PortaPottyBossPro Blog — Event Rentals & Booking

Letting Event Customers Watch the Truck: The Customer App on Delivery Day

An event host has a lot on their mind on delivery day. They want to know the units are coming, when, and that they will go in the right spot. Answering those questions by phone is a full-time job on a busy Friday. The customer app answers them before the host picks up the phone.

Where Is My Truck?

The driver's side of event day, covered in The Driver's Event Delivery Day: Venue Drops From the Driver App, produces a lot of information: which stop the truck is on, when it left, when it arrived. The customer app turns that into something the host can see for themselves.

For event customers, this matters more than for most. A contractor with a unit on a job site does not watch for the truck. An event host does. They are waiting at a venue, a park or their own backyard with a long list of things to do before the guests arrive, and the porta potties are one of the few things they cannot do themselves. Seeing the truck on its way takes that worry off the list.

Today's Route on a Live Map

On delivery day, the customer app shows the host where they are on the route, such as "You're stop 12 of 20, the crew is 5 stops away," on a live map. A wedding planner coordinating florists, caterers and a tent crew can see that the units will arrive in about an hour and plan around it. A race director can check from the start line instead of calling the office.

The office controls whether customers see the route, so you can decide how you want to use it.

Alerts the Customer Chooses

Not every customer wants the same alerts. In the customer app, customers set their own alert preferences:

• The night before the service
• When they are next on the route
• When the tech arrives

A host who wants every update turns them all on. A customer who only wants to know when the truck arrives keeps that one. These alerts work with the automatic "on the way" and "arrived" texts from the driver app, so the customer knows what is happening without calling.

Encourage event customers to set their preferences when they book, not on delivery morning. A short note in the confirmation text pointing them to the app is enough. The customers who set it up early are the ones who never need to call.

Requesting Service

During a multi-day event, the organizer may need an extra service visit or another unit. The customer app lets customers request service, and the request reaches the office so it can be scheduled. That is faster than a phone call that has to be returned, and the request is in writing.

For more on these mid-event requests, see Last-Minute Add-Ons: Handling Extra Event Porta Potties the Week of the Event.

Invoices and Payment

After the event, the host can see their invoices in the customer app and pay online. If you charged the card on file when the pickup was completed, the receipt is there too. Customers who have a question about a line can see it in front of them, which makes the conversation with the office quicker.

Event customers who rarely rent equipment appreciate seeing everything in one place: what they booked, what they paid as a deposit, any extra days and the final charge. It answers most billing questions before they turn into a phone call.

Card on File

Customers can add or update their card on file in the customer app. That is handy when you booked an event by phone and still need a card, or when a card on file has expired before the final charge. A quick text asking the customer to update their card in the app usually solves it the same day.

Signing Up for Services

The customer app also lets customers sign up for services and see your pricing. A homeowner who rented for a graduation party and later starts a remodel can sign up for a construction unit without calling. An event customer who becomes a regular customer is a good outcome.

Rate and Refer

After the event, the customer app lets the host rate the service and refer others. Event customers know other people planning events, and the refer button makes it easy for them to pass your name along. We cover this in Reviews and Referrals After an Event Porta Potty Rental.

Fewer Calls, Better Experience

The customer app does not replace good service. It makes good service visible. A host who can see the truck coming, get the alerts they want and pay from their phone has a better experience, and your office spends less time on the phone. For more on event rentals, visit the event porta potty rental software page.