Is there any way to set rules for billable time? For example, a customer calls in for service, it takes me 10 minutes to fulfill their request. Internally I want it to show 10 minutes, but my business bills a minimum of 30 minutes.
Also, is there any way to set a fee toggle? For example, if I had to drive to their place to service the equipment, that’s $80 right there. So I’d like to just tick a box to show that.
No and no. But you could define a non-inventory item for the fee.
Thank you, that’s a good idea. I’ll do that.
How do I suggest a feature? I’d like to see a minimum cost rule implemented.
Suggestions for new features are proposed on the forum. If they do not violate accounting principles or basic technical philosophies of the program, a moderator can move them to the ideas category for discussion. Only the developer decides whether they are implemented.
Your suggestion to record one time but invoice for more presents potential audit and legal complications, so I will not move it to ideas. You would, I believe, do better to enforce a minimum time entry policy internally. Note that Manager’s billable time capability is not meant as a time clock recording actual time worked, though it can be used that way. It is meant to record time to be billed, which becomes an asset until invoiced. Since you create the asset, you can determine how it is defined.
Helega - You point out a very obvious and day to day operational point about billable time and the need for it to be more flexible. This is a very similar issue brought to my attention a while back. The advice and work around given to the entity at the time was to modify the billable time to reflect your minimum charge or after the invoice creation from the customer tab modify the Billable Time charged in the invoice and then add a separate line for travel in the invoice relating to the date in question. The comment about auditing is not really an issue as billable time is an internal mechanism at this stage for chucking time into large invoices over a period. If Billable Time were a more core component in Manager it would accommodate some of these simple requirements. A suggestion laid out to make billable time work closely to what you are thinking and would largely be able to meet what you require can be seen here:
Unfortunately - This went nowhere
I’d rather you let me worry about the audit and legal complications and instead focus on what the community wants out of this software.
The agreement between myself and my client is on paper, and they understand that calling for assistance incurs a minimum charge. This is not an uncommon business practise by any means, and it ensures my customers think twice before calling me up with rubbish that can be solved by firing up a couple of brain cells.
I’m not questioning your business practices, @Helegad. I’m questioning your request to record one thing and have the program invoice for something else. I already explained your alternative in post #4.