The Customer Notes That Protect Our Technicians

Question

One of the simplest ways we use Jobber is also one of the most important.

Customer notes and instructions on jobs.

We document things like:

gate instructions and what side of the house the gate is on
How many dogs they have
dogs that need to be secured
aggressive dog history
property quirks
access issues
areas to avoid
anything that could affect how the technician enters or completes the job
If multiple people need to receive the "On The Way" message

That information matters a lot more once the owner isn’t the one servicing every property.

I’ve had situations where employees were put in unsafe environments because a customer didn’t properly secure a dog. I’ve also been bitten myself.

So I don’t want safety information living in someone’s memory or buried in a text thread.

If a technician is going to a property, they should be able to open the job and know what they’re walking into before they ever open the gate.

That protects the employee, the customer, and the business.

What do other owners document in customer notes that your team absolutely needs before arriving on site?

katebrownell86 · Answer

Great list. A few we've added over time: where to park (some HOAs will ticket a work truck), the location of water and power shut-offs, and any known hazards like wasp nests, loose deck boards or buried lines near the work area.

Photos help too. A quick shot of the gate or side entrance saves a new tech from wandering around the property guessing.

The bigger challenge is keeping notes current. We ask techs to update them on the spot if anything's changed, like a new dog. Old info can be just as risky as no info.

homeownership · Answer

Great point about keeping safety information in the customer notes instead of relying on memory.

I’d also document any allergies or sensitivities in the household, especially if the service involves chemicals, fragrances, dust, or other products. I’d include any areas where products should not be used and whether children or pets need to stay away from the work area.

Those details can help the technician prepare before arriving and prevent avoidable problems once they’re on site.

rmahar001 · Answer

Beyond gates and dogs, the notes I see matter most later are the ones about who actually makes decisions and pays, and any deal the owner made that isn't on the invoice, like "we always do the side yard too" or a standing discount. Those tend to live in one person's head until the day that person isn't on the job. Do you keep pricing exceptions in the same customer notes, or somewhere else?

rmahar001 · Answer

That split makes a lot of sense: how-to-do-the-job notes at the job level, and who-pays / standing deals at the client level. Do your techs ever see the client-level notes, or is that only for the office when quoting and invoicing?

anthonysalazar · Answer

That’s a really good point about stale notes.

We’ve focused a lot on getting information into the account, but keeping it current matters just as much. A new dog, changed gate, construction, parking restriction, or access issue can make an old note misleading fast.

I like the idea of techs updating those details from the field while they’re fresh.

The photo piece is smart too. We have photos in their customer notes of where the gate is, what the house looks like etc so any technician knows what they're running into.

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The Customer Notes That Protect Our Technicians

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