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Anyone else struggling with technicians not using the mobile app consistently?

Ray DeLuca

Look, I know this isn't a new problem, but I'm hitting a wall here. We've got 14 techs in the field, and I'd say maybe 6 of them are actually updating job status in real time. The rest? They'll mark everything "complete" at 4:30 PM from their driveway. Or worse, they don't mark anything at all and I spend my mornings playing detective.

We've tried:

  • Weekly reminders in the team meeting (ignored)
  • Making it "required" in their performance eval (too vague to enforce)
  • Texting individuals when jobs sit open (works for a day)

The frustrating part is the app works fine. They all have company phones. It's not a technical problem, it's a... I don't know, behavioral thing? Cultural?

I'm not looking for lectures about accountability. I want to know what actually worked for your teams. Bonus points if you figured out how to get buy-in from guys who've been doing this job for 15+ years and think paperwork is for "the office people."

...and yes, I've seen the mobile app update post. New dashboard looks nice. Doesn't help if they don't open it.

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  • Pro tip: The techs who resist this stuff usually have one thing in common — they don't see what's in it for them. Management sees reporting and metrics. Techs see extra taps on a screen.

    I started showing our newer guys how real-time status helps them — like when dispatch can see you're still on a job and stops routing calls to you, or when customers stop calling your cell because they got the "on the way" text. Framed it as call-deflection, not compliance.

    Also worth noting: some of the older guys legitimately struggle with small phone screens. We got two of them tablets and suddenly they were model citizens. Not saying that's your whole problem, but... don't assume it's all attitude.

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  • Pro tip: The techs who resist this stuff usually have one thing in common — they don't see what's in it for them. Management sees reporting and metrics. Techs see extra taps on a screen.

    I started showing our newer guys how real-time status helps them — like when dispatch can see you're still on a job and stops routing calls to you, or when customers stop calling your cell because they got the "on the way" text. Framed it as call-deflection, not compliance.

    Also worth noting: some of the older guys legitimately struggle with small phone screens. We got two of them tablets and suddenly they were model citizens. Not saying that's your whole problem, but... don't assume it's all attitude.

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