ElectricalBossPro Blog — Electrician App

Automatic On-the-Way Texts From the Electrician App

“Between 8 and 12” is how most homeowners hear about an electrician's arrival. Then they wait. They stay off a work call in case the doorbell rings. They call the office at 10:30 to ask if anyone is still coming. And when the van does pull up, they are in the shower or out picking up the kids. An on-the-way text fixes most of that.

Sent Without the Tech Touching a Thing

A lot of no-access skips, covered in Skipping a Call When Nobody Is Home or the Panel Is Blocked, and Noting Why, can be prevented by telling the customer when to expect the van. That is what the on-the-way text does.

In ElectricalBossPro, on-the-way texts go out automatically as the tech works the route. When the tech finishes one call and heads to the next, the next customer gets a text saying their electrician is on the way. The tech does not type anything, send anything or pick up the phone. They just keep working their list.

Why It Works for Electrical Calls

Electrical work almost always needs someone at home. The tech needs to get to the panel, which is inside a garage, basement or closet. They need to know which outlets are dead or which breaker keeps tripping. The homeowner might need to move a car, clear storage or put a dog away.

A text that arrives while the van is already rolling gives them time to do all of that. The tech arrives to an open door, a clear path to the panel and a homeowner ready to explain the problem. That is a faster call and a better first impression.

It matters even more on emergency and same-day calls. A homeowner whose kitchen lost power at breakfast is anxious and checking the window. Knowing the electrician is actually on the way, not just “sometime today,” calms the conversation before the tech ever arrives. The office gets fewer anxious follow-up calls, and the tech walks in to a customer who is relieved rather than irritated.

Customers Choose Their Alerts

Not every customer wants the same texts. ElectricalBossPro lets customers choose their alerts:

• Night before. A reminder that the electrician is scheduled for tomorrow.
• When they're next. A heads-up that their call is coming up next on the route.
• When the tech arrives. A text when the tech taps Start at their house.

Some customers want all three. Some just want the morning-of heads-up. Letting them pick keeps the texts welcome instead of annoying. The arrived text gets its own guide in The Arrived Text: Letting the Homeowner Know the Electrician Is at the Door.

Replies Go to the Office

Customers reply to texts. “Can you use the side door?” “I'm running ten minutes late, garage is open.” “Actually, can we do Thursday instead?” Those replies come back to the office through two-way texting, not to the tech's personal phone.

That keeps the tech focused on driving and working, and it keeps the conversation in one place where anyone in the office can see it. If a reply changes the plan, the office updates the dispatch board and the tech's list follows.

Keeping the Route Honest

On-the-way texts work best when techs work their list in route order. If a tech skips ahead, the customer who just got a text is now waiting longer than they expected, and the customer who did not get one is surprised by the knock. Working top to bottom, and asking the office to reorder the board when plans change, keeps every text accurate.

The customer app adds another layer. Customers can open a live map that shows their place in line — “You're stop 4 of 7, the tech is 2 stops away” — so they can see the van coming rather than guess.

Text Allowance on Every Plan

Automated texts, reminders and two-way texting with customers all count toward the monthly text allowance included with each plan: 500 segments on Start ($59/month), 1,000 on Pro ($89/month) and 2,000 on Crew ($199/month), counting messages sent and received. Short, plain messages keep each text to as few segments as possible.

Texting is available for customers in the US and Canada. Email reminders work for everyone.

Fewer Calls, Fewer Wasted Trips

Every on-the-way text that goes out is one fewer “is anyone coming?” call to the office and one fewer drive to an empty house. For a small electrical shop with one person answering the phones, that adds up fast. To see the texts alongside the rest of the tech app, visit the ElectricalBossPro electrician app page.