Skimmer product updates

Hey Pool Deck,If you've ever finished a job, checked your phone, and seen a missed call from a number you don't recognize, you already know the problem this solves. That caller didn't leave a voicemail. They called someone else. AI phone was built to make sure that doesn't happen again.It's 24/7 call answering built directly into Skimmer. When you can't get to the phone — because you're changing a filter, driving between stops, or it's 9pm on a Saturday — it picks up. It answers using your real business data, handles the call the way you'd want it handled, and logs everything back into your account automatically.Our in-house expert @CShalli created this video that walks you through how AI phone works.   Here's everything it can do: 🏊 Pool-specific knowledgeTrained on pool industry knowledge — chemical readings, equipment types, service terminology, and seasonal patterns Recognizes your customers, your services, and how your business works  Custom knowledge layer: add your specific pricing, service areas, and procedures Auto-categorizes and summarizes every call so you can scan at a glance what needs action📞 Call handlingWorks through your existing phone number — no new number needed Missed calls mode(recommended): your phone rings first, AI phone picks up if you don't answer All calls mode: every inbound call goes to AI phone first  24/7 availability — nights, weekends, holidays, peak season🔀 Call transfersYou can set up to 10 routing rules to escalate calls to the right person based on call type Before connecting, AI phone lets you know who's calling and why.🧠 Customer intelligenceRecognizes existing customers by number and greets them by name Captures new lead info automatically — name, contact, pool type, reason for calling — and creates a lead in Skimmer Email alerts after every new caller so you can follow up fast⚙️ Setup and controlLive in under 30 minutes using your existing Skimmer data and website Choose whether the agent identifies itself as AI or not. Pick your agent's name and voice Block spam numbers, listen back to any call, adjust anytime Getting started takes about 5 minutes. Log into Skimmer, go to AI Phone, and the setup wizard walks you through the rest.Skimmer customers on a paid plan can also try it free for 30 days — but the free trial offer closes June 1st. After that, it’s $99/month at our launch price.We'd love to hear what you think in the comments.   

March is a big one. We launched mobile quotes, service credits, a new lead capture form, organization management for multi-company operators, and a whole lot more. Whether you're running a single crew or managing multiple locations, there's something here that'll make your day-to-day a little smoother. Here's what's new: Mobile quotes You can now create and send quotes directly from the Skimmer mobile app. Build a quote on-site, present it to the customer, collect their signature on your screen, and send — all before you leave the job. Quotes can go straight to the customer or route through the office for review first, depending on your permissions setup. Available on Scaling up and Enterprise plans and must have the latest version of the mobile app. Learn more here →  Service credits You can now issue formal service credits directly in Skimmer. Whether it's an overcharge, a missed visit, or a goodwill gesture, service credits give you a clean, documented way to make the correction — with line items, tax calculations, a stated reason, and automatic QuickBooks sync as a credit memo. Service credits also now appear in the customer statement report, so you have a complete picture of every customer's billing history in one place.Learn more here →  Lead form  There's now a public-facing form on your Customer Portal where prospects can submit their contact and address info to request service. When someone fills it out, a Lead record is created in Skimmer automatically and you get an email notification right away. Enable it in Settings > Customer Portal.Learn more here →  Organization management Pool service companies that operate multiple Skimmer accounts can now manage users across all of them from one place. Org admins can grant a single user access to multiple companies, set their role per company, and switch between companies without logging out. Contact support@getskimmer.com to learn more. Jobs updates  Two updates to jobs this month. First, you can now create a job manually without needing an approved quote first — useful for work that comes in outside of the quoting workflow. Second, the job listing page now shows suspended and past due status next to customer names, so your team can spot account issues at a glance before heading out. Surcharging — no more waiting period If your business is eligible for surcharging, you can now enable it immediately. The previous waiting period of 30 days has been removed, so there's no delay between applying and being able to use it. CRM enhancements — activity feed updates The customer activity feed keeps getting more complete. Admins can now view broadcast emails, jobs, work orders, and route assignments directly in the feed. You can also view and edit service notes from the activity feed, and service notes have been backfilled so historical entries are visible too.Learn more here →  Manufacturing ID on products  There's now a manufacturing ID field when adding or editing a product in Skimmer. Helpful for keeping your catalog organized and matching products to supplier records. Public API update Enterprise customers using Skimmer's public API can now update work orders via the API.Learn more here → https://devportal.getskimmer.com/ As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android That’s all for March’s updates. Keep an eye out next month — we’ve got a packed lineup coming your way to keep you in the loop on everything Skimmer. 🚀🚀 

Hey Pool Deck community,We've heard this one a lot: you spot a repair need in the field, but by the time a quote makes it back to the customer, the moment's gone. We've been working on that.Mobile Quotes is now live in Skimmer. You can now build a complete quote from your phone — right there on-site — and either send it to your office for review, or hand your phone to the customer and get their signature on the spot. See it in action — if you run the business solo  See it in action — if you have a back office or scheduler  Here's what you can do:Create quotes from the Route Dashboard, a Route Stop, or a Customer Profile Add line items, pricing, and pull photos from your camera roll (new!) or take one on the spot Apply discounts and set deposit requirements Send quotes to the back office for approval (if needed) Or send directly to customers and capture signatures on-device Work offline and sync when the connection returns  Admins, you're in control of who can do what - Under Settings > Roles & Permissions, you'll set at least one of two permission levels to your existing tech roles: "Can view and build quotes in app" — the tech builds and sends to the office for review. You approve, then send to the customer. "Send for customer approval in app" — the tech can send directly to the customer or capture their signature on-device.Note: Mobile Quotes is included in the Scaling Up and Skimmer for Enterprise plans. Make sure your team is on Skimmer Pro v 12.12 or higher. Why it matters Capture more repair revenue while the customer is ready — when the issue is right in front of them, timing is everything. Quote it on the spot and move the conversation forward before the moment passes. Cut the back-and-forth — no more calling the office, texting photos, or waiting until the end of day. Everything gets handled in the moment, with all the details already included. Speed up quote-to-cash — quotes go out faster, approvals happen sooner, and work gets scheduled. The whole process moves more quickly whether you route through the office or send directly from the field. Keep control where you want it — you decide who can send quotes directly and who needs approval first. Roll it out cautiously or empower your closers from day one. Who's been waiting on this one? Drop a comment below — we want to hear how you're planning to use it, and what you'd want us to add next. Ready to start using quotes in the field? Check out your Mobile Quotes toolkit below:Help article Getting started guide See it in action — if you run the business solo See it in action — if you have a back office or scheduler 

