A No-Nonsense Review of Kickserv

Imagine having a digital assistant who keeps your service business running smoothly.

Kickserv is the virtual counterpart to your ideal office manager (but better). As field service management software, it promises to streamline your operations by consolidating all necessary tools in one place.

But does it live up to its promise?

We’ll find out in this deep dive into Kickserv’s features.

Here, we’ll look into the user experiences and compare Kickserv with other service management tools. As we dive into its strengths and weaknesses, you can decide better if Kickserv is the right fit for your business — which ultimately means deciding if it can save you time and money (or not).

Let’s get started!

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What Is Kickserv?

Kickserv was created in 2006 to simplify the complexities of running a service business. It began with a mission of providing a user-friendly and affordable solution to manage job schedules, customer interactions, and financial tracking.

Over the years, Kickserv has evolved into a comprehensive field service management software for businesses of all sizes.

It integrates with various tools and offers a mobile-friendly platform, ensuring teams can access critical information from anywhere.

Kickserv Overview

Kickserv is a versatile field service management software designed to streamline the operations of service-based businesses. It provides a wide array of features, categorized as:

• Job Management: Schedule jobs, track time, and manage job details with ease.
• Customer Management: Maintain detailed customer records, send notifications, and keep communication organized.
• Financial Tools: Create invoices, track expenses, and integrate with QuickBooks.
• Mobile Access: The mobile app allows you to manage jobs, collect signatures, and update job statuses on the go.
• Integrations: Connect with various tools for a seamless workflow.

If you want to explore the tool without commitment, you can check out Kickserv Free. This plan gives you the basic features at no cost. It’s ideal for small teams or businesses starting out.

Sign-Up and Onboarding

Signing up at Kickserv is quite easy. It’s designed to get you up and running quickly.

Everything starts on their homepage, where you’ll find a signup button and a preview of Kickserv’s plans. You don’t have to choose a plan before you sign up. Just go straight to the ‘Sign Up for Free!’ button.

This button directs you to a sign-up form. As with other cloud software, just fill out this form with the needed information:

• company name,
• full name,
• work email,
• mobile phone,
• username, and
• password

Then click ‘Sign Up.’

You really don’t need a credit card to sign up, which can save some frustration upfront.

Once you submit the form, the system takes a second or two to set up your account.

Once the following details show up on your screen, you’ll know you’re already in!

• revenue pace,
• completed jobs,
• new customers,
• total payments, and
• total revenue.

These metrics are what you’ll see on your Kickserv dashboard.

The Web App Experience – Simple, Easy

As mentioned in the previous section, your dashboard will show several key metrics when you first log in. On the left-hand side of your dashboard, you’ll find a navigation bar to lead you to various pages to check more detailed metrics:

• Jobs
• Planner
• Customers
• Custom Reports

We’ll break these down later.

There’s also an “Add New” button on the navigation bar. It lets you add new opportunities, jobs, and customers.

So no matter where you are in Kickserv’s web app, you can add new jobs or customers. No need to go back to the dashboard or to navigate to each category page to do so.

Also on the navigation bar, you can access your messages and activity logs.

It takes a while to get used to finding what you need, like the reports, but the learning curve is not steep.

The Mobile App Experience – Simple, Efficient

The mobile app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

To log in to your account, you’ll need your username and password and your company code, which you’ll find in the URL of your company’s web dashboard (e.g., /fd00c5/dashboards). Without this, you won’t be able to get in.

Once in, you’ll be asked to enter your address. Once you’ve entered it, you’ll be asked to turn on your device’s GPS tracking.

The system will suggest you have this tracking ‘always’ turned on, but you do have the option to turn it on or off as you need. On the upper left-hand corner of your screen, you’ll see three dots – they’ll allow you to turn your tracking status on and off.

At the bottom of the page are buttons for adding new opportunities, jobs, and contacts. A navigation bar lets you check estimates, jobs, invoices, and contacts.

Meanwhile, by default, your mobile dashboard initially shows you the schedules of all employees assigned work for the day.

A dropdown menu at the top of the screen lets you choose individual schedules. You can also look for schedules from previous days, or schedules set for the future. You can’t view monthly or weekly schedules all at once, though.

Your field workers will see their tasks on this screen. But to clock in and out, they must click on their assigned task/job on the schedule board.

Once they click a job, their screen will show its details, including the name of the client, their address (with a map), their phone number, and other details, as well as special instructions about the task.

Right at the center of your screen is the Clock In button. Under this big button are other, smaller buttons, which let you choose to stop a job, put it on hold, or mark it complete.

