Need Some Creative Assistance

[psamuels56]

Hi Everyone.

I had a request, from a customer, and my first reaction was that I couldn't make it happen (I hate telling them that... I usually say I can get them anything they can ask for). But I thought I'd share it with you, to see if someone had any creative thoughts.

Here's the simple scenario: I'm working with a seasonal driveway repair company (they're in Rochester, NY - so the repair season is limited to April - October) that dispatches 6 or 7 truck crews, every day, to do the repairs. They're using a desktop application I deployed 3 years ago that takes phone requests from customers, schedules the repair dates, plots each trucks' routes and manages all of the payments received by check, cash or a credit card number, that the customer calls in. It has been working very well and they love the program.

For this season, they requested the ability for customers to make their credit card payments online (apparently, they get so many credit card calls, during the day, that it's taking up a lot of time, for the accounting staff).

Normally, I'd say this was easy, BUT here's my problem: Customers are rarely at home when the repairs are done. The drivers leave "hang tags" on the customers' doors, with a handwritten price telling them how much they owe. The hang tags are printed with instructions for sending a check or calling in a credit card. The drivers don't use job #'s or any other identifiable information, on the hang tags. BUT, since the customers didn't place their orders online or have the invoice/job numbers (or any login information), I can't think of how I'd create an easy, but secure, system that allows them to make their Credit Card payments online.

Now, when a check comes in, the accounting department looks up the address and/or name on the check and matches it to a job. It's been working that way for years, even before they were using my program. If a Credit Card call comes in, the agent asks for the address that was repaired and they can apply the credit card payment to that order.

So, I can't come up with a way that the customers could go online to enter their Credit Card payments. I can't just have them enter an address to lookup their jobs (they'd be able to see the job information and prices of any neighbor). I was thinking of having the drivers give a job code, made up of random letters and numbers (at least 10 characters) that link to the jobs. That could be made secure, BUT it would require the drivers to correctly write that job code on each of the hang tags. Needless to say, I don't think I'd trust the drivers to do that job accurately and "neatly"... AND, preprinting the job codes is a logistic nightmare.

Maybe, I'm making this more complicated than it is, but I listen to all of you, every Friday, and you have so many good ideas... so I thought I'd ask. Any ideas would be appreciated. - Phil

[madtowng]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

If the drivers have printers in the trucks (not so uncommon anymore) they could print a hangtag, or at least as sticker to put on the hangtag, with the job code that would identify
the job,

[psamuels56]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

Unfortunately, they do not (I've been trying to get them to have tablets and printers in each truck). Currently, each night before, the dispatcher prints the next day's "truck list" from the Alpha application. That list gives the customer name, the job's address and a description of the work to be performed. There's a space on the list for the driver to mark the job as "completed" (or explain reasons why it couldn't be completed). The paper list is returned to the office and all of the information is entered into the Alpha Application (which creates the "Accounts Receivable" to be collected).

I was thinking of having a generated number (either random or created based on the job - in addition to a Job #, my SQL Server database has an IDX field for each record). I can add that number to the hang tag that they leave at each customer's door, BUT the driver's would have to add hand-write that number on the tag and, quite frankly, I'm not sure we can count on the accuracy of what they enter. I could also pre-print index numbers on the hang tags (with instructions for accessing the system), BUT the driver would have to write the correct number on the Truck List and that number would have to be added to the system, by the clerk at the office.

This should be easy, but I'm limited by my customer's confidence in the "administrative" skills and technical skills of the drivers. That's why I needed some extra help.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read my post and to offer a good suggestion.

[madtowng]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

It's the next best thing.
Have "dispatch" preprint labels with the truck lists for the driver to attach to the hangtag.
Each label will have an individual code.
The driver then needs to put the code on the run sheet he turns into the office, or, assuming
the driver does the run in order as shown on the sheet, and identifies stops he leaves hangtags
at, and finally uses the labels in sequential order, it should be easy enough for a dispatcher or
other office personnel to identify which label went to which stop.

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

They trust the driver to write the price but not the job number? Strange.

Alpha has a "rand_string()" function if you want to use random letters. 5 characters will generate millions of combinations and is much less prone to error than 10.

You could try peel and stick labels. Print 2 side by side with the same number and perhaps a QR code. Then the driver peels one for the hang tag and one for the dispatch list. Only requirement for the driver is to put one on each form. So, if they can't read or write in english, spanish or russian, then they are probably good at manual tasks. That's more likely than doing the jobs in order and doesn't require that they are used in sequential order. With the QR code, the office people don't have to type in the number ( in case they don't trust them either ). Then, on your credit card processing, ask them for their address or the number on the hang tag.

[madtowng]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

Pat, I think you hit it with the hangtag number.
The hangtags can have preprinted numbers. Hopefully the driver can write
a hangtag number on the form to turn in to the office.

I thought the drivers would do the jobs in sequential order based on the dispatchers
routing the runs before printing the lists.

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

Gregg, There are good reasons why the jobs would not be done in sequential order... maybe there is a truck parked in the driveway and nobody home. Maybe the owner comes out and asks for a delay. Maybe there is a city street crew doing maintenance. So, the system has to allow.

[psamuels56]

Re: Need Some Creative Assistance

You are amazing! THANK YOU for some excellent suggestions. I like the idea of pre-printing labels they can add to the Hanng Tag and to the corresponding line on the Truck List. That's the kind of creativity I was looking for. The staff will still have to input that number into the system, but it's not too bad. I'll see if they like that solution.

I also enjoyed Pat's cynicism about "trusting the driver's to add the price, but not a security code"... You are exactly correct! It's bizarre. They absolutely don't want add any skills or tasks to the drivers. I showed them a demo tablet "app" that would save the office hours of labor (e.g. transcribing the driver's notes, from the truck lists, after a day's work), but they worried their drivers wouldn't be able to handle it and the tablets would get lost of stolen... blah, blah, blah. If the driver simply entered an 8-character rand_string() onto the hang tag, the solution is fast and easy... I'll try making that case again, but I'm not placing any bets. Oh, well.

In short, I really appreciate Gregg's and Pat's suggestions. Now, I have a few options to help them meet their goals. Thank you, again.