Printed slips - still a thing in 2025?

[robmorgan]

Evening all,

Something I'm pondering while laying the groundwork for Overture:

Are printed slips still a thing in 2025?

With CleanerPlanner we spent a lot of time tweaking these slips to get them right, but I'm wondering whether it's worth the bother building this feature again, vs focusing on more modern things!

e.g. if you have an app that can text (or even WhatsApp) a "slip" to the customer, with a Stripe payment link, and/or you've got payments on autopilot with GoCardless, do you really need slips?

Ditto printed worksheets? Surely anyone using proper window cleaning software these days has their guys ticking off jobs on the app on their phones rather than scrawling on sheets of paper?

Just checking - if still essential we'll get this in, but if possible I'd like to "trim the fat" here, simplify one aspect of the app a bit and have more time to focus on more groundbreaking features!

Keen to hear your thoughts!

 

[ched999uk]

I drop cards (business cards) with bank details on after each job as well as squeegee email invoices.
I think some people do use printed worksheets for their workers.

 

[robmorgan]

I drop cards (business cards) with bank details on after each job as well as squeegee email invoices.
I think some people do use printed worksheets for their workers.

Definitely a lot of people still used printed worksheets early on with CP, though I think the percentage was dwindling after a few years, as having the workers use the app (which was very simple and locked down) saved so much time.

I do wonder if with Squeegee, because multi-user is so expensive, it's common to just have one (admin) user, and then of course you don't want to give your workers access to everything, so you print them off worksheets to save money.

But then of course you've got the hassle of entering all the data at end of day...

 

[mattybondi]

use printed work sheets because these are quicker to refer to and notes can be scribbled on in a flash. I like to use pencil rather than pen ,pencil does not leak in the pocket and Always writes even if the papers damp. I have the diary sheets on a A4 hardboard clipboard that has a blood stain in the corner! about 5yrs ago it was flung in defence at somebody-"first blood"

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

Haven't used a printed sheet in about 6 years. 98% of my work is on GC though. The rest I just text or email an invoice. All other window cleaners I know on squeegee work the same

 

[Iron Giant]

Nope not at all, I dropped slips during covid and not one customer has batted an eyelid they get an email from GoCardless or if a cash payer I still don't bother they know memory is shocking for leaving a slip so take me at my word.

 

[robmorgan]

use printed work sheets because these are quicker to refer to and notes can be scribbled on in a flash. I like to use pencil rather than pen ,pencil does not leak in the pocket and Always writes even if the papers damp. I have the diary sheets on a A4 hardboard clipboard that has a blood stain in the corner! about 5yrs ago it was flung in defence at somebody-"first blood"

First I've heard "self defence" as a reason for clinging onto paper worksheets

@mattybondi what software do you print them from?

 

[robmorgan]

@Iron Giant @RyeCleanLiam thanks, yeah I get the impression printed slips are finally a thing of the past. Having to print them, cut them out, take them, remember to post them - who needs any of that!

Printed worksheets remains more of an open question. They were a must have back in 2013, and we spent a lot of time tweaking the layout (even had two different layouts!) with options for what you want to show etc. But I do think it was more of a transition thing - lot of people coming over from WCP, George etc, who weren't yet ready to go "fully digital".

That being said, there are some on the Overture beta list coming from George, Excel and paper, and I suspect even still, as successful as CP and Squeegee have been, there's still a large swathe of the industry that don't use either, though that's probably as much to do with cost and perceived complexity as anything else. Work to do there!

 

[mattybondi]

First I've heard "self defence" as a reason for clinging onto paper worksheets

@mattybondi what software do you print them from?

iv always used GEORGE software.Found that if i shortened each custy info i can print off a whole weeks list of jobs on a single sheet of A4 . Usually i have around 6weeks of current jobs on my clipboard ,thats 6 sheets of A4 .
As regards the bloodstained clipboard theres an incident i will never forget .Was working with others cleaning on a housing estate and a drunk guy came from a flat,came over all cocky "been drunk ever since england lost", but thar was 2 weeks ago ,anyhoo he wanted a go with a pole.So a bit scared i let him he only had it a minute handed it back but then took a short pole from one of my workers and started waving it at him like a baton.Id got my clipboard in van so i grabbed it and flung it,it flew like a plate and caught him on the forehead! This put a stop to his games and he wandered off.

 

[kevinc250]

@Iron Giant @RyeCleanLiam thanks, yeah I get the impression printed slips are finally a thing of the past. Having to print them, cut them out, take them, remember to post them - who needs any of that!

Printed worksheets remains more of an open question. They were a must have back in 2013, and we spent a lot of time tweaking the layout (even had two different layouts!) with options for what you want to show etc. But I do think it was more of a transition thing - lot of people coming over from WCP, George etc, who weren't yet ready to go "fully digital".

That being said, there are some on the Overture beta list coming from George, Excel and paper, and I suspect even still, as successful as CP and Squeegee have been, there's still a large swathe of the industry that don't use either, though that's probably as much to do with cost and perceived complexity as anything else. Work to do there!

just an aside on the link you posted regarding overture "you can sign up early and access an exclusive offer on the 1st of april"? c'mon give your marketing a bit of a nudge or a shake, simple mistake which anyone should see or know.
five p's google it if you want to know.
regarding slips yes i still use them, as well as emailing invoices i never take card payments as most of my customers are simply not in or, at work-simple as that really,my work tends to be the upper end of the market so something like go cardless would maybe not work in my situtation,
i did use cp, before that i used george, then wcp, then cp, now squeegee and, i must admit once i got used to it its far better than anything i have used before.
i did run cp and squeegee beside each other for a year to see how they compared, after a few months i found myself leaning more towards squeegee because of the ease and simplicity whilst on the move,get home turn on wifi upload the days work, its done, invoices automatically, bank payments reconciled on the accounts, its never been so easy for me to keep on track of work and accounts.
this is just my experience, but i really really would advise you to not offer future customers to sign up for the early promotion on the 1st of april-school boy error.

 

[Will. C.]

I personally only used the print off feature once or twice in 13 years of using cleaner planner, so inthink it's a redundant feature.