 Managing leads has always been one of those things that falls through the cracks when you're running a busy service business. A prospect calls while you're on a route, leaves a voicemail, and by the time you get back to them, they've already moved on. Or they fill out a contact form on your website and the details end up in an email inbox nobody checks until Friday.We wanted to fix that. So we built a public lead form that lives directly on your Customer Portal. What's includedA branded form hosted on your Customer Portal URL, with your company logo Captures name, email, phone, address, and an optional message Uses your customized lead sources so you can track where new business is coming from Creates a lead record in Skimmer automatically when submitted Sends you an instant email notification with the prospect's details and a link to their record If the prospect is already a customer, their message gets added to their existing record instead of creating a duplicate Built-in spam protection running silently in the background How to turn it onGo to Settings > Customer Portal Toggle on "Enable new customer form," and copy the form URL. Share it wherever prospects might find you — your website, social profiles, email signature, wherever.A few things to knowYour Customer Portal needs to be active with a configured subdomain before the form will work. If you haven't set that up yet, start there. Duplicate detection requires an exact match — small differences in how an address or email is entered can create a new record instead of matching an existing one. Worth keeping an eye on as leads come in. The form creates a customer and service location automatically, but not a pool record. You'll need to add that manually once you're ready to move the lead forward. If you want to embed the form on your website, you can do that via iframe for now. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Drop any questions in the comments below. 

We just launched service credits — and if you've ever manually adjusted an invoice, created a negative line item, or jumped into QuickBooks just to fix a billing mistake, this is going to make your life easier. What's a service credit?A service credit is how you issue a credit to a customer without touching cash. Think of it as a reverse invoice — it corrects the revenue in your books without requiring a refund or reopening a closed period. It's different from an account credit, which is for prepayments. Service credits are for corrections, missed services, goodwill gestures, and promotions. How it works:Create a service credit from the customer's billing page, add your line items (same structure as an invoice), pick a reason, and you're done. The credit gets added to the customer's account balance and automatically applies to their next invoice. If you're connected to QuickBooks Online, it syncs over as a credit memo — no double entry.One tip: when you're creating the credit, select the same item you're crediting the customer for. Crediting them for a missed pool service? Pick pool service. This keeps everything routing to the right place in your chart of accounts. What's included:Line item support with quantities, rates, and taxable/non-taxable settings Reason categories: overcharge, service issue, billing error, goodwill, referral, or other Automatic tax calculation using the service location's tax rate Credits apply to the customer's account balance and auto-apply to their next invoice QuickBooks sync as a credit memo — no manual entry on either side Reflected in your sales tax reports (accrual and cash basis)***Works for promotions too. Running a "first month 50% off" deal? Create a service credit when the customer signs up and it'll auto-apply to their first invoice. No need to remember to add it later.A few things to know:Customers get an email when the credit is created, and a receipt when it's applied to an invoice — they'll see it on there. If an invoice already went out before you created the credit, it won't auto-apply to that one. You'll need to apply it manually, or it'll roll to the next invoice automatically. Service credits and account credits merge into one balance. They're used first-in, first-out — but practically speaking, it all just works as one bucket.Not sure whether to use a service credit or an account credit?Here are a couple of quick examples:A customer paid for the whole year upfront and you're holding that balance for future invoices → account credit Your tech missed a visit and you want to make it right without issuing a refund → service credit Drop any questions below — happy to help!

In February, we launched multi-tech work orders, a Heritage Pool Supply integration, CRM enhancements, reporting upgrades, and more. These enhancements help growing teams coordinate more efficiently, keep data accurate, and get a clearer picture of their business. Here’s what’s new: Heritage + Skimmer Integration  Connect your Heritage Pool Supply account directly to Skimmer to keep your product catalog automatically accurate. Your most-purchased products sync nightly from your selected Heritage branch, so when costs change, your pricing stays up to date without manual updates.Learn more here -> Multi-tech work orders  You can now assign multiple technicians to a single work order, making it easier to manage equipment installs, major repairs, and any job that needs more than one set of hands. Each tech gets their own instructions and time allocation, while the lead tech retains full control over readings, chemicals, and completion. All work rolls into a single service record and invoice when the job is done. NOTE: Available on Scaling Up and Skimmer for Enterprise plans.Learn more here → Customer Relationship Management (CRM) enhancements  Manage your full customer lifecycle directly in Skimmer. Segment customers by status (Lead, Active, or Inactive), track where new customers are coming from with lead source tracking, and view a complete activity timeline on each customer's detail page. Leads automatically convert to active customers when a quote or job is created.Note: The activity feed is currently available on web only.Learn more here→ Reporting updates Several reports including Sales by Category, Income by Category, Voided Invoice Summary, Quotes with Related Invoices, and Payment Methods on File have been upgraded with a new look, better export options, and additional filter. The legacy versions of these reports will be removed on March 19, 2026. No functionality is being removed, just a cleaner experience with more ways to export and filter your data. Payment history page update  When viewing the payment history page, clicking "View Invoice" will now redirect to a hosted invoice page where you can download a PDF copy. The options to send by email or print directly from this page have been removed, as the downloadable PDF covers those needs. As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android That’s all for February’s updates. Keep an eye out next month — we’ve got a packed lineup coming your way to keep you in the loop on everything Skimmer. 🚀🚀   

