Customer Booking and checking status

Hello, I bought a new CRM system. Why? well the thing what drawn me to it is that customers can create a service request and log in to check status on a job.

I know CommitCRM can do this but the process is too much, I have to create a loin account. I will be honest I have over 4000 customers on my system and not one as ever logged in even when i have provided it.

The other system ( i wont name it) Allows a page to load, then you enter your workorder ID and last 5 numbers of your phone number to view a repair status.

Does CommitCRM have any plans for this?

Using the API would allow you to present the Ticket data to your customers using whatever authentication method or format you prefer.

Using the Web Interface does, however, provide much more power for your customers, allowing them to do much more than just view Ticket status and it's just a matter of sending them an email with their web credentials. For example they can view scheduled technician visits, create new Tickets, view History Notes and add new ones and also view details of Assets, Contracts and Charges depending on their privileges and they can interact with your support system on mobile devices.

i would be curious as to what this system was called...

No I wont name it unless Commit allow me, but a question is the away for a page to be created on my website that the customer can enter their ticket number and say last 5 digits of telephone number? I really dont want to look at the api i get lost. Or does anyone know of a code i could you?

I would be interested to know if this is REALLY something your customers are going to use. If they won't bother with the web interface, are you sure they will do this? My customers will call or email - but I agree, unless they have a large ticket volume, I can't get them to use the web interface.

You are going to have trade off's if you switch to a new CRM. Does it give you the same functionality that CommitCRM does? Does it integrate seamlessly with QB? Are all of the tradeoffs worth it, only to have a feature that may or may not be utilized?

Yes, the API could be used to do what you want to do. I've used it in many applications, and it works great. It takes time to learn it, and integrate it, but it does work. I'm not saying it is simple though. If your "status page" is hosted inside your network, then you could simplify by using ODBC via IIS. That would make it so yo wouldn't need to use the API. However, are you sure that you want to open this up. Any bot, properly programmed, would be able to harvest ticket information - unless you added logic to prevent it.

I think keeping ticket status protected behind the web interface is going to be the best option - not the easiest - but the most secure.

That's my .02.

thanks for that, well i love CommitCRM, i use it for gfi and callouts. This other system lacks callouts but does include a full POS and a Touch Screen Web interface. Its all in PHP and Database, its well known. I have been trialing it on a few jobs. When you book a ticket in, the printed page includes a QR Card for a customer to scan and get instant status alerts. Also the email version included a link directly to their ticket without even typing anything.

Yes out of the 20 customers that I used it, 2 did look at the status (live ticket view) because it tells you.

Like us all I need to reduce calls for updates, calls for when it will be done, most of my customers have mobiles, they would use it ithink.
Another good thing is, customers can use a book in page and it creates a pending ticket for you to accept then all the info is there.

I am not singing its praises too much it does have a lot of negatives, i.e lack of supporting really for callout only techs, and sub contractors can access the whole system.

But i cant make the switch, i still use CommitCRM, I only wish they would produce some code and make things easier for us to play around with? I don't know API or coding really, i have looked at some of the stuff but its a time consuming job.

I haven't switched CommitCRM is still my number 1 baby, but what am thinking, when i get more outsource techs, is it worth me paying for another employee license? This other system is unlimited employees...

I have used CommitCRM for 5 year or so and i find my self thinking I don't know what this baby can do...

another point, touch screen and remote working i.e from a tablet is becoming the norm.. We need Commit to create touch screen apps/web access. I find it too fiddly on my ipad while onsite.