Why the minute matters
On the day, you remember everything. Three weeks and forty jobs later, you won’t.
Good notes help you when:
- The customer calls back. You know what you replaced, and what you told them.
- Someone else goes out next time. Your tech knows what’s there before they knock.
- The warranty question comes up. The model and serial number are already written down.
- You write the invoice. Nothing you did gets left off.
- You put the job on your website. The story of the job is already written.
The four things to write down
- The outcome. Resolved, partly resolved, needs follow-up, or couldn’t complete. One word is enough.
- What you did. One or two plain sentences: “Replaced 50-gallon electric water heater. New shut-off valve and expansion tank.”
- Parts and numbers. Brand, model, serial number, and anything under warranty.
- What you found but didn’t fix, and what you told the customer. “Told owner the main shut-off is seized. Quote to follow.”
Fix 01: Write it before you start the truck
The best time to write notes is in the driveway, with the job still in front of you. Make it the last step, like loading the tools.
Fix 02: Photograph the label
Model and serial numbers are easy to get wrong when you copy them out. Take a photo of the rating plate or label and attach it to the job.
Fix 03: Write down what you told them
The callback that turns into an argument usually starts with “nobody told me.” If you told the customer about a problem and they decided to leave it, write that down, with the date.
This week’s checklist
- Pick a notes format: outcome, what you did, parts, anything outstanding.
- Make notes the last step on every job, before you leave the site.
- Photograph the model label on every unit you install or repair.
Common questions
What should contractor job notes include?The outcome, what you did, the parts with model and serial numbers, and anything you found but didn’t fix, including what you told the customer.
How long should job notes be?A few lines is enough. They need to be clear to the next person who reads them, not long.
Should I write job notes on paper or on my phone?Whatever you’ll actually do every time. Notes on your phone, attached to the job, are easier to find when the customer calls back.
How Goanna Digital handles this
In the Goanna Digital app, closing out a job asks for the outcome, the job value and what you did, as one of the steps on site. The notes sit with the job’s before and after photos, ready for the invoice and for the project page on your website.
Want this handled for you? Goanna Digital runs your website, your Google presence, your lead inbox, quoting and invoicing from one app on your phone. Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll show you how it would work for your business.
Want this handled for you?
Goanna Digital runs your website, your Google presence, your lead inbox, estimates and invoicing from one app on your phone.