What software does a mobile oil change van need?

One that carries the whole day: booking held to your area, the stops in drive order, a record per vehicle, van stock, payment at the car, fleet terms and a review request after each job. The ranking on our home page scores six products on ten criteria built around that day.

How do I keep the oil and filter count right in the van?

Count stock per van and let each job take its parts off that van's count when it closes. Mobile Service Sync counts per van and per shop and deducts at the close of each job.

Rankings / Van Checklist

The Oil Change Van Checklist, Software Side

Before the van rolls, the stops should be in drive order, every job tied to a vehicle and the van's stock counted; at each car, confirm the vehicle and its oil, inspect with photos, add the lines and get paid; at day's end, every job closed, stock taken off and a review request sent. This page is that day written as a logbook, one entry per stage, with what Mobile Service Sync does at each.

Each box is a check to make, and the note under each list says what Mobile Service Sync does at that point. For the scores behind the software, see the ranking.

Before the Van Rolls

Today's stops are in drive order for each tech, not in the order they were booked.
Every booking sits inside your service area and your hours.
Each job is tied to a vehicle, not only to a name and an address.
The van's own count covers today's oil and filters, read from this van and not from the storage unit.
Fleet stops are marked, with the account's prices and PO rule attached.

In Mobile Service Sync: One click orders a tech's stops on real drive times (each tech's day is its own click). Online booking only opens times your hours, service area and working techs and vans allow, and stock is counted per van.

Pulling Up to a Stop

The customer has had a text and can answer it in the same thread.
The vehicle in the driveway matches the vehicle on the job.
On a fleet stop, the PO number is in hand if the account asks for one.

In Mobile Service Sync: Two-way texting with photos is on every plan, 1,000 texts a month on Core. Fleet accounts carry their own PO rule and terms on every plan.

At the Car

Confirm the plate or VIN against the record.
Read the oil weight and capacity off the vehicle before opening a jug; on a first visit, record them.
Inspect with photos, so the notes travel with the vehicle.
Add a line item for everything that went in.

In Mobile Service Sync: A plate or VIN fills in the year, make, model, trim and engine. The oil weight and capacity are not looked up from either; they are saved on the vehicle after the first visit. Inspections with photos and line items keep working with no signal.

Before Pulling Away

Take payment while the customer is still there: card or bank, or record the cash or check.
Put fleet work on the account's terms instead of asking the driver to pay.
Mark the job complete before the van moves.

In Mobile Service Sync: Cards are processed at 2.9% + $0.30 on standard cards, and ACH costs $0.20 flat per transaction. Cash, check and marking a job complete work offline; a card payment needs a connection.

Between Stops

Check that the next stop is still the right one; a cancellation should close the gap, not leave it.
Anything recorded without signal has synced once the phone is back online.
Save card payments and texts for a spot with signal, since both need a connection.

In Mobile Service Sync: Job status, inspections with photos, completion, line items, cash and check and the time clock all work offline and sync later. Card payments and texts are the two things that wait for signal.

Closing the Day

Every job is closed; nothing is left in progress overnight.
Stock has come off for each job, so tomorrow morning's count is already right.
A review request has gone to every customer served today.
Fleet invoices are out with their terms and PO numbers.
The time clock is closed for each tech.

In Mobile Service Sync: Stock is deducted from the van as each job closes. A Google or Facebook review request goes out after every job, on every plan, and fleet accounts invoice on net 15 or net 30.

Where to Read More

The fleet side of a stop (prices, PO numbers and terms) has its own page: fleet accounts. The phone app that runs this list is described on Mobile Service Sync's technician app page, and the way it handles an oil change business is on Mobile Service Sync for mobile oil change.

Questions About the Van's Day

What software does a mobile oil change van need?: One that carries the whole day: booking held to your area, the stops in drive order, a record per vehicle, van stock, payment at the car, fleet terms and a review request after each job. The ranking on our home page scores six products on ten criteria built around that day.
Can the van keep working without cell signal?: That depends on the software. Mobile Service Sync keeps job status, inspections with photos, completion, line items, cash and check and the time clock working offline and syncs them later; card payments and texts need a connection.
How do I keep the oil and filter count right in the van?: Count stock per van and let each job take its parts off that van's count when it closes. Mobile Service Sync counts per van and per shop and deducts at the close of each job.