There are plenty of general-purpose field service management software solutions out there.
These platforms, which often cater to a broad audience of electricians, plumbers, landscapers, and more, help streamline the customer experience and deliver more efficient business growth. Here's the problem: most software on the market is created for the general category of "home service business."
While they might work well for some, they often fail to meet the specific requirements of pool service businesses. It's like trying to get a custom-tailored suit off a rack full of off-the-peg options.
In this blog post, we'll compare two well-known players in the field service software market - Jobber vs Housecall Pro. We'll dissect their offerings, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each.
But we're not stopping there. We'll also present Skimmer as a contender- a game-changer in the pool service software industry used by over 28,000 pool pros that swims against the current of generic field service software. So grab your snorkel, and let's deep dive into the world of field service software - tailored specifically for pool service professionals.
Table of Contents
- Jobber: Features and benefits
- Housecall Pro: Features and benefits
- Comparing Housecall Pro vs Jobber
- Introducing Skimmer: A better solution
- Recap of the three field service management software solutions
- Conclusion
Jobber: Features and benefits
Jobber has long been a familiar face in field service software, acting as a one-stop-shop for a range of businesses needing to coordinate teams, manage clients, and keep schedules running smoothly. Their aim? To simplify your life and streamline your operations. But just how well does it deliver on these promises for pool service businesses?
Jobber's toolkit is quite comprehensive. It offers many robust features to make the day-to-day work of field service business easy and efficient. You can handle client and team management, organize schedules, deal with quotes and invoicing, and even manage your online presence.
However, for all its utility, Jobber can feel like a Swiss Army Knife. Sure, it's versatile, but sometimes you need a purpose-built tool. All the features that work for home service businesses - plumbers, electricians, roofers, etc. - may not apply to pool service businesses.
Upon scanning software review sites, users have pointed out a recurring drawback: Jobber's responsiveness (or lack thereof) to feature requests.
Businesses (especially small businesses) are dynamic entities that evolve and grow. They need software that can adapt and scale with them. If the tool can't mold to fit the changing needs, it could hinder, rather than help, the progress of your business.
On the upside, Jobber does score brownie points for its user-friendly design. It sports a clean user interface that doesn't feel cluttered or overwhelming. Their mobile app, too, gets a thumbs-up for its functionality and easy navigation. Managing operations on the go is a valuable asset for those who are always moving.
But here's the kicker: while Jobber does a decent job serving a wide array of field service businesses, it falls short when it comes to addressing the specific needs of pool service professionals. Pool service businesses need software that can handle unique industry-specific challenges, and that's where generic solutions like Jobber may leave you high and dry.
Housecall Pro: Features and benefits
Then we have Housecall Pro, another versatile field service software. It provides features like dispatching, job management, invoicing, and customer notifications.
- Dispatching ensures the right technician gets to the right job at the right time.
- Job management allows you to track, manage, and update your tasks.
- Invoicing helps makes payment processing a breeze.
- Customer notifications ensure that your clients are always in the loop.
However, the buzz around the digital water cooler is that Housecall Pro's customer service could use some polish. Some users have felt left out in the cold regarding getting help and support.
Of course, everyone has off days, but this is a point to consider in a world where every client interaction matters. On the other hand, there's no denying that Housecall Pro is feature-rich, making it a reliable workhorse for businesses of many stripes.
Its user interface is as clean as a whistle and intuitive enough that even tech rookies can easily navigate its features. It's like a well-organized toolbox, easy to reach into and find exactly the tool you need.
But we're pool professionals here. We're not just looking for a clean UI and a mixed bag of features. We need targeted solutions tailored to our industry. Herein lies the rub with Housecall Pro.
It's a solid general field service management software, yes. But when it comes to specialized features that cater specifically to the pool service industry, some may find it lacking. It doesn't cater specifically to the unique needs of pool service businesses - such as:
- Chemical readings and dosages
- Offline functionality
- Comprehensive customer history with pool-specific data
- And pool service checklists
Housecall Pro does integrate with QuickBooks Online for easy invoicing and online booking, but pool service professionals need more advanced features that apply to their particular needs like bulk actions for fees and discounts and unlimited user access. We'll talk more about what some of those are later in the post.