Until now, Skimmer didn't have a clear way to distinguish between potential and active customers. Leads, inactive accounts, and current customers were all on the same list, with no easy way to tell them apart or track how they got there. These new enhancements change that. Customer status and lead tracking You can now segment customers by status: Lead, Active, or Inactive. This makes it easier to manage your pipeline, follow up on prospects, and keep your customer list organized.When you add a new contact who isn't a customer yet, you can mark them as a Lead. You can track where they came from using lead sources, helping you understand which marketing or referral channels are actually driving new business. Leads automatically convert to Active when a quote or job is created, so your data stays accurate without extra manual steps. You can also bulk-update statuses directly from the customer listing. Customer activity feed Each customer's detail page now includes an activity feed — a centralized timeline of every interaction in Skimmer. Quotes, invoices, payments, and customer portal invites all show up in one place, in chronological order. And this is just the beginning — we'll be adding more activity types to the feed as we continue rolling out new capabilities.This is especially useful when you need a quick read on a customer's history without jumping between different parts of the app. A few things to know about the activity feed: It's currently available on web only.  You can have up to 10 lead sources per company. These updates are available to all Skimmer customers.This is just the start of how we're building out customer management in Skimmer. We'd love to hear what's working and what you'd like to see next. Share your thoughts in the comments. 

If you buy from Heritage Pool Supply, you now have a simpler way to keep product costs and details up to date in Skimmer.With the new Heritage Product Integration, you can connect your Heritage account to Skimmer and automatically sync key product information for the items you buy most. Instead of manually checking prices or updating costs when Heritage makes changes, Skimmer handles it for you.NOTE: You'll need a Heritage Pool+ account to use this integration.  Want to see it in action? Watch the walk-through video below.  Here's what it means for your business:Your most frequently purchased Heritage products can be pulled directly into your Skimmer catalog Product names, descriptions, and costs sync nightly(11:59 pm) from your selected Heritage home branch When costs change, Skimmer updates them so your pricing stays accurate automatically You choose which products stay linked and which ones you manage manually This launch focuses on keeping product information accurate and cutting down manual catalog work. We’re actively building toward deeper Heritage functionality, including inventory visibility and ordering directly from Skimmer, as part of our ongoing partnership. Getting started is simpleConnect using your Heritage customer ID and API key, select your home branch and Skimmer will pull in your 75 most-purchased Heritage products based on your actual order history. From there, you can match products to your existing catalog or import new ones. Questions or feedback? Drop them below — we’re happy to help.  

Let’s talk about multi-tech jobs for a second.If you’re running installs, major repairs, or any job that needs more than one tech, you probably know the drill: duplicate work orders, schedule changes that require three updates, texts flying back and forth to confirm who’s actually showing up, and service records scattered across multiple jobs.It adds up fast. And it pulls time away from actually running the business.You’ve been asking for a better way to coordinate crews, and now it’s here. With multi-tech work orders in Skimmer, you can assign multiple technicians to a single work order, making it easier to handle equipment replacements, major repairs, and any job that needs more than one set of hands.NOTE: The Multi-tech work orders feature is included in the Scaling Up and Skimmer for Enterprise plans What’s new:Take on bigger jobs with confidenceAssign your entire crew to one work order. Everyone can see who’s on the job, what they’re responsible for, and when they need to be there. No more guessing if everyone’s aligned.Finish complex work in fewer visitsWhen coordination is easier, work gets done faster. Jobs that used to take multiple trips can often be wrapped up in one. Better for your schedule, better for your customers.Cut down on office timeSchedule once. Need to move the job? Shift the whole crew in seconds. Need to swap a tech? Change one assignment without reworking everything. Less admin, fewer headaches.Keep records cleanAll work rolls into a single service history entry and one invoice. When you need to review the job or explain it to a customer, everything’s in one place instead of spread across multiple work orders.How it worksAssign a full tech and up to 8 crew techs to any work order. Each person gets their own instructions and time allocation. The full tech oversees the finishing of the job and handles readings, chemicals, and parts. Crew techs can add their own work notes without accidentally finishing the job or modifying critical details.Everything works on both web and mobile, with full offline support. When the job's done, you get one service record and one invoice.Check out the walkthrough video below to see it in action:  Want to learn more? Click the links below to get startedNow we’re curious:What kind of jobs are you most excited to use multi-tech work orders for? Let us know in the comments!!

In January, we rolled out several updates designed to support growing pool businesses—especially teams taking on larger jobs, managing more technicians, and needing clearer visibility across operations. This release focuses on better collaboration, more control, and improved reporting, all while keeping everyday workflows simple. Here’s what’s new: Consumer financing You can now offer customers flexible payment options directly within Skimmer. Consumer financing helps remove friction at checkout and makes it easier for customers to move forward on larger repairs or installs without changing how you manage billing or payments.Learn more here-> Advanced roles and permissions As teams grow, access control matters more. Advanced roles and permissions give you greater control over who can view, create, or manage different parts of Skimmer, helping keep responsibilities clear across office and field teams.Learn more here→ Enhanced work order creation and finish experience We’ve redesigned how work orders are created, updated, and finished to make them faster and easier to manage. You can now add items, photos, and instructions throughout the lifecycle of a work order, track item status more clearly, and complete jobs with better accuracy from both Schedule and the Route Dashboard.These updates lay the groundwork for a bigger improvement to Work Orders→ Multi-Tech Work Orders.Coming on Monday, Feb 9. Learn more here→ Reporting improvements We are continuing to improve the reporting experience in Skimmer. These new updates bring more flexibility and clarity. New filters let you view data by item, technician, customer, and service type, while visual indicators make it easier to understand what’s happening at a glance. These updates are especially helpful for tracking installs and technician commissions. All reports are now accessible from a single Reports page.  Billing Reports have moved into this new hub, and the old Billing > Billing Reports link will be removed on February 12. Public API updatesYou can now search customers by phone number or email and create work orders directly through the API, making integrations more powerful and reliable. As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android That’s it for January’s roundup. Keep an eye out next month — we’ve got a packed lineup coming your way to keep you in the loop on everything Skimmer. 🚀🚀  