Once the user clocks out, they can choose to complete a task. Once a job is marked as completed, a new button saying ‘Restart Job’ will appear.

Apart from letting you view opportunities or estimates and the status of jobs, the Kickserv app also lets you view invoices, both paid and unpaid.

The mobile app is straightforward. There’s not much going on, and as the ‘free’ plan promises, it gives you the basics to start.

While other reviews say Kickserv has offline access, I would say it doesn’t. I tried turning off my connection, and I got instantly disconnected. The app won’t track time anymore.

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Kickserv Key Features

Stay in Touch with Customers

Kickserv’s customer management tools help you stay in touch with clients before, during, and after jobs. You can store detailed records, including names, service addresses, contact information, and service history.

The Customer Center allows clients to view job progress and make payments, enhancing communication and satisfaction.

Additionally, features like job history and messaging ensure you have all relevant information at your fingertips, facilitating personalized and efficient service.

Automated reminders and follow-ups further improve customer interactions, helping maintain strong relationships and ensuring repeat business.

Build and Send Estimates Fast

Kickserv simplifies the estimating process.

Users can easily build and send estimates. The system supports estimate views and signature approvals, helping you close deals faster.

The customer pipeline feature tracks the progress of each estimate so you can follow up on opportunities promptly. This speeds up the approval process and allows for a clear overview of potential jobs.

Efficient Job Management

The job management feature helps categorize jobs into various statuses, such as “Unscheduled,” “Scheduled,” “In Progress,” “On Hold,” and “Completed.”

Each job entry includes detailed information like job type, contact details, assignment status, creation date, and invoice status. This categorization helps in tracking job progress and ensuring timely completion.

Job notifications – and the ability to attach photos, documents, and notes – further enhance communication and coordination among team members.

Simplify Invoicing

Kickserv’s invoicing feature helps you manage your finances efficiently. It organizes invoices into “Unpaid” and “Paid” sections, providing a clear overview of your receivables.

Each invoice entry includes details like invoice number, contact information, date, total sale amount, balance due, and related job information. This structured approach simplifies tracking and ensures timely payments.

The feature also supports online payments, making it convenient for customers to pay and for you to keep track of transactions.

Mobile Access for Field Technicians

The Kickserv mobile app keeps your field technicians connected and productive.

Available on iOS and Android, it features job scheduling, GPS and time tracking, digital signatures, and on-site credit card payments. This allows technicians to access job details, update statuses, and communicate with the office in real-time.

The app is said to support offline access, so users should be able to continue even without an internet connection.

However, this feature may not be 100% there; the app tends to disconnect, and when it reconnects, it doesn’t seem to have recorded the work done while you had no connection.

Plan and Schedule Efficiently

The planner features several views to help you manage and schedule tasks effectively.

The Schedule view categorizes events into “Today,” “Overdue,” “Upcoming,” and “Completed,” providing a clear overview of daily tasks.

The Calendar view offers detailed weekly scheduling with filtering options.

The Dispatch view shows job and technician locations on a map in real time, while the Resources view displays a timeline of tasks for each technician.

The Map view offers both Map and Satellite options for better route planning and management.

Generate Custom Reports

Kickserv’s custom reports feature lets users generate detailed reports, which can be categorized into Sales and Marketing, Work, or Finance.

You can analyze marketing sources, customer data, revenue by service, job completion, expenses, and financial metrics such as account aging, payments, and customer balances.

These reports provide valuable insights into business performance, helping users identify trends, measure productivity, and make informed decisions.

Integrate with Essential Tools

Kickserv integrates seamlessly with a variety of third-party applications, including QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Stripe, Mailchimp, and Customer Lobby.

These integrations help make processes easier by connecting all essential tools, reducing manual data entry, and preventing errors.

The QuickBooks integration, particularly, helps ensure accurate financial tracking, while Stripe facilitates secure online payments.

Kickserv’s Mailchimp integration helps with marketing campaigns, and its Customer Lobby integration enhances customer relationship management.

Kickserv Might be a Good Fit for You If…

Kickserv offers a range of features designed to streamline service business operations.

Kickserv might be a good fit if:

• You need a system to manage customer interactions from start to finish.
• You want to simplify estimating and invoicing processes.
• Efficient job management is essential for your business.
• Mobile access for field technicians is a priority.
• Seamless integration with third-party applications like QuickBooks, Stripe, and Mailchimp is important to you.

You Might Not Want to Use Kickserv If…

While Kickserv offers many valuable features, it may not be the best fit for everyone.

