x2…I can’t even imagine asking someone to let me take a picture of their card!
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
I’m guessing the trick is, to not ask! Don’t act like it’s a big deal, and the customer will follow your lead (hopefully).
I need to revise my earlier statement: I probably would bite my tongue and not object to my card being processed this way. But I would be checking my online banking more frequently than usual, for awhile afterwards…
Depends on what it does. If it’s just looking for the number and doesn’t actually take a picture I’d be fine. Sort if like a barcode scanner.
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The easiest way to show this is via webdemo or if you signup and adjust it yourself.
You can turn yourself on “Custom Job” which can be any type of pricing.
You can also turn yourself on for a Fixed price job which has a set of parameters around it (here is a screenshot rlnd.co/image/0n0N3z0p1R2W)
You can choose whichever you’d like or both - whatever is best for your business. Happy to do a demo for anyone, just book my calendar: calendly dot com/housecallpro/webdemo
For some reason it’s not letting me post any links or images…
Hey Jesse -
We actually talked a week or so ago. If you shoot me what you’d like the job description to look like I can add it in. Just send it to roland at tryhousecall.com or call me on my phone 858-365-0850
Best,
Roland
Hey Alex -
We’ve talked to literally thousands of service pros (not just window cleaners) and they hate/lose/break the dongle all the time. When you use HouseCall Pro it doesn’t take a picture, it simply reads the 16 digits on the front of the card and inputs it into the correct field. Alternatively, you can just key it in (just like you can with Square), and it’s all the same rate. A “real” card processing solution is not dongle/attachment based, those are going the way of the dodo bird.
tl;dr: our CC solution is 1.99% FLAT across ALL cards, wether it’s scanned or keyed in. If you are using any other service other than ours, you are LOSING money.
Hey Tim - what does GoPayment charge you % wise? Your experience with your customers mirrors ours.
Whether it’s swipe, scan, or keyed in - hopefully you’ve built enough rapport with your customer since they are handing you their credit card. Back in the “old days” field service people would call in their customers credit card number. The scan approach is no different than looking at the CC and typing in the numbers by hand, it just saves you 16 keystrokes, and headaches with finding/misfunctioning/broken dongles.
The only reason people would use to do the swiping mechanism is because you get better processing rates… ex Square charged 2.75% for swiped transactions and 3.5% + 15c for keyed in transactions… in our case, we just charge 1.99% regardless of method…
Yup that’s exactly how it behaves.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I like the sound of 1.99%. I guess I’ve just gotten used to using the dongle, and the idea (propaganda?) that swiped transactions are more secure than keyed ones, explaining the lower transaction fees from a lot of companies. I guess I’m a little out-dated in my understanding. And it’s true, we do end up building a rapport with customers, even before meeting them. We take CC deposits upon booking, and many times that’s after giving an over the phone estimate, on the spot. So we key those transactions anyway (and get hit with the ridiculous fee of 3.5%)
Now I have an entirely different question for you: how does the app handle a lack of internet connection? Cell coverage is spotty at best in many parts of our territory.
Do you guys know how much $ the difference is between square 2.75%
And house call 1.99%
On a $1000 job the difference is $7.50
The reason I’m mentioning this is because it’s seems the focus of this thread has gone away from what seems to actually be important from this app.
Number 1 LOCATION!!!
(Doesn’t seem to be available for the majority of us.)
Number 2 Functionality…
(Sell me on what matters to me, getting good clients for a good price and making my life easier while doing it.)
Saving me a couple dollars on card transactions just doesn’t seem to be all that special.
Tell me when this will be available for the majority of us.
Tell us why it’s better than thumbtack, home advisor, Angie’s list.
Sell me!!!
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Glad to hear it just scans the card and not taking a picture, that makes more sense.
Roland, I gotta say, the phone call I got yesterday was a bit disconcerting. I got a call about the software that I was told would be free, but now you guys are charging for it, but I’m grandfathered in??? Sounds too much like games to me. No offense, but there are way too many red flags for me.
I’m not here to bust on you or your company, because of the ones who have posted here and said they liked it, but I’m gonna just observe for a while. No offense intended, and I hope this service turns out well for you and us.
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
Number 1 - HouseCall Pro is available nationwide. Unless you don’t live in the US, you can use HouseCall Pro.
HouseCall, is the booking application a homeowner can use to book you.
There are two applications - HouseCall Pro is the app you use to run your business. HouseCall is the application your customers can use to book you.
Number 2 - HouseCall Pro will allow you to do all of your invoicing, scheduling, dispatching and GPS tracking of your techs, customer CRM, mapping, marketing automation (coming soon), and CC payment processing.
If saving a “couple of dollars” doesn’t sound interesting to you, and if your business is normal sized (not a hobby), then you should know that you’ll save between $750 - $2,000 on average by using our 1.99% CC processing (based on current Pros using the app system).
We are NOT AT ALL like angle’s list, thumbtack, or homeadvisor, or yelp that charge you per lead fees, advertising/listing fees, “credits” to speak to customer.
If the HouseCall app brings you a NEW customer, there is a 10% referral fee AFTER you get paid. Given that we launched nationwide recently (and not just San Diego), you don’t have to worry about getting NEW customers from HouseCall. You can simply tell your existing customers that they can book you now via your own HouseCall app now.