Quick question: Have you ever wished you could give someone almost admin access… without actually making them an admin? For a long time, Skimmer had two main role levels: Admin and Tech. That worked well for smaller teams. But as businesses grow, roles get more nuanced. Maybe you’ve got a repair contractor who doesn’t need to see billing data. Or a senior tech who needs more access than the rest of the crew. Forcing everyone into one of two boxes starts to feel limiting fast, so it became clear we needed a better way to match access to how teams actually work. Why this matters for your growing businessWith advanced roles and permissions, you can now control exactly what each team member can see and do across both desktop and mobile. There are over 100 individual permissions you can toggle on or off, covering everything from customers and routes to invoices, reports, settings, and more.   Curious what that looks like in practice? Check out the walkthrough video below to see it in action:   Here's how it works:Start with one of six default roles (like Admin, Tech, Route Manager, or Billing Specialist) and use them as-is, or duplicate and customize them to fit your team.  NOTE: You can also create unlimited custom roles with any name and access level that makes sense for your business. You can delete any role whenever you choose to. Assign roles to existing users to expand or limit access as needed. Update roles over time as responsibilities change NOTE: When updating roles or permissions, it’s a good idea to let your team know what’s changing and why. A quick heads-up helps avoid confusion and makes it clear when access has been intentionally updated. Good news: nothing changes on day one. Current legacy admins and techs keep the same access they have today, and you can start customizing when it makes sense for your team. We’ve put together this 👉 permissions help sheet that organizes each permission by category, so you can review what’s available before you start.  Want the full setup details?Read the help article → Now we want to hear from you: Which role on your team could benefit most from more tailored access?And if you’ve got questions, drop them in the comments. Chances are someone else is wondering the same thing, and we’ll answer them here so everyone can benefit. 

During our recent webinar, hundreds of pool pros joined us to learn how Consumer Financing powered by Sunbit can help close more jobs and speed up payments. The questions that followed were practical, thoughtful, and right on point. Below, we’ve pulled together the most common questions we heard and answered them clearly so you can decide if and when financing makes sense for your business. Do I need to use Skimmer Payments?Yes. Consumer Financing is integrated directly with Skimmer's invoicing and payment tools as a payment method. How does financing work with deposits?Consumer Financing works with your existing deposit workflow, and there are two common ways pool pros use it.Option 1: Customer pays the deposit, finances the remainderIf you require a deposit, the customer can pay that portion using a standard payment method (card, ACH, etc.). When the final invoice is sent, they can choose Consumer Financing to pay the remaining balance over time.Option 2: Customer finances the full job across invoicesIf you split a job into a deposit invoice and a final invoice, the customer can choose Consumer Financing for each invoice. This means they may apply for financing more than once, but each application is fast, and they can select available payment plans each time.In both cases, financing follows your existing invoicing structure. You don’t need to change how you quote or bill — customers simply choose how they want to pay when each invoice is due. Can my customers pre-qualify before I send a quote or invoice?Yes. You can send them this link: https://apply.sunbit.com/YourPoolPro-gv466urt Who pays the 5.5% fee?The pool pro. The fee cannot be passed on to the customer. Are there any other monthly or setup fees?No. There are no setup fees, integration fees, or monthly fees. Is there an additional processing fee(credit card or ACH) in addition to the Sunbit fee?No. Sunbit transactions only include the 5.5% financing fee. Can I charge different prices based on payment method?No. Financing rules do not allow adding surcharges, price increases, or different pricing when a customer chooses Sunbit. What interest rates do customers pay?Rates vary based on creditworthiness and range from 0% to 35.99%. Can customers use 0% financing for different milestones on a larger job?Yes, in many cases. Customers can have multiple Sunbit loans at the same time. They do not need to pay off an existing loan before applying again. If a customer is approved, each new loan issued includes access to the 3-month 0% interest option, even if another Sunbit payment plan is already in progress.For example, a customer could finance a $3,000 phase of an $8, 000 project using the 3-month 0% plan, then apply again for financing on the next phase and receive another 3-month 0% option if approved. Is 0% interest available?Yes. Every approved customer has access to a 3-month 0% APR option. Can the 0% plan be extended beyond 3 months?No. The 0% interest option applies only to the 3-month plan. Longer plans, up to 18 months, include interest. How long can customers pay over time?Payment plans range from 3 to 18 months. What is the minimum and maximum amount that can be financed?Sunbit supports invoices from $60 up to $20,000. Can I choose which jobs or invoices offer financing?No. The pay over time option appears automatically on all eligible quotes and quote-based invoices.  When do I get paid?Once your customer submits a payment through Sunbit, payment is initiated. Funds typically arrive within 1–5 business days, depending on your bank, similar to other payment methods. Does Skimmer share my ACH or bank information with Sunbit?No. Sunbit payments run through the same tool(Skimmer) you already use. Your bank and payout information stays within Skimmer and Sunbit payments are included in your existing payouts just like card or ACH payments. What happens if the customer doesn’t pay Sunbit?You are still paid in full. Sunbit handles all customer repayment and collections. Does Sunbit run a hard credit check?No. Only a soft credit check is used during the application process. Is pre-approval tied to the deposit amount?No. Pre-approval is not tied to the quote or deposit amount. What if I need to issue a refund?Refunds follow Skimmer’s existing refund process and are coordinated with Sunbit. Where does the financing option appear?On quotes and invoices created from quotes or jobs. Does the customer still need a payment method on file?It depends on your settings. A payment method may be required to approve the quote, but when it’s time to pay the invoice, the customer can choose to use Sunbit instead. What types of work can be financed?Any invoice created from a quote or job, including labor, repairs, equipment, and upgrades. Can I use this for retail sales like hot tubs?Yes, as long as those transactions are quoted and invoiced through Skimmer. Why can’t I pass the Sunbit fee to customers if I can surcharge credit cards?Financing fees follow different rules from credit card payments. Sunbit fees cannot be passed on to customers, regardless of state surcharging laws. Can I turn Consumer Financing on or off?Yes. You can enable or disable it at any time, but it can’t be controlled per customer or per invoice. If you’re curious how Consumer Financing could fit into your workflow, the best next step is to learn more and see how it works in practice. We’ve put together detailed guidance to walk you through when to use financing, how to present it to customers, and what to expect once it’s enabled.If you’re already using Skimmer for invoicing and payments and want help getting started, or if you’re still billing outside Skimmer and want to understand what’s required, our Payments team is here to help you think it through and decide what makes sense for your business.Ready to learn more? Check out the links below:Help article Consumer financing toolkitTalk to an expertBook time with a Skimmer Payments expert to discuss eligibility, setup, and best practices 

