Regardless of the size of your company, it’s no easy task to keep track of everyone’s schedule to ensure customers receive the prompt service they expect and deserve. Fortunately, the advanced scheduler in Customer Master can help companies manage everyone’s appointments and projects.
Clarence Telephone Company is a great example of a MACC client using the advanced scheduler to make its business more efficient.
The company, which provides telephone, Internet and video service to the Iowa communities of Clarence and Stanwood uses Customer Master’s advanced scheduler to coordinate appointments for its three technicians. Curtis Eldred, the company’s general manager, said the tool has helped integrate the activities of his technicians and front office staff.
“I’m spending less time on scheduling than I used to and it’s much easier for the front office,” Eldred said. “Using the advanced scheduler, there aren’t as many calls back and forth with technicians.”
Clarence Telephone Company has been using MACC’s products and services since 2009. Eldred said the company’s previous software vendor had a scheduling piece, but it didn’t suit the company very well as it didn’t track individual employee activities.
With Customer Master’s advanced scheduler, Eldred and his front office staff know appointments for a specific time period, the location where work will occur, and how long a technician should be onsite. This information can be color coded by employee and customized to change based on what percentage of their day or week is filled with projects.
“You can tell at a quick glance how a week looks,” he said.
In addition, overtime hours are indicated and tracked within the advanced scheduler. Eldred always knows when there is more work than available time for the technicians, so he can assign projects to himself to complete.
More than just tracking appointments
The feature’s ability goes beyond simply tracking appointments at customer locations. Eldred said he uses the advanced scheduler to track when employees will be out on vacation. To request time-off, Eldred’s team first reviews the scheduler and then uses the feature to request vacation on a first-come, first-serve basis. Because Customer Master maintains years’ worth of employee activity, he can go back and review time-off patterns. The advanced scheduler is also used to reserve time for any projects that make his team unavailable for customer appointments.
“You can communicate without talking,” he said. “We even use it to schedule weekly meetings with the front office.”
Do you want to spend less time tracking employee schedules?
The advanced scheduler is a standard feature in Customer Master. If your company isn’t using the advanced scheduler to manage its appointments and projects, contact your Client Relations Manager or Account Manager. They can provide more information and details on how this feature can improve the efficiency of your operation. MACC’s Training Team also offers an affordable online class that covers Customer Master’s basic and advanced scheduler. Please follow this link to the Client Pages to enroll.