Kickserv might not be ideal if:

• You require a highly customizable reporting feature.
• Reliable offline access is crucial for your business operations.
• You need a mobile app with consistent performance and fewer disconnections.
• Seamless and instant support for new feature implementations is essential.
• Integration with a broad range of external tools is necessary for your workflow.

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Kickserv Cost/Pricing

Kickserv offers a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs, starting with the free plan and scaling up to a comprehensive premium option.

Kickserv Free is ideal for (very) small teams. It allows up to 2 users at no cost and includes basic features such as estimates, job and invoice management, a CRM, and mobile app access. The only requirement is to set up online payments, making it a permanent free option rather than a temporary trial.

For businesses needing more, the Lite Plan costs $59 per month and supports up to 5 users, adding a QuickBooks Online integration.

The Standard Plan, at $119 per month, is designed for growing teams and includes up to 10 users and unlimited support.

For established businesses, the Business Plan is $199 per month for up to 20 users. It features custom reports in addition to all Standard plan features.

Finally, the Premium Plan, at $299 per month, supports unlimited users and includes live GPS tracking and advanced reporting, making it suitable for larger field service businesses.

Kickserv Reviews

Kickserv has received mixed reviews across various platforms.

Users appreciate its functionality and customer service but report issues with mobile performance, new feature updates, and customization limitations.

These reviews provide insight into Kickserv’s strengths and weaknesses, helping potential users make informed decisions.

Supportmynonprofit, in a review dated September 22, 2023, reports several issues with Kickserv, including long upload times for pictures, frequent disconnections, and non-functional clock features.

Nothing but problems ⭐ 
It takes forever to upload pictures. It kicks me off and clock is no longer working. If you don’t have great signal it doesn’t work. And I could go on

After an update, Renato Reis experienced issues with Kickserv on his mobile phone. He found that new users he tried to add received errors stating the username or password was incorrect, although the software worked fine on other devices.

⭐ 
It doesn’t work on my mobile phone after updating. All the users I try to add get an error saying that my username or password is wrong, but on other devices it works normally.

Vonnie G., a president of a small contracting business, finds Kickserv perfect for his needs due to its ease of use and excellent customer service. However, he wishes he could modify some forms, particularly to increase the font size for readability by older customers. Despite this, he rates the product highly.

Awesome product!! – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
I own a contracting business and it is perfect for my business.

Pros: I like the ease of use as well as the customer service.

Cons: I wish I could modify some of the forms. The font is so small many of my customers are older and can’t read it very well.

Our Score (and Why We Chose It)

To evaluate Kickserv, we tested its features and compared their performance with other service management tools. Using consistent scoring factors, we assessed its quality accurately. Here are the results:

Sign-Up and Onboarding: Kickserv provides a straightforward setup with clear instructions, though initial setup can be time-consuming due to its comprehensive nature.

Ease of Use: The interface is user-friendly, allowing quick adaptation, though there is a slight learning curve for non-tech-savvy users. Some users have raised concerns about the mobile app’s performance, including issues with user logins and functionality.

Features and Functionality: Kickserv offers robust tools for job management, customer interactions, and financial tracking, but some users find certain features limiting.

Customer Support: Support is generally responsive and helpful, but some users report slower response times during peak periods.

Value for Price: Kickserv offers solid value for its features and competitive pricing, though the free plan’s limitations may require upgrades for growing businesses.

Integrations: Kickserv integrates well with essential tools like QuickBooks and Stripe. These tools can help enhance functionality within existing workflows.

Top Alternatives to Kickserv

Kickserv offers robust field service management tools. But before you decide whether to use it or not, be sure to check out its alternatives. Comparing features and prices is the best way to find what best fits your business needs.

We’re making it easier for you by providing with our shortlisted alternatives to Kickserv. Each alternative offers unique features and advantages, so you can better decide which one best fits your business needs.

The Bottom Line

Kickserv aims to simplify service business operations with its robust features for job management and financial tracking.

Users generally praise the tool’s competitive pricing and strong customer support, making it a viable option for businesses hoping for smoother job management and financial tracking.

However, note that user feedback points to areas needing improvement, like mobile app performance and software bugs. When the connection is poor, the app tends to stop tracking.

Other users, meanwhile, were hoping for modification to the forms. They noted how its fonts are too small: people with poor eyesight like myself, tend to have a hard time reading them.

For those seeking an alternative, Workyard stands out with its centralized scheduler and industry-leading GPS time tracker. It offers accurate job cost tracking and an efficient workforce management solution.

Explore Workyard’s features with a 14-day free trial to see if it fits your field service needs.