We've completely revamped how you create, edit, and finish work orders on web—making the whole process smoother and more intuitive. These changes make work orders easier to manage from start to finish, reduce back-and-forth, and give techs clearer context before they ever arrive on site. What's new:Managing product and itemsAdd products, parts, chemicals, or other items right when you’re creating a work order. See product prices and quantities at a glance. Mark items as installed or uninstalled, even on finished work orders. Get clearer visibility into item status, like shopping list, purchased, or installed. Streamlined workflowChecklist items are now visible at every stage of the work order. Drag and drop photos while creating work orders.  Clearer communication between back office and field techs A new optional tech instructions field is available and visible to techs on mobile. Layouts have been refined in the service history and the route dashboard.  What’s next?This update lays the groundwork for something a lot of our customers have been asking for. In about two weeks, you’ll be able to assign multiple techs to a single work order without splitting jobs or creating workarounds. Watch out for more details on that soon.As always, do leave a comment and tell us how these changes will make your work orders easier to manage :)   

Your customers should not always have to choose between their pool and their wallet, so we’ve made it easier for them. Skimmer is now the first pool service software to offer built-in Consumer Financing, giving your customers flexible monthly payment plans for high-cost jobs, right from the quotes you already send.We’ve partnered with Sunbit, the leader in pay over time financing, to bring fast, transparent, and flexible payment plans into your workflow. There’s no extra app. No paperwork. Just a seamless option to give your customers more flexibility and bring your business more revenue. Whether it’s a $ 2,000 pump replacement or a $10,000 resurfacing job, Consumer Financing makes it easier for your customers to say “yes” and helps you close more high-value work without chasing payments.Consumer financing is available in all U.S. states other than Vermont, West Virginia, and US territories, but some restrictions may apply.**This feature is included in the scaling up and Skimmer for enterprise plans Here’s what this means for your business:Get paid faster. You’re paid in full the next business day—no more waiting, partial payments, or follow-up calls. Close more jobs. Your customers are 2.5x more likely to approve the work when financing is offered early. Upsell bigger repairs. When monthly payments replace a large lump sum, your customers are more open to upgrades. Repair sizes can increase 3x or more. Protect your margins. Financing gives you flexibility without offering discounts—so you keep your pricing intact. Stand out. Most pool pros don’t offer this yet. Differentiate your business from the competition And your customers?They get fast, stress-free approvals with no hard credit checks and true 0% interest offers*—plus the ability to handle big repairs without putting off the job. Financing helps them feel in control and confident in moving forward. To help you roll this out with confidence, we’ve also put together the Sunbit–Skimmer Pool Pro Success Hub—your go-to place for talk tracks, marketing materials, training, and FAQs. How it works: Head over to Settings->Payments→ Accept Consumer Financing to get started.  Once that is enabled, your customer will see a new “Sunbit pay over time” option, when you send a quote, If they choose it, they complete a quick, 30-second application with no hard credit check, and you get paid immediately after marking the job complete, while they pay Sunbit over time, with plans ranging from 3 to 18 months. Plus, there’s no risk of recourse if the customer doesn’t pay, and Sunbit handles the collections process so you don’t have to.  You can also share a pre-approval link directly in quotes. This lets your customers check what they qualify for before you even start the job, making approvals smoother and helping you close work faster.  And to make things even easier, Skimmer shows you which customers are already pre-approved—and for how much—so you can walk into every job with clarity and confidence.  NOTE: Consumer financing is available only through quotes and can only be used for invoices that come from quotes and jobsWant to learn more? These links are a great place to start:Read the help article for setup details and FAQs Watch the webinar recap: Win More Jobs with Flexible Payments *3- month 0% APR plans for all approved customers. 6- through 18-month plans with interest are also available. Subject to approval based on creditworthiness. Account openings and payment activity are reported to a major credit bureau. Loans are made by Transportation Alliance Bank, Inc., dba TAB Bank, which determines qualifications for and terms of credit. 

In December, we launched a new way to handle customers with overdue invoices, instant payouts, updates to quotes and invoices, and more. These improvements focus on clearer visibility, smoother navigation, and better alignment between billing and field operations. Here’s your full monthly roundup: Managing customers with overdue invoicesYou now have a better way to prevent accidental service when a customer falls behind on payment. Customers with overdue invoices can be suspended to pause service Suspended stops are automatically skipped, and techs will see a clear “Suspended” tag in the mobile app. Techs need to be on the latest version of the mobile app for suspended stops to show correctly. Routes and billing stay aligned without manual cleanup or guessworkLearn more here:  Instant payouts Receive funds within 30 minutes instead of waiting for standard payout timing. It works 24/7, including weekends and holidays,  There’s a 1% fee each time you use it, but standard payouts remain the same and incur no additional cost.Learn more here:  InvoicesInvoice listing pages now remember filters and page position You can attach a PDF copy of an invoice directly to invoice emailsLearn more here:  QuotesQuote listing pages now remember your filters and page position, so when you open a quote and come back to the list, you’ll land exactly where you left off. This makes it easier to work through longer quote lists without starting over each time.  Reporting improvementsThe new reporting updates focus on giving you more detail and clearer visibility.The installed items report now supports filtering by specific installed item with visual indicators that show item type and work order type at a glance and a new quantity column that shows how many of each item were installed. Payouts report now includes instant payouts and payouts in transit PDF exports across reports now support up to 1,000 rows The new payments collected report now combines the old payments collected summary and detail reports into a single, clean, easy-to-use view. You can quickly see totals collected, refunded, and net, then jump into detailed payment-level data with better filters for customers, payment types, refunds, and methods. Public API You can now pull full details for an individual work order through the API, making it easier to access complete work order information when using integrations or external tools.As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android  That’s all for this December’s updates. Keep an eye out next month — we’ve got a packed lineup coming your way to keep you in the loop on everything Skimmer. 🚀🚀 

