Spectora offers the option to display contractor recommendations on defect comments, like a plumbing or deck contractor. So what happens if you want to recommend your local deck contractor by name?
You can now display contractors of your choosing in the report. You can include their name, logo, description, and contact information in the report.
Your client also has the option to request a quote from a contractor through the Spectora system.
Getting Started with Recommended Contractors
Getting Started with Recommended Contractors
Set-Up
Set-Up
💡 Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.
Click "Settings"
Click "Recommended Contractors"
Toggle the switch to enable
Once enabled, you can go through additional setup options like Display Settings, Contractors List, Contractor Types, and Service Areas
Display Settings
Customize the section title ("Recommended Contractors") & summary text.
Choose whether or not to display the full Contractors List in the Client Portal
Click here to learn more.
Contractor List
Allows you to add, edit, or remove contractors, as well as see how many quotes your clients have requested of them.
Contractor Types
Manage what contractor types are available.
Services Areas
Create & manage geographical limitations for contractors.
Create a New Contractor
Create a New Contractor
Click "Contacts"
Click "Contractors"
Click "+Add Contractor"
Fill out the contractor's information
Click "Save"
❇️ Pro Tips: ❇️
It's a good idea to fill out as many of these fields as possible, even though only a few are required.
Logos are great for a professional look but are not required.
Add a mobile phone number so your contractor is eligible for SMS Text Quote Requests
Add a description that tells a little bit about the contractor (maybe grab a sentence or two from their website).
This will appear in the Client Portal report.
When your client clicks on "Learn More" for a specific contractor, they will receive additional information to help them decide whether to contact the contractor for a quote.
Make sure to set the contractors you want to display in your reports to Active!
You can always Edit or Delete contractors from your Contacts list.
Search and Bulk Actions
Search and Bulk Actions
You can search your list of contractors to find the one you'd like to edit, delete, or change from active to inactive.
You can now make those changes in bulk!
Service Area Maps
Service Area Maps
Lastly, you can control which contractors show up in client reports based on their geographical location. No more worrying about whether a particular contractor will de-prioritize your client if their property is not within their service area!
Check out this article to learn more about this feature.
How It Works
How It Works
Queueing Them Up
Queueing Them Up
This part is close to automatic. If you already choose recommendations when you document a deficiency, that pretty much does it. If there are active contractors in your list that match the type of recommendation you selected in a report, they will appear in a section at the bottom of your report labeled "Recommended Contractors" and the report will indicate which contractor is relevant for each deficiency.
Client's View of Recommend Contractors in the Report
Client's View of Recommend Contractors in the Report
Contractors who are currently active on your list will be included in your report if any relevant defects are found.
As mentioned under "Create a New Contractor", if you enter a description for your contractor it will display in the report when your client clicks on the "Learn More" link.
That information may help them decide if they want to request a quote from a specific contractor.
Clients can request a quote by clicking the "Get quotes" button. There is one button for each contractor type.
Clicking this button pops up the following screens, walking your client through an easy quote request process they control.
Clients select which defects they want to be quoted. All of them are selected by default to save time:
Next, clients select which contractors they'd like to get quotes from:
Lastly, your client controls what contact information they provide to the contractor and specifies their preferred contact method:
That's it! All of the defect details (including any photos) are emailed to the selected contractors.
If your client chooses to request a quote from a contractor, that contractor will receive the request as well as the specifics regarding the deficiency via email.
Client's View of All Recommended Contractors in the Portal
Client's View of All Recommended Contractors in the Portal
If you have the Active Contractors in Client Portal setting enabled in your display settings, clients will be able to see a new tab in the portal for Contractors.
This Contractors tab will show all of your ACTIVE contractors (regardless of defects found in the report) in the portal.
This allows your clients to see what other contractors you may recommend for various services!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove the "Get a Quote" option?
No, at this time you cannot remove the "Get a Quote" option.
Can I change the email contractors receive?
No, you cannot change the email that contractors receive at this time.
Can I see which Clients have requested quotes?
Currently, there is no way to track which clients received a quote or email from the "Get a Quote" feature. You can however see the number of leads from reports in your Contractor List!
I am trying to add more options to a specific contractor on our recommended list but it is not letting me add them. Why?
Each contractor is limited to 5 contractor types.
Can the contractors receive texts/SMS messages for quote requests instead of emails? One of my contractors doesn't have an email address for his business.
I'm located in Australia - how can I change the phone number country code so I can put an Australian mobile number in?
Currently, the country code for Recommended Contractors is tied to the address field in their profile. Once you add in a business address that's based in Australia, it will populate the correct format for Australia!
If you have any questions or feedback, write into our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