Comparing Housecall Pro vs Jobber
In the world of field service software, Housecall Pro and Jobber are certainly key players. While each has its own set of strengths, they also carry unique weaknesses. To provide a better understanding, let's break down this comparison into individual categories: user interface, pricing, and features.
User interface
One of the first things any user notices about software is its interface. How intuitive, clear, and easy to navigate is it? Both Jobber and Housecall Pro score well on this front. Each offers a user-friendly interface that facilitates smooth navigation, ensuring a streamlined user experience.
So, if you're looking for software that's easy to navigate and doesn't come with a steep learning curve, both options work well for you.
Pricing
Pricing is critical in any business decision, and choosing the right field service software is no exception. In terms of cost, Housecall Pro is more of a premium choice. Its pricing starts at $65/month, positioning it as a higher-end option. This price point might be justified by its wide array of features, similar to a high-end department store with everything under one roof.
On the other hand, Jobber provides a more affordable alternative, with pricing starting at just $9/month. For businesses operating on a tighter budget, or those that need a more straightforward set of features, Jobber could be a more attractive option.
Features
When we dive deeper into the functionalities of these two software solutions, we start to see some significant differences. Housecall Pro offers a comprehensive suite of features, covering everything from dispatching and job management to invoicing and customer notifications.
However, while it caters to a broad spectrum of field service needs, it might not provide the specific features that pool service professionals find essential. In contrast, Jobber takes a more minimalistic approach. It provides a simpler, less overwhelming set of features, making it easier for those who want a more straightforward solution.
But there's a flip side to this simplicity. Some users have expressed concerns about Jobber's responsiveness to evolving feature requests. For businesses that are growing and need a solution that can adapt to them, this could be a limiting factor.
Responsiveness and customizability
While both Housecall Pro and Jobber offer robust solutions, they've received some criticisms in certain areas. Housecall Pro, despite its broad feature set, has been called out for lacking in the customer service department.
Similarly, Jobber, despite its affordability and simplicity, has been critiqued for not being as responsive to user feature requests. For businesses that value customization and responsive customer service, these might be crucial points to consider when choosing between these two solutions.
The critical question isn't who wins a face-off between Jobber and Housecall Pro. Instead, the focus should be on which software best aligns with your specific needs as a pool service professional.
Unfortunately, both Jobber and Housecall Pro might fall short in this regard. So, what's the solution?
Introducing Skimmer: A better solution
Skimmer is the pool industry’s top software solution, purpose-built for pool professionals like you. Unlike generic field service software, Skimmer is designed to handle the specific needs of pool businesses.
It delivers a suite of pool-service-only features such as:
- Route optimization
- Customized readings and dosages report
- Offline and mobile app support
- Service stop checklists and to-do items
- Service email reports for customers with required finished service photos
- Recurring job tracking
- QuickBooks Online integration
- Built-in invoicing features with Skimmer Billing, and more
Plus, we have an awesome team of in-house, fully-staffed (and fully human) Skimmer support experts available by phone or email. You can also access our 24/7 Knowledge Base to view tutorials and find answers to common questions.
Many of the pain points pool service pros experience with general field service software is a lack of feature development and innovation. That’s why we provide a fully-staffed, in-house engineering team consistently reviewing feature requests and implementing bug fixes submitted by our users.
Pool service businesses aren't just any service businesses. They grapple with unique industry-specific challenges that require tools designed with those needs in mind. Take, for instance, the need for chemical balancing and dosage calculations. A standard field service software doesn't provide this feature, but it's essential for a pool pro to ensure the right chemical composition for each pool.
Another example is route optimization, with a clear view of service stops for the day. While route optimization is a common feature in many field service software, for a pool pro, it's crucial to know what each stop entails - the services required, the condition of the pool, specific client requests, and so forth. Skimmer provides this and more.