You can now send your invoices with a PDF attached, making life a lot easier if you work with commercial customers or anyone who needs a file they can upload into their own systems.When you send invoices—one at a time or in bulk—you’ll see a new checkbox that lets you include a PDF attachment. You can also turn this on in auto-invoicing settings, so every invoice that goes out automatically includes a PDF. CHECK OUT THIS INTERACTIVE DEMO TO SEE IT IN ACTION This update makes it easier to work with customers who need PDFs for their accounting or ERP systems, and it saves you time by reducing those follow-up requests for a separate copy. It also keeps your billing process consistent whether you’re sending invoices manually or through auto-invoicing, giving you a simple, reliable way to deliver the info your customers expect.As always, please leave your questions or feedback in the comments and we’ll be available to help. 

We just released a new automation that helps you protect your time, your routes, and your bottom line. When a customer’s invoices go overdue by a threshold you choose, they can now automatically be marked as Suspended 🚫 and you can skip their stop until payment is received.This applies retroactively the moment you enable it, so your current overdue customers are handled right away.  What’s new Automatic suspensions based on overdue invoices: Admins can set the number of days before service is suspended (default is 30; adjustable 1–99days) to match your billing policy. Once a customer hits that threshold, Skimmer automatically flags them as suspended and stops adding them to daily routes. Clear communication to customers: When a customer becomes suspended, they are sent an automatic email explaining why service stopped, with direct links to their overdue invoices so they can fix the issue quickly. Flexibility for customers you trust: If you have a trusted commercial client or a customer on special terms, you can mark them as Do Not Suspend, so service continues even if they fall behind. Updated customer dashboard: Anywhere you view customers within Skimmer, you’ll now see a clear Suspended🚫 label instead of “Past Due.” We’ve also added a new filter so admins can instantly see all suspended accounts—making collections follow-up a whole lot easier. Route impact for technicians in the field: Suspended stops are automatically skipped, and techs will see a clear “Suspended” tag in the mobile app. The stop also stays visible in service history as Skipped — Customer Suspended for full documentation. If a tech gets approval to service anyway, they can manually un-skip the stop. Once payment is made and the account is reinstated, the customer reappears in the route on the next sync, no extra admin work required. NOTETechs need to be on the latest version of the mobile app for suspended stops to show correctly. Suspension changes apply during daily route generation. If you suspend a customer after routes are created, that update will take effect the next day or the next time the tech syncs. The “Suspended” label, though, will show right away after sync for visibility.How does this help your business?This update removes all the guesswork around overdue customers. No more mental checklists, no more deleting stops, and no more technicians accidentally servicing accounts that haven’t paid. Now you can save time, reduce mistakes, and protect revenue that might otherwise slip through the cracks. Want to set it up?You can enable auto-suspension and configure your overdue threshold right from the web app by going to Settings->Invoices->Overdue Invoices. Once it’s enabled, Skimmer handles the rest. You can also learn more about how it works by visiting our help centre link here → If you haven’t set up Skimmer Payments yet, this is a great time to get started—online payments make it easier for customers to clear overdue invoices. And if you already use Payments but want help fine-tuning your suspension settings or tightening up your collections workflow, we’ve got you covered too. You can book time with our Payments team anytime using this link. 

We’re introducing instant payouts to give you a faster way to access your money when timing really matters. Instead of waiting for standard settlement times, you’ll now have the option to move your funds to your bank within 30 minutes. It works 24/7, including weekends and holidays, so you can get paid faster whenever you need it.Only card payments qualify for instant payouts — ACH payouts will still follow their normal processing timeline. How it worksInstant Payouts show up automatically once your account has been on Skimmer Payments for 90 days and you’ve processed at least $2,000 in total payments. When you qualify, the instant payout option appears automatically on your owner's dashboard page under the payouts section. You can request instant payouts 24/7, including weekends and holidays, and funds typically appear in the associated bank account within 30 minutes. There’s a 1% fee each time you use it, but standard payouts stay the same and cost nothing extra. You can use instant payouts up to two times per day, and each payout can be up to $9,999. Only owners have access to instant payouts.NOTE: Most instant transfers land within minutes, but timing can vary a bit depending on your bank.We hope this gives you a little more flexibility during busy weeks or after big jobs. If you have any more questions, feel free to drop a comment here. We’re happy to help.!-->

November’s releases includes key upgrades across the public API, stronger password security, new product catalog improvements, and a new mobile app update. Here’s your full monthly roundup: Product catalog enhancementsWe’ve made a few updates to keep product details more accurate and easier to work with.Product cost now syncs with QuickBooks Online and is automatically added when you create a quote. We’ve also added limits to cost and price fields to help prevent entry mistakes. Updated API access for products and invoicesThe API now includes product cost data and supports retrieving and searching invoices, providing you with more complete and accurate information for your integrations.The public API is included in the Skimmer for Enterprise plan Updated password securityPassword requirements have been strengthened to better protect your account. New passwords need to meet updated rules, and Skimmer now gives clearer guidance if a password doesn’t meet the standards, so it’s easier to create a strong, acceptable password the first time. These updates apply when creating or resetting a password. Mobile app update (version 12.8.2)To help prevent accidental actions in the field, technicians will now see a confirmation step before finishing or unskipping a route stop or work order. This extra prompt keeps your customer notifications accurate and helps avoid unintended completions.As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android  That’s all for this month’s updates. Keep an eye out next month — we’ve got a packed lineup coming your way to keep you in the loop on everything Skimmer. 🚀🚀  

