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.

 

[Mattymarske]

I use George and have done since starting in 2017. Runs well on a cheap windows tablet with magnetic keyboard.

Print a week diary and the weeks job list so between 9 and 15 pages. Tbh I could just email them to myself and work off my phone but satisfying using a highlighter on the printed week diary. Rarely read the qoklist I print off just to check any debts or last done dates.

Regarding slips posted through doors I still do that, sometimes even after I've spoken to the customer as I know by now which are a bit forgetful and still like a reminder to pay. Or if they're out it shows that I've been though sometimes they don't notice the slip and it gets lost with the junk mail.

So texts after windows cleaned or the night before has a place too.

 

[robmorgan]

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.

@kevinc250 I don't claim to be Don "5 P's" Draper tbh so always happy to learn from people who know more than me about marketing Bit slow on the uptake today so perhaps you can spell it out for me! There's the 1st being April fools which I stumbled into but I think it adds to the charm To clarify the offer as maybe it got lost in translation - it's basically just to say, that anyone who pops their details in on the form will get access to the FREE beta from 1 April, and if you end up using it and liking it, and you're still using it when we (royal we ) launch publicly in June, you'll get an exclusive lifetime discount offer (specifics TBD) in return for your early support. That's it really! What did I miss?

Anyway! Thanks for the insights. Do you print slips from Squeegee? Wasn't sure if it had that feature or not. Maybe we do still need printed slips after all... Just seems so old-fashioned (seemed that way even 10 years ago...)

Curious to know why you think upmarket customers wouldn't be go for GoCardless? Are you more commercial-focused? As tbh, for residential, I think busy, affluent people tend to like GC because it's a timesaver for them, too.

 

[robmorgan]

I use George and have done since starting in 2017. Runs well on a cheap windows tablet with magnetic keyboard.

Print a week diary and the weeks job list so between 9 and 15 pages. Tbh I could just email them to myself and work off my phone but satisfying using a highlighter on the printed week diary. Rarely read the qoklist I print off just to check any debts or last done dates.

Regarding slips posted through doors I still do that, sometimes even after I've spoken to the customer as I know by now which are a bit forgetful and still like a reminder to pay. Or if they're out it shows that I've been though sometimes they don't notice the slip and it gets lost with the junk mail.

So texts after windows cleaned or the night before has a place too.

@Mattymarske George is solid - so much printing and carrying round sheets of paper though! Curious - have you tried any other software since? Perhaps didn't get on with it for some reason? I do get the highlighter satisfaction thing tbf One of the thing we got right with the CP app, basic as it was/is, is that it does force you to set a target for the day, i.e. # of jobs worth £, so it's then quite satisfying ticking off the jobs as you do them and see yourself getting closer to that target. A few users even suggested some ways to take this a bit further, to sort of "gamify" it, not just them but for workers, which I think could be interesting and motivating. Needs a bit more thought but I think there's something to it.

 

[Iron Giant]

it's basically just to say, that anyone who pops their details in on the form will get access to the FREE beta from 1 April, and if you end up using it and liking it, and you're still using it when we (royal we ) launch publicly in June, you'll get an exclusive lifetime discount offer (specifics TBD) in return for your early support.

I get a pioneer discount from a company I have been using for the last 10 years I got it in the early days when they were a fledgling company and they still respect the likes of me who supported them in the early days.

 

[robmorgan]

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.

Useful to know @Will. C. - I'm in two minds! Seems some still do print slips, but maybe it's part of my duty to try and kill them off for good I still can't quite imagine printing out 5-10 sheets of A4 every morning, painstakingly cutting them out, then taking them with you, making sure they don't blow away or get wet, and then having to make sure you put the correct one through every door (as they have the specific customer's clean price, balance, next due etc on them). Obviously the alternative (texting) does have a cost, though if we could bring the cost down there with automated text from phone (if... need to look into what's possible) then maybe printed slips really could be laid to rest!

 

[Mattymarske]

@Mattymarske George is solid - so much printing and carrying round sheets of paper though! Curious - have you tried any other software since? Perhaps didn't get on with it for some reason? I do get the highlighter satisfaction thing tbf One of the thing we got right with the CP app, basic as it was/is, is that it does force you to set a target for the day, i.e. # of jobs worth £, so it's then quite satisfying ticking off the jobs as you do them and see yourself getting closer to that target. A few users even suggested some ways to take this a bit further, to sort of "gamify" it, not just them but for workers, which I think could be interesting and motivating. Needs a bit more thought but I think there's something to it.

I can see how some may find that incentivisation could work for some people and perhaps with employed workers to reach a bonus.

Like you say George is solid and I can see the daily total as planned at the bottom of the days column. If I want to add higher value jobs ad-hoc I can just move a job across from a different day on the fly (and colour coded with highlighter of course) to increase daily totals to reach my goal.

At the end of the week I securely destroy the work list and keep the front page with the work diary on with all the highlighted jobs I've done each day.

TBH I rarely complete a full day as printed on a Sunday night Usually its's 5 from Monday then few more Tuesday, maybe a Friday etc. on the fly adjustment is so easy as the mood or conditions of work happen to change during the working week.

I've got a document wallet for every year with just the weekly diaries (colour highlighted jobs) stapled in the 6 weekly rounds going back to 2017 so if I need to flick back and see when I cleaned or what weather/life/van events happened I've got a record tos how my productivity.

Any solely digital based round management software wouldn't be able to match that.ease for me. I'd still have to save pdf of weekly or even daily reports to see how my productivity fluctuates.

 

[kevinc250]

i like the slips left through the letter box as some have said on here that its proof that you have been there to clean the windows, i wish all of my customers would move over to emailing invoices but,some just won't-or if they do some take forever and a day to get payed, a few still see the emailed invoice but, i guess think ok i'll do it later and then forget.the go cardless option is maybe something i might look into a bit more i have my own slips as i don't believe squeegee provides them, at the end of the day for me, i have to provide a way of invoicing that is the easiest for that specific customer, whether they be old or young rich or poor.so, for me slips will stay for for as long as the customer still prefers them, e-mailing those who prefer that etc, i heard somewhere a few years ago that theres around 85,000 window cleaners in the uk-seems about right, 85,000 of them are not using some kind of software just slips, maybe collecting the same evening or next day, i've been out of that game for so long i forgot that a lot still do this.