Pool service pros also need features that facilitate easy recording and access to detailed customer history, including past service reports, images of the pool, and specifics about pool equipment and parts used. A generic CRM tool might offer customer history, but does it allow you to attach pool photos or service checklists? Likely not. Then there's offline and mobile support. Pool pros often work in areas with spotty or no internet.
They need software that can function effectively offline and sync when the connection is available. Plus, a mobile-friendly platform is a must-have for pros constantly on the go, needing to update job statuses or check in and out of jobs.
And let's not forget the importance of checklists. A pool service-specific checklist for technicians helps maintain service quality and ensures nothing important is missed during a service stop. This is where generic solutions like Jobber or Housecall Pro may leave you paying more for things that don't actually apply to your business. While they offer a broad suite of features for diverse service businesses, they lack the specialized functionality that pool service professionals truly need.
So, while you might be able to make do with Jobber, there's a good chance it will leave you wishing for more when servicing pools.
Recap of the three field service management software solutions
Jobber
Throughout this blog post, we've extensively analyzed three top field service management solutions: Jobber, Housecall Pro, and Skimmer. Now, as we draw to a close, let's rewind and rapidly recap what we've uncovered.
Firstly, we dived into Jobber, a comprehensive platform popular in the field service industry. Its features include client and team management, scheduling, and invoicing.
A highlight is the clean user interface and mobile app. However, it has its shortcomings. Critics have pointed out a lack of responsiveness to feature requests, which may pose limitations for businesses seeking to evolve and grow with changing industry dynamics.
Furthermore, while Jobber is robust in its offerings, it's a generic solution that may not be fully tailored to the needs of pool service businesses.
Housecall Pro
Next, we explored Housecall Pro, another versatile player in the field service software market. With its functionalities ranging from dispatching and job management to invoicing and customer notifications, Housecall Pro provides a pretty robust set of features.
Despite its attractive package, it has received mixed reviews regarding its customer service, an essential aspect of user experience. Like Jobber, Housecall Pro is a generalized field service software, and it might only partially cater to the specific needs of pool service professionals.
Skimmer
Then we presented you with Skimmer. Skimmer differentiates itself by being a solution crafted specifically for pool service professionals.
With a focus on providing industry-specific features, Skimmer offers a more tailored experience. This includes functionalities like route optimization, cloud-based readings and dosages for each customer, offline and mobile support for areas with spotty internet, and service stop checklists.
Furthermore, Skimmer shines with its stellar in-house customer service and software engineering team, creating a customer-centric experience that both Jobber and Housecall Pro struggle to match.
Final thoughts
Admittedly, we're a bit biased, but we're convinced Skimmer stands out as a superior choice for pool service businesses. It offers the benefits of an all-in-one software solution but is uniquely tailored to the needs of pool professionals, cutting out the fluff and focusing on the essentials.
Our customers always feel supported and heard, thanks to our in-house customer support and engineering teams. Plus, you can try Skimmer for 30 days, money-back guaranteed at only $39 (plus $1 per monthly serviced location). If you don't like it, you will receive a full refund.
There are no setup fees, no contracts, and no risk to you. With Skimmer, you're making a risk-free investment into software that's actually built for you and not just a generic "home service business."
Don't just take our word for it, though. Here's what Elizabeth D., a delighted Skimmer user, has to say about her experience:
"Skimmer is tailored so well to the pool industry and has helped us manage our cleaning technicians so much more efficiently. I can see a quick snapshot where everyone is in their day and know exactly what is happening at each pool in a second."
She continues:
"Their customer service is awesome, and everyone I've spoken with has been so helpful. If they don't know the answer to my question, they take the time to find the answer and call me back. It's so comforting knowing I can call and speak directly to a human every time I call or email."
Feeling ready to take the leap and transform your pool service business with the right software? You're just a click away from unlocking the full potential of your business with Skimmer.