Surcharging lets you offset credit card processing fees directly to customers who choose to pay by credit card, instead of absorbing the entire cost yourself. It’s a common practice across service businesses, and with the right notice and setup, it helps you stay compliant while keeping your prices steady.Learn how surcharging works, where it’s allowed, and what to consider before adding it to your business. If you’re getting ready to roll out surcharging to your customers, we’ve also put together a step-by-step implementation guide that covers rules, best practices, customer notice requirements, and what changes in Skimmer once you turn surcharging on. It’s a great place to start before sending any communications out to your customers. Guide to implementing surcharging in your pool service business Informing your customers about upcoming surchargesTo make communication easier, here are ready-to-use templates for a full 60/30/3-day notice plan, plus an invoice note you can use during your first billing cycles. You can copy, paste, and customize any of these for your business.60-day notice emailSubject: Heads up about a small update to credit card paymentsHi [Customer name],We’re reaching out early to let you know about a small change coming to how we process credit card payments. Beginning [Effective Date], a 3% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions. This helps us cover rising processing costs while keeping our service running smoothly.You can still avoid the fee anytime by paying with ACH, debit card, or check.We’ll send reminders as we get closer, but we wanted to give you plenty of time to plan. If you have any questions, just let us know.Thanks,[Your business name] 30-day notice emailSubject: Reminder: Credit card surcharges start soonHi [Customer name],This is a quick reminder that starting [Effective Date], a 3% surcharge will be added to all credit card payments. This only applies to credit cards; ACH, debit, and checks won’t have a fee.If you’d like to switch your payment method before the change goes into effect, feel free to reach out.Thank you for your continued trust in us to care for your pool. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out[Your business name] 3-day reminder emailSubject: Final reminder about upcoming surchargeHi [Customer name],Just a quick heads-up that the 3% surcharge for credit card payments begins on [Effective Date].You’re always welcome to pay by ACH, debit, or check if you’d prefer to avoid the fee.Thanks again,[Your business name] Invoice notice:  Add this to all invoices for the first one or two billing cyclesNotice: Beginning [Effective Date], a surcharge of 3% will be added to all credit card payments. This fee doesn’t apply to ACH, debit, or check payments. Once you’ve picked your go-live date, you can drop these messages into Skimmer’s broadcast email tool and let the reminders run on autopilot. These templates should cover everything you need, but if you want to double-check your setup, talk through timing, or customize anything, just let us know—we’re happy to help.  

October’s roundup brings one of our biggest updates yet, Jobs — along with improvements across reporting, invoicing, navigation, and more. Here’s your full October roundup: JobsA new way to manage bigger projects like repairs, installs, or renovations—from quote to invoice, all in one connected workflow.Take a deposit from a quote Create and track jobs from approved quotes Add work orders and invoices directly within each job Stay organized with a full history of activity in one placeLearn more here→  SurchargingNow available in states where surcharging is allowed(Skimmer does not currently support surcharging in Minnesota, California, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) Add surcharges to credit card payments to offset processing fees Built-in compliance with state regulationsLearn more here →  Work order enhancements We’ve added new improvements to make work orders easier to manage and communicate:Every work order now includes its own ID, visible across listings and customer pages Makes it easier to track and share specific work orders with your team Automatic customer notifications can now be sent when work orders are scheduled (You can enable this feature by visiting Settings-> Work Order Type) Revamped reports + portal adoption reportReporting got a major refresh this month.Our productivity reports have been upgraded with a cleaner design, faster load times, filters, more visuals, and better export optionsChemical dosages reportThe new portal adoption report shows which of your customers are using the customer portal, helping you track engagement and adoptionPortal adoption reportLearn more here →  Send invoices via text message Deliver invoices directly to customers’ phones Text message includes a secure link to view and pay invoices instantly Learn more here →  Automatic quote remindersClose more jobs without manually tracking every quoteFollow up on quotes with less effort. Send reminders to customers about pending quotes  Easier navigation to customer details You can now link directly to the customer detail page from quotes, invoices, and jobs Fewer clicks and faster access to what you need  Markup-based product pricingAdmins can now set product prices based on markup instead of a flat value, helping protect margins automatically. Choose to calculate price as a fixed dollar or percentage markup over cost When markup is selected, default prices adjust automatically.Note: Markup prices update automatically when an admin edits a product, but the saved price will appear as a standard number in your product list. ***As always, don’t forget to update your mobile app to the most current version for the latest improvements.Update for iOS Update for Android  That’s it for this month’s roundup. We’ll be back with more updates next month, your easiest way to stay in the loop on what’s new in Skimmer. 🚀 

Credit card fees add up fast, and for many pool pros, those costs cut directly into your margins. Over the past few months, we’ve heard from countless pros looking for a fair way to manage those fees without raising prices across the board.That’s why we’ve introduced Surcharging in Skimmer Payments, a simple, compliant way to share credit card processing costs with customers who choose to pay by credit card. With surcharging, you can offset nearly 70% of your credit card fees on average while keeping your prices competitive and your customer experience consistent.  How it worksSurcharging automatically adds a small fee (3%) to credit card transactions only when and where it’s legally allowed. The surcharge appears as a separate line item on invoices, so customers always see it upfront before paying.You can activate surcharging in your Payments settings with one click. It’s applied only to credit cards, never to debit or prepaid cards. Skimmer handles compliance automatically, based on your state and card network rules. Why it mattersManual surcharging can be risky and confusing. Skimmer makes it easy, accurate, and compliant, so you can focus on serving your customers and not tracking legal fine print. Plus, surcharging is fully integrated into Skimmer Payments, giving you one connected system for billing, payments, and compliance.Where is surcharging allowed?Surcharging is available for all Skimmer Payments customers, but it can only be used in states where surcharging is legally permitted. Skimmer automatically detects where it’s allowed and ensures compliance, so you don’t have to worry about it.NOTE: Skimmer does not currently support surcharging in Minnesota, California, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Is surcharging right for you?Learn how surcharging works, where it’s allowed, and what to consider before adding it to your business.DOWNLOAD GUIDE Ready to get started?We’ve published a full Implementation Guide to help you activate surcharging, notify customers, and stay compliant.Read it here: Guide to Implementing Surcharging in Your Pool Service Business Need more help?  

