Currently, our electricians go out on service calls, perform the work, and either hand the customer a hand-written bill if it's paid on-site, or turn the billing into me (office manager) and I send the customer a computer-generated invoice. I would like to start having the customer sign a work order before work is performed. I would also like to be able to use this same form as the invoice once the work is performed. Is anyone else doing this (using work order and invoice on one form)Does anyone have any examples they can share with me? You help would be much appreciated!
Lisa

Lisa,

I would check out www.nebs.com for their sample forms. They have some very good ones that are exactly what you are describing.

The are a quote form/workorder/invoice. Look under forms and then go to workorder invoices.

I have actually developed my own from a combination of a few that I liked, but the NEBS forms are pretty darn good from the start. But, keep in mind that once you know what you are looking for, a custom print shop could probably do shorter runs for you. Just a thought.

Hope this information helps.

Glen

Thanks Glen. I've looked at the NEBS site, but I'm curious to know how other electricians out there are doing it. Do you have customers sign before work is performed AND after? Or just before? Or just after? Can "work to be done" and "work done" be on one form? Sorry for all the questions. I'm trying to cover us (as much as possible) if we have to make collection efforts on non-paying customers. Thanks!
Lisa

Lisa,

I get signatures up front approving the proposal & price and payment terms. Once work is completed, I do ask that the client sign off on the work being completed to their satisfaction. I believe that that is very important.

I find that customers are more friendly and easier to work with when they understand the costs and process up front. It sounds like you have been doing most of this, so absolutely design your workorders to also be used as invoices.

If you send me an email, I can send you a copy of one that I designed for a contractor that I was working with a little while back. I could also assist you in converting it to your business if you feel it might be a good fit.

Hope this helps,
Glen

I'm in the process of customizing quickbooks to write work orders out of and I am struggling with this same issue. I got a decent lay out for a form as an estimate. I just rename it as Work Order on the form. then I can enter all my customer info up front (and once). It still needs to be field tested and tweaked. But then when it comes back in, you pull up that estimate and QB has a feature "turn estimate in invoice" than I mark it paid and done, or print it and mail it for payment.

But I am toying with the idea of getting an old dot-matrix printer to print out on duplicate carbonless forms. Then if you invoice and collect at the end of the call, you can leave them their copy.

LK,
E-mail addy now visible in profile.

Hi all,

For carbonless forms for inkjet printers, see: http://www.graytex.com/carbonless-invoices.htm

I haven't gotten them yet, but plan to for estimates and contracts I do in Quickbooks.

Wendy (office manager)

Our SOP is; We submit the quote and the customer must sign at the bottom where is indicates; "Quote Accepted" When the job is performed the customer must sign a "Service Work Order" that indicates the actual work completed and just above where the customer signs it says; The above work was completed to my satisfaction." We then send an invoice with the copy of the Service Work Order and hopefully the customer will send us a check.