Scheduling a Job

Overview

Scheduling a job turns a work request into a concrete appointment. When you schedule a job, you're committing to a date, time, and person to perform the work. Good scheduling keeps customers happy and your team productive.

Important: Job dates and times are always interpreted in your company's configured timezone, not your device's timezone. This ensures that a dispatcher in one timezone and a technician in another both see the same scheduled time. For example, if your company is based in Texas (Central time) and you schedule a job for 2:00 PM, it will always show as 2:00 PM Central - even if you're viewing it from a device set to Manila time.

Understanding Time Slots

BlueClerk now supports three time slot types for calendar events:

• AM (8am-12pm) - Morning appointments without a specific time
• PM (12pm-5pm) - Afternoon appointments without a specific time
• Specific Time - Exact appointment time (e.g., 2:30 PM)
• All-Day / Not Specified - No specific time slot

Job Visibility on Home Page

When viewing your home page jobs list, you'll see:

• SCHEDULED jobs - Jobs with future scheduled dates
• IN_PROGRESS jobs - Jobs that have been started but not completed
• PAUSED jobs - Jobs temporarily on hold
• RESCHEDULED jobs - Jobs that have been moved to a new date

COMPLETED and CANCELLED jobs are excluded from the home page by default to keep your view focused on active work. You can see all job statuses by using the status filter dropdown or by navigating to the full jobs list.

Understanding Job Status Flow

A job moves through these stages:

SCHEDULED → IN_PROGRESS → COMPLETED

When a technician starts 1 of 3 tasks on a job, the status automatically changes from SCHEDULED to IN_PROGRESS. The job will remain visible on the home page until it's marked COMPLETED or CANCELLED.

How to Schedule a Job

From a Ticket

1. Open the ticket that needs work
2. Click "Schedule Job" or the calendar icon
3. Fill in job details:
   • Date: When the job should be performed
   • Time slot: Choose AM, PM, specific time, or leave unspecified
   • Assigned to: Select team member or subcontractor
   • Duration (optional): Estimated time to complete
   • Notes (optional): Special instructions

Quick Schedule from Calendar

1. Go to Calendar view
2. Click a date or time slot
3. Select the ticket to schedule
4. Choose team member to assign
5. Confirm the scheduled job

Bulk Scheduling

Schedule multiple jobs at once:

1. Go to the Tickets list
2. Check boxes next to tickets to schedule
3. Click "Schedule Selected"
4. Choose date and team members for each
5. Confirm to schedule all at once

Scheduling Best Practices

Allow Travel Time

• Factor in drive time between jobs
• Don't overbook your team
• Group jobs by location when possible

Set Realistic Times

• Morning appointments: 8am-12pm window
• Afternoon appointments: 12pm-5pm window
• Exact times: Only when necessary
• Add buffer: Unexpected issues happen

Communicate Clearly

• Confirm with customer before scheduling
• Send reminders day before
• Update if changes occur
• Call if running late

Rescheduling Jobs

If plans change:

1. Open the scheduled job
2. Click "Reschedule"
3. Choose new date/time
4. Add reason for the change
5. Save - Customer is notified automatically

Calendar Integration

Sync with External Calendars

• Export to Google Calendar via Settings
• Subscribe with iCal for Apple Calendar
• Two-way sync updates automatically

Calendar Views

• Day: Detailed hourly schedule
• Week: Overview of upcoming work
• Month: Big picture planning

Questions

Q: What happens if I schedule a job without picking a time? A: The job shows as "All Day" and appears at the top of that day's schedule. You can add a specific time later.

Q: Can I assign multiple jobs to the same person at the same time? A: Yes, but BlueClerk will warn you about scheduling conflicts. Make sure your team can handle overlapping jobs.

Q: How do I see all jobs scheduled for a team member? A: Go to Calendar view and filter by team member, or go to Team > [Member Name] to see their schedule.

Q: Why did my job disappear from the home page after a tech started it? A: It didn't disappear - when a tech starts a job, the status changes from SCHEDULED to IN_PROGRESS. By default, the home page shows SCHEDULED, IN_PROGRESS, PAUSED, and RESCHEDULED jobs. Your job is still there, just with an updated status. Use the status filter if you want to view only specific statuses.

Q: Can customers see scheduled times? A: Yes, customers receive notifications with the scheduled date and time window. They can also view it in their homeowner portal.