back to paper

[Dave B]

Got fed up with my laptop and excel spreadsheets with the constant logging on then altering things and all the grief ..then printing work etc

Have now gone back to my old way with my big red book which sounds primitive but works well and takes minutes to update daily

Anyone else prefer the old fashioned way??

 

[MrBump]

I like the old fashioned way and might have that on the go too as its failsafe, but I'm on excel as it can auto work out my earnings and I can use it to filter / group jobs easily etc, but instead of printing I just take a photo of the days work ahead with my phone lol

 

[Dave B]

I have a set 5 week round now so i have it in my book

I do all of the week i am on and then go to the next one

If i get behind due to weather i will just plod through them until i am back on track

 

[MrBump]

I guess with a full round your know your wages, groupings etc so excels a bit unneccessary now. Are all of your customers on a 5 weekly then?

 

[Tuffers]

Got fed up with my laptop and excel spreadsheets with the constant logging on then altering things and all the grief ..then printing work etc
Have now gone back to my old way with my big red book which sounds primitive but works well and takes minutes to update daily

Anyone else prefer the old fashioned way??

I use a desk diary for back up. All my work is on 'George' and on a weekend I copy that weeks work to my diary. I put a 'C' next to the ones I have to call beforehand and a 'T' next to the one I need to text and highlight the C and T so I don't miss them. I couldn't work from a diary alone as I would have to constantly flick back through the pages to see when work is due. I've just renewed 'George' and the only thing I dislike about it is being able to drag and drop work into order in diary view.

 

[Dave B]

Most are

I have a handfull of 2 weekly but i know them off the top of my head

Have some 2 monthly (10 weekly) so i actually have 10 individual weeks written down to cover those

I guess with a full round your know your wages, groupings etc so excels a bit unneccessary now. Are all of your customers on a 5 weekly then?

 

[MrBump]

2 weekly, blimey they like clean windows! /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Dave B]

I almost feel guilty doing them but that's what they asked for

They usually have 2.5 weeks from me so every other clean coincides with the others in their area

 

[boarcity]

I use a desk diary for back up. All my work is on 'George' and on a weekend I copy that weeks work to my diary. I put a 'C' next to the ones I have to call beforehand and a 'T' next to the one I need to text and highlight the C and T so I don't miss them. I couldn't work from a diary alone as I would have to constantly flick back through the pages to see when work is due. I've just renewed 'George' and the only thing I dislike about it is being able to drag and drop work into order in diary view.

i bleve there IS a way to drag n drop the jobs into order. i say that as my missus once tried explaining it to me but i was watching tv aat the time and didnt take heed to what she said.

i condense each customers details into one line only e.g. 41hamlton£10 this means that i can print off the entire diary view page for the following week onto one sheet of A4 which i carry in the van

 

[Eviestevie]

Everything I do is pen and paper

Find it much simpler I do my round and books etc in van on drive end of each day

 

[TolishAPurd]

Got fed up with my laptop and excel spreadsheets with the constant logging on then altering things and all the grief ..then printing work etc
Have now gone back to my old way with my big red book which sounds primitive but works well and takes minutes to update daily

Anyone else prefer the old fashioned way??

I use index cards, each customer has one, and the little dividers are labelled 'day 1', 'day 2' etc. I work my way through the days, and remember roughly which day I started. Then when that day comes up again, I give it a few days grace before starting again.

Its good because you can re jig about as often as you like, just dont do what I did the other day, and drop them all out. Luckily they landed in a block so they all went back in nice and easy.

 

[adamangler]

I use george. print a weeks worth of jobs off on sunday night, text whoever needs it then thats done. Every evening i update george with whos been done and paid. Every few days i check my bank account and george to remind custies who havent yet paid.

Ive considered using cleaner planner but 15 quid a month or more still seems too much to me, i like the physical aspect of paper as well.

Maybe if i had a big enough, good enough phone i would consider cleaner planner.

 

[Ant]

I scribble in a book! My pc died a while ago, once I get a new one I was thinking of a spreadsheet type thing.

It's interesting finding out how you guys do things in terms of this. I do get fed up sometimes writing everything out but it does work.

 

[SolarPanelCleaning]

Index cards, each customer has one, with the date of next clean on. (When the house is cleaned I go through date with highlighter, different colour for financial year and biro the date of next clean in) put card at rear of pile. Start of the week I look what's on that week ( front of pile)and plan accordingly.

If I have cancellation (builders etc) pick up the card and drop it on the date customer wants me next.

I should definitely back all the info up.

Canvassing today

Woohoo.

 

[MrBump]

Haha, I did have one customer ask for 2 weeks, but I said no I'll do it monthly lol. Not only do I like to keep it neat, monthly or every other month only, but its my hardest job so I need a break from it lol.

Some interesting ideas on how people do things here, I like the option of being able to do the paperwork in the van, then work starts and ends in the van. Not sure about these index cards tho, but whatever works. I might make up a calender though, or say an A4 sheet for either a week or month or something. I do find excel useful though too.

 

[DCCleaner]

What is George folks ?

 

[Tuffers]

What is George folks ?

This is it http://www.georgesystems.co.uk it's a bit basic, but only costs £12 a year with on-line back up.

 

[Posh]

Christ I thought I was the only one who used pen & paper.

Book with 34 pages. Each has days work on them

2nd book the same as backup if lose 1st book.

3rd book I write in who owes. When collected scribble it out.

Small diary of which I write when the numbered page is roughly due so if I'm late I can make my excuses.

Phone book.

Very very simple.

 

[Damo]

George is good as you can have a copy of George per van. Makes it dead easy to manage.

Problem is as you get busier and bigger managing work is hard.

Chasing debts. Rearranging work. Multiple quotes todo in a week.

I went to cleaner planner and I have to say one of these best moves I ever made.

We use the application all day long. Come home. Sync. Start go cardless payments. Boom done.

I would love to use a book like I did when I started its just not as quick /emoticons/smile.png

 

[SPCleaning]

I have a set 5 week round now so i have it in my bookI do all of the week i am on and then go to the next one

If i get behind due to weather i will just plod through them until i am back on track

My father swore by this method.