract. 

You can create a job from many places in Jobber, including the schedule, from a client’s profile, or from Home (Dashboard for non-admin users). You can also make a job from a quote. In each area, click the More Actions button in the top right, then click Job. You will then be brought to the job creation screen.

To select the client, who the job is for, click the + button beside Client Name.

You can then choose an existing client or create a new one.

Below the client name, you can set up instructions for the team on the job. We cover this in the Give instructions portion of this article. 

Next is creating the schedule for the job, there are serveral fields to fill out:

• To set the schedule for the job, select a Start Date for the job. This is the day the contract begins.
• You can click Show Calendar or Hide Calendar to view a preview of the month view of the calendar. This can be used to get a sense of when you're already busy to find a time to schedule the job.
• Select the Duration. This is how long the entire job lasts for. For example if you visit the client every 2 weeks for a contract of 1 year, then the duration would be 1 year. The maximum duration is 10 years.
  • Note: We recommend setting your duration to one year for optimal visit generation. Don't worry! We'll notify you in Insights 30 days before the job ends, or you can filter your jobs list to view recurring jobs ending in 30 days. That way you can contact your client to sell them more services, review your pricing, and extend the contract.
• Select start and end times. If no time is selected the visit will be made as an Anytime Visit on the calendar.
• Select if the job Repeats. This is how often you'll be going out to visit the client as part of this job. 
  • You can select to visit the client weekly, biweekly, monthly, or to set a custom schedule.
  • The custom schedule gives you flexibility to schedule weekly, monthly, or annually. You can also select multiple days. Eg. You could use the custom schedule to schedule weekly visits on Mondays and Wednesday. Or you could use it to set monthly visits on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month.
  • The “As Needed We Won’t Prompt You” option is for if you don’t want to schedule visits on this job right now. If you select this Jobber will make no visits, and the visits can be made later.

• Assign your team to the visits. If no users are selected, the visits will be unassigned and can be assigned later.

Lastly, you'll want to set up the invoice frequency for this job. This will vary between one-off jobs and reucrring jobs where one-off jobs will prompt you to invoice once the job is closed whereas recurring jobs can be set up to invoice on a repeating schedule (such as on the 15th on the month, every month). Automatic payments are also an option for recurring jobs.  

Give instructions

Your team needs to know what to do once they get to the job site so you need to make sure that what the customer has asked for is communicated to the team members doing the work. In Jobber, you can set up jobs with instructions that team members will see on the app for each visit. You can also leave notes including images in Jobber that your team can view while out in the field and leave notes or photos of their own with the Jobber App. If you need to ensure certain tasks are getting done, job forms are a great way to set up a checklist and standardize the information collected while out on a visit. 

Instructions on a job

When creating or editing a job, there is a job title and instructions field below the client name. This will show up as the title of the job in the schedule and on the app. The job title will not show to the client and is often used as a description of the job that you will be doing.

The instructions field is where you can add directions for your team for this job. This is also an internal field and the instructions will appear on each visit. Instructions on a particular visit can be edited from the visit on the calendar which will change the instructions for that visit only.

Leave notes

On the client's profile on jobber.com, there is a section called Internal notes and attachments. This field also appears on requests, quotes, jobs, and invoices however it will be located at the bottom of the page rather than the side.

Notes made in this field are strictly internal, so your client will not see them. This is also where you can upload photos or attachments. These notes and attachments can also be selected as client-facing attachments when you email a quote or invoice to your client.

Notes can also be created from the Jobber App. To record a note, tap the Notes tab, then Add Note. You can add a photo, video or upload documents using the Attach files button. Don't forget to save!

Notes from both jobber.com and the mobile app can be linked to related items so they are visible in other places in Jobber. If a note is created on a certain level, it can be linked so it transfers downwards from there, but not back upwards:

Job forms

Job forms are customizable checklists and forms that can be attached to jobs to have your team fill out on their visits. Job forms are a good way of collecting information while on a visit and standardizing the way information is entered when different employees are filling out the forms. Job forms can be set up with checkboxes, dropdowns, as well as short and long answer fields to customize based on your needs. Once a job form is filled out if you would like to share your form with your client, it can be emailed to the client or downloaded. 

Your team in the field will be able to fill out a job form in the Jobber App by navigating to a visit. This can be done by starting on the schedule tab and tapping the visit.

From the job form section on the visit, tap the job form that you'd like to fill out. 

This will open up the job form. If the job form has already had information filled in, this is where you can view that.

Once you've made your selection or entered the relevant information into the form, tap Save.   

Job forms can also be filled out from jobber.com. To start, navigate to the Schedule then locate the visit with the job form that you want to fill out. Click the visit > View details to open the visit details.

From the visit details, click the tab for Job Forms.

If you have more than one job form attached to this job, all your job forms will be listed in a drop down menu so you can switch between the various forms to view and edit them. 

Once you have made your edits to the job form, click Save.

Communicate with clients

 It's important to communicate with your clients at different milestones to keep them in the loop about their upcoming work. Once a job has been scheduled, send a booking confirmation to let them know you have their work in your books. Through the Jobber App, send an on my way text message to let you clients know when you are on route (or if you're running late). 

Booking confirmation

Let your clients know ASAP that you've got them in your books by sending them a booking confirmation that their work has been booked. They will receive an email or texr message that lets them know their work has been scheduled as well as details about the date of their upcoming work.

Note: Booking confirmations can only be sent for scheduled jobs, not assessments. 

