The Service Program Reviews

“simple daily use, responsive support

Pros

Running our portable toilet company, we've found this program remarkably simple to use every single day and after trying a different solution initially that left us disappointed, we switched to Service Program and couldn't be happier about that decision, it aligns our work significantly and the technical support team is consistently excellent and responsive.

Cons

I'd like the option to capture electronic signatures directly on quotes, work tickets and tasks because that functionality would make approvals and record-keeping much smoother for our team.

“Convenient system and quick error resolution

Pros

This system is very simple and I find I can comfortably double-check entries before they go live, when posting mistakes happen they can be resolved quickly and since it imports data from QuickBooks the actual posting process is much easier, our usual workflow is to assemble billings inside QuickBooks first and then transfer them into TSP.

Cons

Not a con but I've had to build a custom script to reorder the reports so they fit our workflow because I can't easily pull the specific standard reports we need out of the box and having those prebuilt would eliminate extra development and save us time.

“perfect tool for detailed tracking

Pros

For my bookkeeping needs monthly billing has become genuinely enjoyable thanks to this tool and I appreciate how it helps me keep a detailed handle on product movement, especially with deliveries and pick-ups.

Cons

Interface is tough and correcting mistakes isn't easy which makes routine edits feel tough and slows down my workflow.

“Wide capabilities, excellent support

Pros

Packed with a wide range of capabilities, the program usually offers some sort of workaround when any individual function falls short of perfection and the technical support team often steps in either to tweak features when possible or to walk me through alternative approaches if not which I honestly can't praise enough, there is an opportunity to speak with a real person every day during specified hours and emailing questions typically generates a reply within a reasonable period, while a comprehensive website full of tutorials supplements direct help so in my experience the support is what elevates this software to exceptional status, truly the best I've found.

Cons

Just a suggestion that I'd love to see a searchable help catalog where, after typing a question, suggested fixes or explanations would immediately surface because although the training videos are excellent and cover a lot, there are occasions when I need much more targeted guidance, fortunately, a quick email to support usually provides the specific answers I'm looking for so that workaround keeps me moving.

“Great for portable scheduling

Pros

My business needed a solution that could handle both septic service scheduling and the portable-toilet routing side of operations and this service program meets those dual requirements, syncing smoothly with QuickBooks so my accounting and field workflows stay coordinated without extra manual steps.

Cons

I've found the software somewhat clunky and not especially simple, with a steeper learning curve than I expected and a few quirky behaviors that can be frustrating, additionally, it doesn't include a user manual which would have been extremely helpful to reference during setup and training.

“admin workloadbecomes easy now!!

Pros

After we recently bought a sanitation company that had still been running everything on pen and paper for daily tasks, it became obvious right away that we needed to simplify operations and locate software to improve routing and billing workflows, The Service Program has met that need very well, significantly reducing the time required to handle the administrative workload, literally cutting the hours we spend on paperwork and office tasks in half while making billing and route management far more manageable.

Cons

Initially I ran into several problems with the mapping functions which was frustrating but the support team were very helpful and guided me through resolving those bugs step by step, that said, the overall interface can feel a little daunting when you first start using it and in my opinion it probably includes more features than a typical small operation truly needs so there is a learning curve before you can make it work efficiently for your business.

“easy to use and great for QuickBooks posting

Pros

I've found the program really easy to use and because it posts directly to QuickBooks it has made data entry considerably better so I'm grateful for the service.

Cons

I noticed that it's not free which can be a drawback if you're working with tight budgets or looking for low-cost options.

“did not meet our needs...

Pros

Honestly I found nothing redeeming in this software because it failed to route the way I had been assured it would and on top of that it produced invoice errors when transferring data into QuickBooks, while the salesperson had promised a refund that he ultimately refused to honor.

Cons

From my perspective the software did not route the week's schedules the way I was told it would and I ran into multiple invoicing glitches when syncing with QuickBooks, after investing several hours entering information I concluded it simply didn't meet my needs so it ended up feeling like a complete waste of both time and money.

“efficient invoice management

Pros

For me the QuickBooks integration has significantly sped up and aligned invoicing making the whole billing process both efficient and much quicker than before.

Cons

I genuinely like this software and although there's inevitably a little bit of a learning curve as with any new system, I found The Service Program to be very simple and easy to pick up.

“easy navigation and reliable tool

Pros

This program is incredibly easy to navigate and remarkably, we've been operating on it continuously for almost three full years as of July 2019 without encountering a single hiccup.

Cons

From my experience there's literally nothing I can point to that I dislike about this software as it consistently meets my needs without issue.

“accurate chemical logging

Pros

I rely on this software to log every chemical we use and because it lets me pull up information quickly, I can tell precisely when each pool was serviced down to the day and time and I can also print out the results for every single pool.

Cons

Throughout the entire time I've had this program installed and in use, I haven't run into any problems that you weren't able to assist me with so there really haven't been issues to report.

