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Plain steps for the everyday work of running a service company in Trades Operator.
Getting started
Set up your company profile, hours, and the finish-setting-up list.
Customers
Find, add, and keep track of the people you work for.
Estimates and invoices
Quote the work, collect a deposit, and bill in phases.
Create, send, and collect on invoices
How to create or convert an invoice, issue it with a payment link, share it with the customer, record cash or check, and void or lower what is owed.
Estimates and good, better, best proposals
How to create an estimate, share a private approval link, offer good/better/best options, and turn an accepted estimate into an invoice.
Progressive invoicing on one invoice
How to add the next phase of work or edit unpaid lines on an issued invoice, what happens to the payment link, and what can block a change.
Request and collect a deposit
How to set a deposit on an estimate or proposal option and collect it after the customer approves, with the rest paid later on the same invoice.
Payments
Get paid by card, record cash or checks, and issue refunds.
Customer payments hub - record cash or check and review field payments
How to use the Payments page to see card payment status, record a customer cash or check payment, and approve or reject a technician's reported payment. Who can do it.
Refund a customer card payment
How to refund part or all of a customer's card payment from the payments page, who can do it, and what each refund status means.
Turn on card payments with Stripe
How a company owner connects a Stripe business account so customers can pay invoices by card, what the setup checks mean, and what can block payments.
Scheduling and booking
Book jobs, dispatch your team, and take online bookings.
Online booking - let customers book and price services on your website
How an owner or admin turns on Online booking, sets services, prices, booking hours, and technician skills, shares the link or website code, and what each booking creates.
Scheduling and dispatch
Use the Schedule board to book jobs, assign and move technicians, add tasks and block-offs, route the day, and set technician working hours.
Texting customers
Turn on business texting and see what each approval step means.
Accounting and QuickBooks
Connect QuickBooks Online and decide what flows each way.
Operator assistant
Ask questions, add company knowledge, and see what credits cover.
Operator Credits and Trades Operator billing
What Operator Credits are, which features use them, how usage is billed, how to buy prepaid credits, and how the owner sets the payment method.
Using Operator
What Operator can answer about your business, how to add company knowledge it can find later, how Operator credit usage is shown, and what it will not do without your approval.
Your team
Invite people and choose what each role can do.
Cannot find it? Email support@tradesoperator.com.