The problem
A customer rings two days later: the table leg is scratched, the hallway is marked. Without a photo of how things looked before loading, it's your word against theirs, and many owners pay up to avoid a bad review. If a business pays out on a claim every 2 months at $160£120€143A$230C$226 that's $80£60€71A$115C$113 a month.
What the AI does
ServiceM8's UK pricing page lists before-and-after photos and videos through the app, saved straight to the job's record, and smart checklists on every plan. Make a short checklist for each job: photograph any existing damage on furniture before loading, the hallway and stairs on arrival, and everything in place at the end. When a claim comes in, open the job and look at the photos with the customer.
A worked example
A man and van business in Leicester with one van and a helper does about 40 jobs a month. It has no photo routine, and claims are settled by refunding part of the job.
Before
About 1 claim every 2 months, paid out at about $160£120€143A$230C$226: $80£60€71A$115C$113 a month
After
Photos on every job; about 2 in 3 claims settled from the photos, the rest paid where the photos show it was the crew
What it's worth
About $53£40€48A$77C$75 a month saved, if 2 in 3 claims are settled by photos rather than refunds (2/3 x $80£60€71A$115C$113); the cost is ServiceM8 Starter at $33£25€30A$48C$47 a month excluding VAT, or nothing extra if you already use it. Genuine damage is still yours to put right; the photos show which is which.
How to set it up
- Make a checklist in ServiceM8 for every job: existing damage photos, hallway and stairs on arrival, and everything placed at the end.
- Tell customers in your booking confirmation that you photograph items and access before and after, for both sides' protection.
- Photograph any existing marks with the customer present and point them out.
- Take the 'after' photos before you leave, including the hallway on the way out.
- When a claim arrives, check the photos before you reply, and be fair where they show it was your crew.
What goes wrong
- Photos only help if they're taken every time. A routine you skip when busy fails on exactly the job that goes wrong.
- Photos inside someone's home are personal data. Photograph items and access, not people or private papers, and delete them when no longer needed.
- Photos won't settle every claim. Check your goods in transit cover for the claims they don't.
- Starter covers 50 jobs a month; a busy month moves you to Growing at $78£59€70A$113C$111.