GarageDoorBossPro Blog — Technician App

Helpers and Second Techs: Putting Everyone in the Van on the Garage Door Tech App

New door installs take two people. So do some commercial jobs and the occasional heavy residential door. Many garage door companies keep a helper in the install van, and many of today's lead techs started as someone's helper. The tech app should have room for them too.

Everyone Gets a PIN

Tune-ups, covered in Running Yearly Tune-Up Visits From the Garage Door Tech App, are often a one-person job. Installs usually are not.

In GarageDoorBossPro, every employee gets their own personal PIN, and each can be assigned to a van. That includes helpers. Even if the lead tech runs the call list and taps the buttons, the helper should have their own login. There are three good reasons:

• Their hours. The helper clocks in and out under their own PIN, so payroll is accurate.
• Their growth. When they are ready to run calls, nothing needs to be set up. They already have a login.
• Their access. If they leave, turning off their PIN turns off their access to codes and customer details.

Never let a helper use the lead tech's PIN. It mixes up the time clock and puts the wrong name on the work.

Who Runs the Phone on a Two-Person Call

On a two-person job, one person should be in charge of the call in the app: tapping Start, running the checklist, taking photos and tapping Complete. Usually that is the lead tech. Settle it before the day starts so you don't get two people tapping buttons on the same call, or neither.

The helper can still be useful on the phone. They can read the card aloud on the drive (“16x7, insulated steel, Bay 2, side door code in notes”), pull up navigation, and take the before photo while the lead tech looks at the door.

The Install Van

Install days look different from repair days. A typical install van might have one opener install in the morning, a $1,895 new door in the middle of the day, and a tune-up or two to close it out. With a helper on board, the day runs like this in the app:

• Both clock in at the shop under their own PINs.
• The lead tech opens the call list. The first card shows the install with equipment carried over from the approved estimate.
• The helper takes before photos of the old door from the driveway.
• The lead tech taps Start, and the arrived text goes to the homeowner.
• After the install, the lead tech records the new door and opener so they flow back to the house, runs the checklist, and the helper takes the after photos from the same spot.
• The lead tech taps Complete, and the invoice and card charge happen.

From Helper to Tech

Helpers who watch the app every day learn it without trying. When the time comes to give them a route, start small:

• Let them run the app on a few calls while the lead tech watches.
• Give them a day of tune-ups, which are predictable and checklist-driven.
• Then add simple repair calls on their own van.

The door safety checklist is a big help here. It makes sure a newer tech looks at every item on every call, and it lets the owner read what they recorded. The checklist is a record, not a training manual; your own hands-on training is still how techs learn the trade. But it makes gaps easy to spot.

Training a new tech on the app itself is covered in Training a New Garage Door Tech on the App in One Ride-Along.

Second Techs on Busy Days

Some days need a second tech on a call that usually takes one: a stuck commercial door, a heavy wood door, a job that turned out bigger than expected. The office can see from crew GPS who is nearby and move work on the dispatch board so a second tech can stop by.

The person who finishes the job is the one who should complete it in the app, with notes that mention who helped. That keeps the record clear for the office and for the next visit.

Helpers also make great second sets of eyes on the checklist. While the lead tech finishes the install, the helper can check that the remotes and keypad work the right door and that the photo-eye sensors are clear of anything stored in the garage. The lead tech still records the checklist under their own name, but two people looking means fewer things get missed.

One Team, One System

Helpers are part of the crew, and the app works best when everyone in the van uses it the same way. For the full list of tech app features and guides, visit the GarageDoorBossPro garage door technician app page.