“impressive support and real-time monitoring

Pros

The customer support here consistently impresses me, whenever our team sends an email with a request I'm confident we'll get a timely reply and the live chat tech support is a fast, practical way to work through small problems without having to wait on hold for long periods. When a functionality we need doesn't exist yet, TSP has been willing to customize the system so we can accomplish and display exactly what we want which feels incredibly accommodating. Because of this software we've been able to roll out mobile devices for our pool techs in the field and monitor their activity in real time back at the store which has helped reduce missed appointments. Also, the QuickBooks integration is smooth and saves a huge amount of time compared with how we used to do things.

Cons

The product includes far more capabilities than my team will ever make use of and while that range is impressive it can feel overwhelming, it would be ideal if there were an option to configure the interface so we only see the modules and tools we actually use. Adding the ability to customize the toolbar would be a wonderful enhancement to an already strong piece of software, allowing us to align our workflow and avoid clutter.

“easy interface with prompt tech support

Pros

Using it has been easy for me: the interface is easy to navigate and whenever I need assistance the tech support team gets back to me promptly which keeps everything moving quickly and without frustration.

Cons

Honestly we haven't found any downsides, we absolutely love this software and enrolling in the service program turned out to be the single best decision we've made because it delivered consistent value and peace of mind.

“mobile field use and efficient billing

Pros

What I really appreciate about this program is that it works on mobile devices so my pool techs can bring their tablets or phones out to the job and finish services while they're out in the field which is great for staying efficient. It also helps keep everyone on track so that no pools get overlooked and I like that I can export or upload the data to QuickBooks which makes handling our billing much simpler and less time-consuming.

Cons

The biggest issue I've run into with The Service Program is the awkwardness that happens when one of our techs has to finish a pool job for a coworker, in those situations the workflow feels clunky and unsimple. It doesn't adapt very smoothly when we deviate from the usual schedule or swap assigned techs which creates extra hassle and slows things down.

“outstanding support

Pros

After switching to QB Online and bringing SP along for the ride, I ran into so many problems with QB Online, not least the awful customer support, that we eventually reverted to our QuickBooks Desktop setup. When it came time to move SP back to the desktop environment, they were incredibly helpful, handling the transfer over a weekend and consistently checking in on our company throughout the process. I honestly think their IT and support crew are outstanding (I half-jokingly suggested QB should hire them) and I would absolutely recommend SP to anyone operating a pool business because they were simply terrific.

Cons

I've found the system to be extremely capable but it does have a learning curve, with so many features packed in, it can sometimes be hard to figure out how everything fits together and where to start which makes parts of it feel confusing until you've used it for a while.

“perfect for QuickBooks integration

Pros

Having relied on this program since 2007, I've come to appreciate how easily it molds to my specific workflows and how flawlessly it integrates with QuickBooks and over the years I've watched it evolve and improve almost every single season.

Cons

I can't switch between different task templates when I'm on the task print screen which makes printing workflows clunky and I'd also appreciate a way to restrict what users can enter in the dropdown fields to reduce mistakes and align data entry.

“phenomenal tech support

Pros

This tool makes moving from paper records to a digital workflow much smoother and while there are other solutions available, what genuinely sets this one apart for me is the absolutely phenomenal tech support, their team typically answers my questions within minutes instead of days and they approach issues with patience and understanding while cutting straight to a solution. On top of that, they've tailored the software to our specific needs which shows they're willing to go the extra mile. Overall great people and a great program.

Cons

One major missing feature that bothers me is the lack of an audit trail built into the software that would let me see who might have deleted a task or a customer record and what the deleted item actually contained, as it stands, when something is accidentally removed there's no easy way for me to determine what the task was intended for or which customer it belonged to. I really hope this gets addressed in a future release, at minimum I'd like a simple 24-hour history log that captures the customer's name, the type of task, the time of deletion and who performed the deletion. In my view this should be a high priority for upcoming updates and knowing how responsive the support team has been, I expect they will probably implement it soon.

“organized tool for simple routing

Pros

As someone on the team, I've found the platform integrates easily with the QuickBooks interface and because mapping and route setup are simple it's easy to get things moving, when questions come up I can reach a knowledgeable person quickly and there's a considerable amount of built-in customization that we can leverage, with any additional requests usually handled promptly.

Cons

We end up with far more functionality than our day-to-day operations require and I'd really appreciate the option to tailor the interface so that only the features we actively use are visible, being able to hide or collapse the rest would make the experience less cluttered and easier for our team to navigate.

“easy to use to track files

Pros

I'm finding the system incredibly easy to use and my invoices flow directly into QuickBooks without any hassle, while it also does a great job tracking equipment and files and I really appreciate the customer popup notes that give me quick context.

Cons

The calendar feature is pretty useless for my schedule and I'm frustrated that I can't customize invoices and quotes to be printable directly from the service program which forces me to jump through extra steps.

“custom reports, responsive support

Pros

It is really easy to use and I appreciate that I can tailor reports to suit our requirements, plus customer support always replies promptly.

Cons

What slows things down for me is how long the program takes to sync with QuickBooks which I acknowledge is largely because our QB data files are unusually large.