7‑Day to Cash: A One‑Page Collections Loop (ServiceTitan • Housecall Pro • Jobber)
A printable one‑page SOP that installs a light 7‑day collections loop with exact steps for ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber — including T+0/T+2/T+5 templates, a T+7 call script, deposit and late‑fee snippets, and a mini worksheet to track “%≤7 Days.”
Use this one‑pager to move most residential invoices into a ≤7‑day window without adding headcount. Give it to techs and CSRs, stick it by the dispatch screen, and run it exactly as written for 30 days before you tweak anything.
- 1
Lock your payment & terms policy (10 minutes)
Turn on online payments (card + ACH) and add clear invoice terms. Policy snippets you can paste: Late fee — “Accounts not paid within [X] days of invoice date are subject to a [Y]% monthly late fee.” Deposits (materials‑heavy) — “For projects with special‑order parts or significant materials, a [10–50]% deposit is required to schedule. Deposits apply to the final invoice.” Confirm legality in your state and place these in your invoice template/terms.
- 2
Enable texting so links actually deliver (5 minutes)
Make sure customers can receive transactional texts from your platform. ServiceTitan: enable Customer Notifications (register texting) so SMS can send links. Housecall Pro: turn on Pay‑by‑Text and customize invoice SMS. Jobber: enable Text Messages in Emails & Text Messages Settings for invoices and reminders.
- 3
Set your rails: offer card for speed, ACH for cost (5 minutes)
Cards collect instantly but cost more; ACH settles on banking windows at lower cost. Offer both on every invoice. Add one sentence to the invoice email/SMS: “We support bank transfer (ACH) on request to reduce fees.”
- 4
Invoice in the field at job completion (T+0) — exact actions (5 minutes)
ServiceTitan: from Mobile, present/email the invoice before leaving the driveway. Housecall Pro: create/send the invoice from the job on the app as you mark complete. Jobber: convert the visit to an invoice on mobile and tap Send. Do not batch later.
- 5
Send the pay link within 5 minutes (T+0) via SMS + email
Use both channels right away. SMS (paste-ready): “Hi [First Name] — this is [Company]. Your [service] today is wrapped. Here’s your secure link to pay: [short link]. Questions? Just reply. Thank you!” Email subject: “Your invoice from [Company] — pay online.” Body: “Hi [First Name], thanks for choosing us for [service] today at [address]. Invoice #[####] totals $[amount]. Pay securely here: [link]. Prefer ACH? Reply and we’ll help.” Platform tips: ST can text secure links (Voice Agent or configured SMS). HCP: use Pay‑by‑Text. Jobber: Send by text from the invoice.
- 6
Schedule auto reminders at T+2 and T+5 (set once, then forget)
Housecall Pro: turn on automatic invoice reminders (set Day 2 and Day 5). Jobber: enable invoice reminders by email/SMS on the same cadence. ServiceTitan: use AR statements/customer notifications for Day‑2/Day‑5 nudges or send manual SMS with the invoice link. Copy you can use — T+2 SMS: “Quick reminder: invoice #[####] for $[amount] is open. Pay here: [short link]. Prefer ACH? Reply ‘ACH’ and we’ll send it.” T+5 Email subject: “Second reminder: invoice #[####] — pay online.” Body: “Hi [First Name], friendly reminder that invoice #[####] for $[amount] is still open. Pay here: [link]. If something’s off, reply and we’ll fix it.”
- 7
Make a live CSR call at T+7 (2–4 minutes each)
Talk track: “Hi [Name], this is [CSR] with [Company]. I’m calling about invoice #[####] for $[amount] from [date]. Do you have 60 seconds to take care of it now?” If yes: “Great — want the secure link by text, or should I process it on the phone? We also support ACH if you’d like to avoid card fees.” If busy: “No problem. I’ll text the link now — when’s a good time today?” If cash‑flow pushback: “We can split it: pay $[X] today and schedule the balance on [date]. Want the link for the first payment?” Stay on the line until the text arrives.
- 8
Offer ACH and split‑pay options on that call (reduce friction)
If they hesitate over card fees, offer ACH. If cash is tight, schedule a short plan (e.g., 50% today, 50% in 7–14 days) right in your platform. Card‑on‑file helps: HCP can request/save a card by SMS/email; Jobber supports automatic payments on stored methods; ServiceTitan memberships and saved methods can auto‑bill.
- 9
Escalate kindly but firmly: T+14 policy, T+30 handoff
T+14: apply your late‑fee or lock a dated payment plan in writing (email/SMS confirmation). T+30: escalate per policy — final notice, then collections or small‑claims for edge cases. Keep tone factual and transactional; document every contact on the job/invoice.
- 10
Use deposits on materials‑heavy work so finals are small and fast
For jobs with expensive/special‑order parts, collect a 10–50% deposit at booking/approval. ServiceTitan: use Deposit/Prepayment workflows. Housecall Pro and Jobber: add deposits on estimates/quotes that apply to the final invoice. Fewer disputes; faster final payment.
- 11
Put recurring/memberships on card‑on‑file autopay
Eliminate reminders for plans and repeat services. Jobber: turn on Automatic Payments for recurring jobs. ServiceTitan: process recurring membership billing using saved payment methods (with renewal protection). Housecall Pro: request/save a card on file for scheduled services.
- 12
Track one number weekly: % collected ≤7 days
Formula: “%≤7 Days” = (count of invoices fully paid within 7 calendar days of invoice date ÷ total invoices issued in the last 14 days) × 100. Where to pull: Jobber — Payments list export (include Invoice Date & Paid Date). HCP — Invoices list + payments export. ServiceTitan — AR Management + Payments exports. Pull every Friday; review Tuesday in a 10‑minute huddle.
- 13
Run the loop for 30 days, then tune one bottleneck
Post your %≤7 Days goal on the board. Each Tuesday ask: “Which step blocked last week’s invoices?” Fix exactly one thing (e.g., shorten the T+0 SMS, tighten techs’ in‑field invoicing, or add ACH instructions) and re‑run the loop.