Did you know? According to IBISWorld analysts, the appliance repair industry in the United States is estimated to be worth $6.8 billion in 2024 and is growing steadily, with much of this growth coming from companies that have adopted modern technology.
After becoming accustomed to using apps to order a cab and have food delivered with a few clicks, people now expect the same ease from technicians who fix washing machines or refrigerators.
Scheduling software for appliance repair businesses no longer represents a luxury for big businesses. Even small workshops with two or three specialists now need it.
This blog post will go over tried-and-true methods for automating appliance repair service centers, discuss why it makes sense to stop using Excel spreadsheets, and give you advice on what to look for in software.
Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
- Understanding the pitfalls for traditional methods
- Looking at the popular solutions of this segment
- Decoding crucial ways to pick the best one
- Exploring some common implementation mistakes
The average service center handles 50 to 200 calls per week. Imagine a dispatcher trying to juggle paper notes, Excel spreadsheets, and ten open Google Calendar tabs. Mistakes are inevitable: double bookings, forgotten appointments, address mix-ups.
Main problems with the traditional approach:
ServiceTitan conducted research among 500 service companies and found that businesses using specialized software handle 30% more orders with the same number of staff. Clients value speed: if they used to wait for a confirmation call about visit time, now they receive an SMS with the exact technician arrival time.
Interesting Facts
Data-driven companies experience, on average, more than 30% growth per year according to Google Cloud.
As we all know, this segment is currently booming on the internet, and there is a robust availability of automation solutions, but in this list, we have filtered the top 10 best picks for you. Let’s take a look
The Field Complete platform was created specifically for field service operations. The developers focused on simplicity — the interface is intuitive even for workers who aren’t very tech-savvy.
Key feature: integration with QuickBooks and other accounting systems. A technician completes the work, the system automatically generates an invoice and sends it to the client. There’s a mobile app through which technicians can see the route, order details, and client call history.
For companies involved in appliance repair, there’s a useful feature here: a knowledge base with typical malfunctions and solutions. A new employee can quickly find information about a specific Samsung refrigerator model or Bosch dishwasher.
Important point: appliance repair business software from Field Complete allows you to set up automatic reminders for clients about preventive maintenance. This increases repeat calls by 20–25%.
The Canadian startup Jobber began in 2011 as a project by three friends from Edmonton. Now their software is used by over 200,000 service companies worldwide.
Jobber’s strong point is its CRM functionality. The system remembers the entire interaction history with a client: when they called, what the problem was, how much they paid. On the next call, the dispatcher sees the full picture and can offer additional services.
Pricing is transparent: from $49 to $299 per month depending on the number of users. There’s a 14-day free trial without card attachment.
If you need an advanced option among automation systems, this is ServiceTitan. The company has raised over $1 billion in investments from venture funds, including Index Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners.
ServiceTitan is a solution for medium and large service centers. It has everything: from dispatching to marketing analytics. The system automatically divides up calls among technicians according to their workload and area of expertise, gathers customer reviews, and evaluates the success of advertising campaigns.
One downside — the price. For a small workshop, this might be too expensive. But for companies serving thousands of clients monthly, the investment pays off.
An interesting appliance repair scheduling app for those who value mobility. Housecall Pro focuses on phone-based work — the technician, dispatcher, and client can all do everything through a mobile app.
The client sees on a map where the technician is now and when exactly they’ll arrive. Like Uber, but for washing machine repairs. The system automatically calculates the optimal route for technicians, considering traffic and distances between locations.
Housecall Pro integrates with Google Calendar, which is convenient for companies already using the Google ecosystem. Pricing starts at $49 per month per user.
A project by HomeAdvisor, a major marketplace for home services in the US. mHelpDesk was created for their own partners and then opened to everyone.
Specialty: deep integration with HomeAdvisor. If your company works through this platform, requests automatically go into mHelpDesk, get distributed among technicians, and the client receives a notification.
There’s a parts inventory control feature. The system tracks how many vacuum cleaner filters or washing machine heating elements are left in stock and reminds you to order new ones.
FieldEdge belongs to Xplor Technologies, which specializes in vertical SaaS solutions. The program was developed specifically for HVAC, plumbing, and appliance repair.
There’s a complex pricing system implemented here: you can set up different rates for different types of work, seasonal discounts, and package deals. Useful for companies offering service contracts — annual maintenance for a fixed fee.
FieldEdge has powerful analytics: revenue reports by technician, by work type, by city area. The business owner sees which services are most profitable and where to invest.
An Israeli startup that’s quickly gaining popularity in North America. Workiz focuses on automating client communication.
The system sends automatic SMS reminders, review requests after technician visits, and notifications about special offers. There’s a built-in VoIP phone — the dispatcher can call clients directly from the program interface, and all calls are recorded.
Workiz works well for small businesses. The interface is simple, training takes a few hours. Price — from $100 per month for two users.
An experienced market player — the company has been operating since 2008. RazorSync focuses on simplicity and reliability. There aren’t dozens of extra features, but what’s there works flawlessly.
Specialty: offline mode. If a technician works in an area with weak mobile internet, they can still enter work data. When connection appears, everything syncs automatically.
RazorSync suits conservative business owners who don’t want to deal with complicated settings. Install it and it works.
A product from Material Service Pros, a company from Utah. Service Fusion was created specifically for field service operations, and there are many details here that are important specifically for appliance repair.
Example: you can photograph a broken part, add the photo to the order, and it automatically gets sent via SMS to the client with an explanation of what needs to be replaced. Transparency reduces disputes about repair necessity.
Square and Stripe integrations allow for on-site card payment processing. The customer receives an electronic receipt; the technician does not handle cash.
An Australian company that made one of the most convenient mobile apps in this category. ServiceM8 is primarily about speed of phone-based work.
A technician can create a new order in 30 seconds: enter the address, select work type, photograph the appliance. The system automatically determines coordinates, calculates arrival time, and sends a message to the client.
ServiceM8 supports integration with Xero and MYOB — popular accounting systems in Australia and New Zealand. For international companies, there’s support for different currencies and languages.
Choosing scheduling software for appliance repair business depends on company size and work specifics. For a workshop with two or three technicians, a simple solution like Housecall Pro or Workiz will work. If you have 20+ technicians and complex logistics, take a look at ServiceTitan or FieldEdge.
Important criteria:
The most serious mistake is buying a system and not training staff. The software might be perfect, but if technicians don’t understand how to use it, there’s no point. Allocate time for training, create instructions, appoint someone responsible for technical support within the team.
The second mistake is trying to automate chaos. If you don’t have a clear process for receiving orders, assigning technicians, and quality control, no program will help. First establish processes, then automate.
The third mistake is ignoring feedback from employees. Dispatchers and technicians know where something isn’t working. Listen to them, adjust the system to real needs, not imaginary ones.
Selecting the appropriate software is an essential investment in the future of the company, not just a fad. Customers anticipate ease of use, speed, and transparency. Service centers with this experience make more money and expand more quickly.
For small workshops with 2-5 technicians, solutions like Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Workiz will work. They’re easy to set up, have affordable pricing, and cover basic needs.
Medium-sized companies with 10-20 technicians can look at Field Complete, mHelpDesk, or Service Fusion. These platforms offer more capabilities for team management and analytics.
Large service centers with dozens of technicians and complex logistics will find the needed functionality in ServiceTitan or FieldEdge. Yes, it’s more expensive, but the scale allows for quick return on investment.
The main thing is not to delay implementation. Every month without automation costs lost clients, extra fuel expenses, and hours of wasted dispatcher work. Technology here isn’t the goal — it’s a tool for creating better service and increasing profits.
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