If Appointment Pre-Work is enabled, technicians can choose to claim a job and complete tasks before notifying the customer they are on the way. For information on setting up this feature, read our article on Appointment Pre-Work - Setup.
Claiming an Appointment
To ensure the scheduler does not move a job around, technicians using prework are required to claim an appointment. This locks the job to the technician and enables them to access appointment details and complete pre-work without notifying the customer. Many technicians will use this time to run to a supply house or stop by the office.
Read Only Mode
After claiming a job, the technician will have access to the Job Summary, Photos and Documents, Quotes, and, if applicable, Invoices, Payments, and Scheduling. Because the technician has not arrived at the customer's location, their Tech App is in a "read-only" mode. This allows them to view all applicable information, but it prevents them from moving forward in the quoting process without being at the customer's location. Any attempt to add a quote while in Pre-work will prompt the technician to start their trip.
Start Trip - Notify The Customer You Are On The Way?
After the technician has finished pre-work, they will be able to move forward in the Tech App process. They can select Start Trip so their travel time is tracked, and they'll also have the option to notify the customer that the tech is on the way as well. Technicians can choose not to notify the technicians and still begin the trip.
The result of the technician's selection will be visible on the Notes section of the job.
Finish Trip
Once a technician has arrived at the customer's location, they can select Finish Trip to begin building quotes.
Note that this update will require the Sera app to be force closed and restarted.