If you are looking at continuing to run your business just the way you are - this is NOT THE PRODUCT FOR YOU.
If you are looking at growing your business by being more efficient, wasting less time on paperwork, no longer running many different programs/software and getting things mixed up, stop losing money by OVERPAYING for Credit Card Processing, then HouseCall Pro is going to be a great fit for you.
And if you’d like to talk to me live and get or give feedback, call a co-founder (me) personally at: 858-365-0850
Best,
Roland 
Thanks for the feedback Jesse. Since we launched nationwide, we used to have a free tier - and because of the demand and time we spent with individual Pros we decided we provide so much value that we can actually charge for it for individual users.
I find it interesting that even though I called you personally and we had around a 1hr conversation (on a Sunday afternoon), you are disconcerted. On that conversation the pricing was still free, and because I told you that I let my Account Manager know the promise I had made to you (regardless of the fact that we are now charging a low $19 for individuals).
If holding my word and grandfathering you in, because I spoke to you personally on the phone, will make you sit on the side lines and “observe” and call “red flags”, then we’re not a good fit for you currently. You have my number (858-365-0850), feel free to call me if you change your mind.
Best of luck and hope you try us out!
Roland
For the record, as I said initially, I’m not here to bust on you or your company. Yes you did spend some time on the phone with me, about an hour, telling me repeatedly why your company is so great and why I, and everyone else in the world, should use your company. Yes it was a “webinar”, but all it was was you telling me how to do stuff I ha already done a week prior. It was much more like a sales call disguised as a “webinar”. And, by the way, that was Monday of this last week, at 3:11 PM PCT. (I know Pacific Time is behind EST, but I thought it was only like 3 hours, not 21) We had an appointment for a 6:00 EST call and you kept me waiting well over ten minutes for the call to start.
Prior to the “webinar” I was told BY YOU that NO OTHER CHARGES besides the 1.99% would EVER be charged, but on the phone call, “an additional 10% is charged for new customers” Now, I think that is a very fair fee, but why didn’t you tell me about it up front? Hiding things from me IS a red flag to me, and I don’t care if you had walked here on a Sunday and told me about it in person.
And then you come on here and insult me for wanting to see how this works out? Really??? Not a good way to gain a new customer. If I insult every prospective customer who wants to see how others like my service, I’d soon be working at McDonald’s. Wow!
I WAS going to tell three other guys in my area, who offer different services, and who I regularly recommend to my customers, about your service on Sunday and suggest that we all join together and use it. I think now I’m just gonna show them your last post.
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
When I first looked this app up i only saw one which was house call. So that was something that needed clarification. Now I see that the pro app is the one for business owners and I will look into it. Can you tell me is there a free trial available or a discount to wcra members available? There are a lot of crms out that guys on here have been using such as jobber and the customer factor.
Am I wrong when I read that only people in California are able to get new customers thru the house call app? I understand that we can use the other features but that feature is not currently available nationwide as I understand it.
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Hey Brandon -
Yes, it’s a little confusing because the initial thread started linked to the consumer booking app, not the Pro app. I sent him a PM to hopefully change it so that it doesn’t lead people in the wrong direction 
We’re currently working with the admins here to be able to give a discount to WCRA members. Until that is official I can manually flag your account for you no problem!
Also, there is no free trial, but if at any point in the 1st month you feel it’s not working for your business, we’ll be happy to refund you the full amount. Essentially the same thing.
We’ve been live in San Diego county the past 13 months, so if you are in that area you’ll possibly get new customers through HouseCall. That being said you would be the 1st window cleaning company in Michigan, and if any homeowners opened the HouseCall booking app they would see only your business (until other companies activate in that area) - pretty awesome. It simply is a booking app, and you don’t have to participate in it unless you want to.
Shoot me an email at [email protected] and we can find time to do a 1:1 demo.
-R
Jesse -
I clearly said CC processing was 1.99%. I also clearly said referral fee is 10%. They are two completely seperate things. It’s also listed very plainly on our website PRICING HERE. Because of your location in North Carolina you won’t have to worry about getting any new customers through HouseCall. But, you can still use [URL=“http://www.tryhousecall.com/pro”]HouseCall Pro to make your business more efficient, save time eliminating paperwork, and save money with the ultra-low 1.99% CC processing (even though I remember you mentioning most of your business is cash & check).
Please don’t say “I’m not here to bust you or your company” and “Red Flags” - they are complete opposite statements, especiall on a public forum.
-R
Just stating my observations. A red flag is a red flag to me. That’s all
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
Just stating my observations. A red flag is a red flag to me. That’s all.
And no, you did not mentioned the 10% referral the first time we talked on the phone (I told you I was driving and did not have time to look at the website, so I wanted to know about all charges involved.) I asked you repeatedly if there were any other charges, as 1.99% sounded too good to be true, and you repeatedly told me that there were absolutely no other charges. As I stated in my last post, I think 10% is fair. I have no problems with that fee. But don’t come on here and say that you told me about that up front. That is a lie, plain and simple.
I didn’t come on here to have a fight with you, so I’m done with this thread…I very well may use your services in the future, but I’m gonna see what other people think of your service first.
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