Reporting in Skimmer is getting a major upgrade. Starting today at 6 p.m. CST, you’ll see a new reporting experience that’s faster, clearer, and built for control.Every report now includes filters, sorting, and exports, making it easier to view and share the data that matters most. You’ll also notice new charts and visualizations across many reports, giving you a clearer picture of your business without needing to leave Skimmer.This first phase of our reporting revamp includes:A new Portal Adoption Report to track which customers have joined your Customer Portal.An enhanced Payouts Report for faster, clearer reconciliation Revamped Productivity Reports:  Profit, Labor, Installed Items, Chemical Dosages, and Text Messages (formerly Sent Service Texts) - see more info below  Revamped reportsWe’ve added new ways to understand your business and spot opportunities faster across several reports, including: Chemical Dosages Report:  It’s now easier to understand chemical costs and usage across your business. You can see and compare costs by tech or customer, filter by service type and rate type, and quickly spot trends with a new “Doses by Pool Size” visualization that helps identify overuse or anomalies.Profit Report:  Get a more complete picture of profitability with new data from work orders and a clearer breakdown by technician and customer. Visual charts now highlight your top performers and most profitable accounts, and summary KPIs show totals for cost, rate, and profit, so you can see what’s driving your bottom line at a glance.Installed Items Report:  See exactly what was installed, by whom, and where. The report now links directly to related work orders and includes new filters for technicians and customers to help you find what you need faster.Labor Report:  You can now see all routine cleanings and work orders together in one view, so it’s easier to see everything in one place. You’ll find overall totals for labor amounts, cleanings, and work orders in the summary KPIs, plus new filters for customer and technician, and a customer summary view for grouped results. Labor amounts are now calculated more accurately for monthly rate locations, giving you a clearer picture of true labor costs per stop.Text Messages Report:  This now includes new filters for customer, message type, and message status, along with visualizations showing monthly trends in cost and message volume, plus distributions by type and status to help you track communication patterns.Each updated report also includes an “About this report” pop-up, which includes a short summary, links to the full help guide, and a quick way to contact Skimmer Support.Need temporary access to the old version? You can open it using the link at the bottom of the “About this report” pop-up. This is just the beginning. Our new reporting framework sets the stage for even more advanced insights and visual tools that are already in the works. NOTE:  You can find all the updated reports under the “ Reports” tab on the left side of your screen, and the new Payouts report under Billing > Billing Reports.   We’ll also love your feedback on what kind of reporting matters most to your business. So please drop a comment or two :)  

Tired of chasing missed invoice emails? Now you can text invoices straight to your customers’ phones — no inbox delays, no follow-ups. Just a quick text, a tap, and you’re paid.How it works:When you send invoices, you can choose to text individual customers or bulk text everyone at once. Each message includes the full invoice link so your customer can pay instantly.NOTE: If the invoice is set for autopay, Skimmer won’t send a text — those customers are automatically excluded. What this means for you:Faster payments, fewer overdue invoices. Works great for customers who don’t use autopay. Included free for customers in the Scaling Up and Skimmer for Enterprise plans, and $0.029 per sent text for Getting Started. It’s a small change that makes a big difference — faster payments, less chasing, and more time back in your day.

 Repairs and installs are some of the most important and complex jobs pool pros handle. They often mean upfront deposits, parts to order, multiple visits, and a scope that changes as the work unfolds. Too often, that work gets managed in a disjointed flow, with quotes in one place, jobs in another, and invoices somewhere else, leaving room for missed details, double entry, or bills that don't match the work.With Skimmer’s new end-to-end repair workflow, you can now move seamlessly from quote to paid in one place.Watch the 1-minute video below to see Jobs in action  Start with stronger quotesQuotes are not just proposals or estimates; they set the stage for creating a job. And with quotes in Skimmer, you get faster approvals, fewer awkward money conversations and less out-of-pocket expenses because you can:Secure commitment up front by collecting deposits and requiring a payment method at approval.  Show the scope of the work clearly with photos, videos and PDFs attached to the quote.  Save time by duplicating winning quotes for similar jobs or using bulk actions to stay organized. Learn how to create a quoteCreate a quote Manage the work as it happens with jobsJobs keep quotes, work orders, and invoicing in sync so you get clearer visibility, more control, cleaner handoffs and improved cash flow because you can: Convert approved quotes into jobs with line items, fees, deposits and discounts carried over. You can also create a job without a quote.  Schedule work orders with context so you know what parts were sold or if the scope changed.  Update line items as the scope changes to ensure the invoice matches the work completed.  Track job status from start to finish for clear visibility.  Invoice directly from the job, with deposits automatically applied. One connected repair workflow: Quote-> Job-> Invoice->PaymentTogether, Quotes and Jobs give you a complete repair workflow in Skimmer. You secure commitment at approval, manage the job with flexibility as it evolves, and bill accurately when the work is done, with deposits automatically applied. Everything, including quotes, jobs, work orders, invoices, and payments, stays connected in one place. No more bouncing between tools. No more missed revenue. Just one clean, connected workflow that helps you win more repair work, capture more onsite add-ons, stay organized, protect, protect your cash flow, and deliver a more professional experience to your customers.Getting started is easy:Create a quote with a deposit | (How to create a quote) Approve a quote and convert to a Job | (How to create a job) Run the work with context | (How to manage a job) Invoice from the job | (How to create an invoice)