What a job sheet is really for
Many techs see it as paperwork to rush through at the end of a visit. In reality, a good job sheet keeps working for you months or years later: it shows what was done, how long it took, what was installed and who signed off.
When a customer calls back with a problem, when your bookkeeper asks what to bill, or when a new technician visits a site for the first time, the job sheet is the first place you look. If it's incomplete or unreadable, that information might as well not exist.
- The basis for the invoice: labor, travel, parts.
- The site history: what equipment is installed and what changed.
- The customer's confirmation that the work was done.
- The starting point for the next service call or maintenance visit.
The core fields: a checklist
Not every job needs every field, but your form should have them all so the technician can fill in the ones that apply. Use this list as a template for your own form, on paper or digital.
- A unique job sheet number and the date of the visit.
- Customer, exact site address and the person who requested the work.
- Type of work: installation, service call, scheduled maintenance, site assessment.
- The problem as reported by the customer, in their own words.
- What the technician found on site.
- What was actually done, short and specific.
- Arrival time, departure time and actual time worked; travel time listed separately.
- Names of the technicians who did the work.
- Parts and materials used: description, quantity, unit.
- Equipment installed or replaced, with serial numbers (for example a camera, NVR or alarm panel).
- Status on departure: completed, partly working, or return visit needed.
- Recommendations for the customer and any work still outstanding.
- Before-and-after photos where they matter.
- Technician and customer signatures, with printed names and the date.
Hours and parts: where most money leaks
Hours written down from memory at the end of the day are almost always lower than the real ones. Ask technicians to record their arrival time when they arrive, not when they leave. Keep work time separate from travel and from waiting (for example when the customer hasn't arranged access) — even if you don't bill them differently, you want to see them.
For parts, the rule is simple: anything that stays at the customer's site goes on the sheet, including the small items that add up (connectors, anchors, cable by the foot). If a technician bought something on the way, record that too and keep the receipt, so it can be reimbursed and billed correctly.
The customer's signature and their copy
A signature is only useful if you know who signed and what they signed for. Ask for it at the end of the job, after the customer has seen the work — not on a blank sheet when you arrive. Have the person print their name, especially at businesses or apartment buildings, where the person signing is often not the one who placed the order.
If the customer's representative isn't there, note who accepted the work and let the customer know the same day. The customer should get a copy right away: on paper, as a photo or, ideally, as a PDF by email. A copy sent on the spot heads off a lot of billing disputes.
Common job sheet mistakes
Most problems don't come from the form itself but from how it's filled in. It's worth going over these with your team once, using real examples from your own jobs.
- Vague descriptions: "checked system," "fixed issue."
- Sheets filled in that evening or the next day, from memory.
- Missing parts, especially small ones.
- No serial numbers for equipment installed or replaced.
- A signature with no printed name or date.
- Sheets lost in the van or handed in a week later.
- No note that a return visit is needed, so nobody schedules it.
Digital job sheets with Power Play Manager
If you're tired of hunting for paper sheets in vans and binders, you can do them on the phone instead. In Power Play Manager the technician fills in the job sheet, the customer signs on the phone screen, and a PDF is generated and emailed on the spot. Every sheet is archived and linked to the customer and the job, along with the parts used or bought in the field. With the optional Tony Assistant module, the technician can dictate the sheet by voice or text, and Tony fills it in and asks for anything missing.
It runs on computers and phones, in English and Romanian, hosted by us or installed at your company, with plans from €69/month. See it for yourself in the free demo at demo.powerplay.ro (user demo, password demo).
Frequently asked questions
How many fields should a job sheet have?
Enough to fully describe the job, but no fields nobody ever fills in. The checklist above is a good starting point. If a field stays empty for months, you probably don't need it for the kind of work you do.
Who should fill in the job sheet — the technician or the office?
The technician, on site, because they know what they did and what they used. The office reviews it afterward and handles billing. When someone else fills it in later from memory, hours and parts get lost.
What if the customer won't sign?
Note on the sheet that the customer declined to sign, with the reason they gave, and let the office know right away. Clear before-and-after photos help a lot. A refusal usually hides a complaint that's easier to sort out the same day.
Can we move from paper to job sheets on the phone?
Yes, and it's best to do it gradually: start with the same fields you have on paper so the team isn't thrown off. In Power Play Manager the customer signs on the phone and gets the PDF by email immediately. You can try the free demo before you decide.
Should travel time go on the job sheet?
It's useful to record it separately from work time, even if you bill them together. That way you see how much time crews spend on the road and can group nearby jobs better.
