Field notes for trades shops
Plain-spoken how-tos for running a trades shop: the phones, the board, getting paid and keeping good techs.
Browse by problem
Pick the one that's costing you the most this week.
“Why does the phone ring all day and still miss the calls that matter?”
The phones
5 postsOpen“Where's my tech?”
Keeping customers in the loop
11 postsOpen“What happens to the rest of the day when one job runs long?”
Dispatch and the board
13 postsOpen“What does the tech need before they pull into the driveway?”
Out in the field
3 postsOpen“Why did they go with the other guy?”
Winning and keeping customers
3 postsOpen“Where did the margin go?”
Money and the numbers
10 postsOpen“How do you find good techs, and keep them?”
Your people
4 postsOpen“What is all this AI stuff, and should I care?”
AI, explained
13 postsOpen“Where is the industry headed, and where does my shop fit?”
The trades business
11 postsOpen
AI, explained
A new AI model comes out every week, and every vendor says theirs changes everything. We build with this stuff every day, so here's what it actually is, what it can do in a trades shop, and what it can't, in plain English.
AI, explainedJev vs. ChatGPT: the AI that decides instead of talks
A new AI model called Jev doesn't write a single word. It makes fast, cheap decisions with a confidence score. Here's what that means for a trades shop.
Oct 6, 2026 · 7 min read
AI, explainedWho's Using AI in the Skilled Trades? And What For?
A 2025 survey of 400+ trades professionals reveals adoption rates, time savings, and the top barriers holding businesses back from using AI.
Feb 18, 2026 · 2 min read
AI, explainedAI for the Skilled Trades: Hype or Hope?
You've heard the promises of AI — hours saved, money saved, accelerated efficiency. But will it disrupt how you do business? Here's what to actually look for in an AI platform for the trades.
Feb 18, 2026 · 2 min read
- AI, explained
The Future of Trades Tech: AI as the New Crew Member
AI isn't coming to replace your trades team—it's coming to work alongside them. Here's what that actually looks like in practice.
Jan 22, 2026 · 4 min read
AI, explainedWhat AI Actually Means for HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Businesses
AI isn't a magic button or a threat to your team—it's a practical helper that eliminates repetitive office tasks so your people can focus on work that actually moves the needle.
Jan 13, 2026 · 4 min read
“What happens to the rest of the day when one job runs long?”
Dispatch and the board
Dispatch and the boardWhen a pest control route slips, what needs to be recorded?
Follow one delayed pest-control route from the first overrun to the final customer update, with a clear record of each handoff and its office cost.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min read
For the DispatcherRoute BuilderRoute re-sequencing that writes itself back.10 min back · 30¢ per route
Dispatch and the boardHow one no-access stop becomes a route-margin problem
Follow one unavailable pest control stop from route departure to rebooking, then learn which records turn a missed visit into useful evidence for the GM.
Sep 16, 2026 · 4 min read
Dispatch and the boardWhen one tree removal throws off the dispatch board
Follow one delayed tree removal through the dispatch board, then find the update points that prevent missed arrivals and repeat status calls.
Sep 16, 2026 · 6 min read
“Where did the margin go?”
Money and the numbers
Money and the numbersThe full cost of an unavailable quarterly pest stop
Build a traceable worksheet for lost contribution, paid labor, extra drive time, rebooking, and repeat dispatch costs when a customer is unavailable.
Sep 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Money and the numbersWhat one missed HVAC appointment really costs you
Break down the real cost of one missed HVAC appointment: truck roll, technician idle time, rebooking, and lost same-day revenue.
Sep 14, 2026 · 10 min read
Free calculatorWhat a tech hour really costs
Wage, taxes, benefits, the truck and the hours nobody bills, rolled into one number.
Open the calculator
Money and the numbersThe Devastating Cost of Payroll Errors
One in five payrolls contains errors averaging $291 each. The consequences go far beyond the math—here's what's really at stake and how to stop it.
Feb 18, 2026 · 3 min read
Rather talk it through?
Book a 30-minute call and we’ll walk through your phones, your board, or your numbers with you, live.
“Where is the industry headed, and where does my shop fit?”
The trades business
The trades businessTrades 2030: What Does the Future Look Like?
Skilled trades won't disappear by 2030—but the way you run your business will look very different. Here's what to expect and how to prepare.
Feb 16, 2026 · 5 min read
The trades businessPrebuilt vs. Custom Assemblies: Which One Fits Your Business?
Not every automation problem needs a custom solution — and not every prebuilt fits your workflow. Here's a practical framework for choosing the right approach for your trades business.
Jan 22, 2026 · 5 min read
The trades businessFrom Chaos to Calm: How One Aggregator Streamlined 5 Companies
A composite case study of how one skilled trades aggregator used modular AI automations to standardize operations across five brands—without forcing teams into a rigid new system.
Jan 22, 2026 · 6 min read
Field notes by trade
Posts written for one kind of shop, collected on that trade's page.
Every post
50 posts
Arrival window and on-the-way texts: what to send, when, and who owns the reply
What a customer should hear at booking, when the schedule slips and when the technician leaves, plus where a one-way text stops and a person takes over.
Oct 11, 2026 · 12 min read
How to cut 'where is my technician?' calls and prove it worked
Find out why customers call for arrival status, fix the right cause (schedule, update or exception), and run a 30-day test with a scorecard that holds up at close.
Oct 11, 2026 · 13 min read
ServiceTitan pricebook and job types cleanup: a step-by-step plan
How to clean up a ServiceTitan pricebook and job types without breaking mobile, booking or reporting: review first, deactivate instead of delete, and fix categories and business units.
Oct 11, 2026 · 8 min read
How to audit arrival updates after a schedule change or a storm reroute
A reconciliation and test method to prove every rescheduled customer got the right arrival update, find the first broken handoff, and keep a record finance can rely on.
Oct 11, 2026 · 12 min read
ServiceTitan arrival notifications: native alerts, an add-on, or two-way texting
How to choose between ServiceTitan's native dispatch alerts, a queue-aware notification layer and two-way messaging, and where a CSR still steps in.
Oct 11, 2026 · 11 min read
What a missed arrival and a 'when will my technician arrive?' call really cost
Price one silent missed arrival, cost the office labor behind arrival calls, build the monthly forecast and payback range, and put it on a weekly scorecard finance can audit.
Oct 11, 2026 · 12 min read
ServiceTitan integrations: what connects and how
ServiceTitan connects to other software three ways: its API, Zapier, and Marketplace apps. Here is what each one needs, what it can do, and where each one stops.
Oct 11, 2026 · 8 min read
ServiceTitan web scheduler and booking: how online booking works
ServiceTitan's online booking tool is Scheduling Pro, the replacement for the legacy Schedule Engine. Here is what it needs, how bookings land in ServiceTitan, and what to fix first.
Oct 11, 2026 · 8 min read
- AI, explained
Jev vs. ChatGPT: the AI that decides instead of talks
A new AI model called Jev doesn't write a single word. It makes fast, cheap decisions with a confidence score. Here's what that means for a trades shop.
Oct 6, 2026 · 7 min read
- Dispatch and the board
When a pest control route slips, what needs to be recorded?
Follow one delayed pest-control route from the first overrun to the final customer update, with a clear record of each handoff and its office cost.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min read