SolarCleaningBossPro Blog — Tech App

Noting Bird and Critter Problems in the App So the Office Can Quote Bird Proofing

Bird proofing and critter guards are some of the best add-on work a solar cleaning company can sell. The customer has a real problem, the fix is clear, and the tech is the one person who sees the problem up close. But a tech on a roof is not a salesperson, and should not try to be. The cleanest way to turn what the tech sees into a sale is a note in the app that the office can quote from.

From Card to Office

The last guide, Charging the Card on File When the Solar Cleaning Tech Taps Complete, covered what happens to the job the tech just finished. This one covers what happens to the problem the tech found while finishing it. Both start the same way: the tech writes it down on the job, and the office takes it from there.

What the Tech Notices

Bird and critter problems show up in a few common ways:

• Nests under the panels, often pigeons, packed in the gap between the array and the roof.
• Heavy droppings on the glass, especially along the top rows and under favorite perches.
• Debris on the roof below the array: sticks, feathers and droppings collecting in valleys and gutters.
• Chewed wiring or insulation, a sign of squirrels or rodents.
• Animals running out from under the array when the tech starts working.

Photos of all of these are covered in Photographing Bird Droppings and Nests: What the Solar Cleaning Tech Should Capture. This guide is about the note that goes with them.

Writing a Note the Office Can Quote From

The office needs to know three things to build a quote: what the problem is, where it is, and how big it is. A good note covers all three in a sentence or two:

• “Pigeons nesting under the whole south array. Gaps open on all three sides. No bird proofing on the job yet.”
• “One nest under the corner panel by the chimney. Rest of the array looks clear.”
• “Chewed insulation visible at the east edge, likely squirrels. Customer mentioned hearing scratching.”

The panel count is already on the card, so the tech does not need to count again unless only part of the array is affected. If only some panels need it, say which and roughly how many.

What the Office Does Next

The note and photos are on the job in the office as soon as the tech saves them. From there:

1. The office builds an estimate from your service list, such as bird proofing per panel or critter guards, using your own prices.
2. The estimate goes to the customer, who approves it online.
3. The approved estimate becomes a scheduled job, with bird proofing or critter guards listed in the extras on the job card.
4. The office can also add bird proofing to the recurring cleaning so the next tech sees it on the card.

The customer gets a clear quote with photos of their own roof. The tech never has to talk price on a ladder.

Should the Tech Mention It to the Customer?

A short, friendly mention is fine if the customer is home and asks how it went: “You have some birds nesting under the panels on the back. I took photos, and the office will send you some options.” That sets up the quote without the tech guessing at prices or promising anything. Leave the details and the numbers to the office.

What the tech should not do is install anything that was not sold. Bird proofing that is not on the card has not been priced or approved, and doing it for free sets a bad expectation for every future visit.

Why This Matters for the Business

Bird proofing turns a cleaning customer into a better customer. The panels stay cleaner between visits, the customer is happier with the cleaning, and the company earns more from the same address. On commercial arrays, a single note from the tech can lead to work across many buildings for the same property owner. None of that happens if the nest the tech saw stays in the tech's head.

It also keeps the company honest. A tech who notes every bird problem, even the small ones, gives the office an accurate picture. The office decides what is worth quoting.

Notes Are How Field Knowledge Reaches the Office

Bird and critter notes are one example of a bigger idea: the tech sees things nobody else in the company sees, and the app is how that knowledge reaches the people who can act on it. For more on writing notes that work, and for the rest of what the tech app does, visit the SolarCleaningBossPro solar cleaning app page.