Booking confirmations can be sent on both one-off and recurring jobs. However, if a job has no scheduled visits, a booking confirmation cannot be sent since there will be no appointments in client hub to show your client. 

Booking confirmations are sent manually. To send a booking confirmation, start by navigating to a job. Most likely you will be sending a booking confirmation fairly quickly after hitting Save on a brand new job, but you can also send a booking confirmation on an already created job. Text Booking Confirmation will appear as the primary action for the job, when the job is in "upcoming" or "today" status. If the job is in a status such as "requires invoicing", the option to send a booking confirmation won't be available. 

Click Text Booking Confirmation.

Sending the booking confirmation by text message is the primary action on a job, but the booking confirmation can also be sent as an email. Click More Actions > Email Booking Confirmation to notify your client via email that they are now on your books. 

If you are sending the booking confirmation via text there is a preview before the message is sent. If the client has a text message enabled primary phone number, it will already be selected in the To field.

The text message can be customized for this job, or set up as a template in Settings > Templates.

If you are sending the booking confirmation by email, there is an opportunity for you to look over and edit the text in the email. The date and location of the upcoming work will show in the email by default, according to the template for this notification but can be removed. If you need to add any additional details, attachments, or a thank you message, now's the time to add it in. 

Note: The template for booking confirmations can be customized in Gear Icon > Settings > Templates.

If you would like a copy of this email, check the box for Send me a copy. This option sends a BCC of the email to the user who sent it. 

Once the email is exactly how you want it, click Send Email. 

On my way text message

Using the Jobber App, users can send an On My Way text message to the client based on their scheduled appointment for the day. The message lets your clients know roughly when you will be arriving with a team member selecting how many minutes away you are into an already created message.

To send an On My Way message, tap into a visit from the schedule tab in the app. On the visit, tap the on my way button. 

If you are using two-way text messaging (available on the select plans), after selecting the On my way button.

From the Send on my way text screen, select how many minutes away from arrival you are. The options are:

• 5 minutes
• 10 minutes
• 15 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 45 minutes
• 60 minutes

Note: The number of minutes you select will be saved as pre-selected next time you send an "on my way" text message. 

Move your workflow along

Once a request has come in, if you decide that you will be moving ahead with the work, the next step is to convert the request to a quote or job.  This step typically comes after scheduling and completing an assessment, but since not every request or workflow requires an assessment it's also possible to convert the request directly to a quote or job to keep the work moving along.

From the request click Convert to quote or More Actions > Convert to Job to convert the request to the next step of your workflow. 

This opens either quote or job creation screen. In both cases, the information filled out on the request by the client appears on the right side of the page in a drawer for your reference as you build out the quote or job. This makes it easy to look back at exactly what the client requested and fill out any line items or add additional details based on their request

Remind your clients, automatically

Set up appointment reminders to automatically send your clients a text or email before their appointment so they know to expect you. Unlike booking confirmations which are sent one-time when a job is booked, appointment reminders are sent before each assessment or visit. Appointment reminders can be sent manually or automatically so you can set it and forget it.

Appointment reminders are a type of notification that are sent before you go to a client's property to notify your clients that you will be there. Appointment reminders include notifications for both assessments and visits. 

To set up automatic reminders go into your Gear Icon > Settings > Emails & Text Messages

You will find the Assessment reminders located under the Request section and Visit reminders under the Jobs section. You can toggle both appointment and visit reminders on or off, and edit how frequently the reminders are sent out. Reminders can be sent either via email or text message.

Note: the text message option is only available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

The first part of setting up appointment reminders, is setting up the schedule they will send at.

There are two reminders that you can schedule. This means that you set up one text message reminder and one email reminder to notify the client about your appointment with them, or you can have two of a kind. 

A reminder can either be scheduled for a specific time, or based on the time of the appointment. For example, a reminder set to go out 1 day before the visit or assessment would send out 24hrs before that time: a job at 7am on a Thursday would have the reminder go out at 7am the day before, Wednesday.

Text message reminders for anytime visits will only send if you specify a time. This prevents clients from receiving text messages in the middle of the night. For example, if you set text message reminders to go out 1 day before a visit that was set for Thursday (but no specific time set for the visit), the text message will not go out because an “all day” visit doesn’t have a time associated with it. We recommend in this case that you set your text message reminders to go out at a specific time, such as 1 day before at 9:00AM; this way your clients will always get text reminders at a reasonable hour.

The second part of setting up appointment reminders, is setting up the templates for the reminders. These templates will allow you to make custom messages for each type of reminder.

This edit screen is where you can also edit and preview the email and text message templates for both assessments and visits. There are tabs for each message type.

You can further customize the messages with variables. With the Insert Variable button you can choose variables to include which will auto-fill information into these reminders, you can use this to populate information like the visit date or the address.

Checklist

Now that you've read about the features that support your admin or dispatching role, it's time to get comfortable using them. Use this checklist to familiarize yourself with the tools that will support your day-to-day. Add yourself as a fake client in your account to practice. 

✅  Schedule an assessment, then convert the request to a quote or job.

✅  Create a one-off or recurring job, enter job instructions, and then send a booking confirmation.

✅  Familiarize yourself with notes- leave a note and locate notes left by other team members.

✅  Set up a job form and attach it to a job.

✅  Set up appointment reminders or send yourself a manual appointment reminder.

Book training

Want some 1:1 help to get up and running with Jobber? Our product coaches can work with you and your team to ensure everyone is comfortable using Jobber for their roles. Start a chat with us or send us an email at support@getjobber.com and we can get you booked in for a training session.