The problem
Commercial customers and many homes with irrigation need their backflow preventers tested every year, and the water utility sends notices with a due date. The customer often forgets who tested last year and books whoever calls first. If a plumber tests 150 devices a year, about 12 a month, and 5 of those a month go to another tester at $95£71€85A$137C$134 each, that's $475£357€425A$686C$671 of work a month, plus the repairs those tests turn up.
What the AI does
Record every device's due date first in the business's own list, checked monthly. Then use ServiceM8 as the backup: Asset Management on Growing records each device at the customer's site, Recurring Jobs re-create and schedule the next test automatically, and Booking Reminders send the customer an email and text before the visit. Forms & Certificates lets the tester complete the test report on site and produce a PDF for the customer and the utility.
A worked example
An illustrative example built from typical figures, not a named business.
A plumbing company in Tucson tests about 150 backflow devices a year for restaurants, offices and homes with irrigation. They keep the master list of due dates in their spreadsheet, add each device as an asset in ServiceM8 Growing with a yearly recurring test job, and fill in test reports on site.
Before
About 12 tests due a month and 5 a month lost to other testers who called first
After
Recurring test jobs and reminders back up the checked list; nearly all 12 tests due each month come back to the company
What it's worth
About $285£214€255A$411C$403 a month in profit, against $79£59€71A$114C$112 for ServiceM8 Growing. That's 5 retests a month kept at $95£71€85A$137C$134 each ($475£357€425A$686C$671) at an assumed 60% margin, since testing is mostly labor. Repairs found on those tests come on top.
How to set it up
- Keep the due date for every device, from the last test report or the utility's notice, in your own master list, and check it on the first of each month. That list comes first; ServiceM8 is the backup.
- On ServiceM8 Growing ($79£59€71A$114C$112 a month, 150 jobs), add each device as an asset at the customer's site with its make, model, size and serial number.
- Create a yearly recurring test job for each device, set before the due date, and turn on booking reminders by email and text for customers who agreed to texts.
- Build the test report as a form using the fields your water utility asks for, and send the PDF the way the utility requires.
- Track your own tester certification renewal in the same master list, with a reminder well before it lapses.
What goes wrong
- Automations fail silently: a customer's email changes, a recurring job gets deleted, a setting is switched off. The monthly check of your own list catches what the app misses.
- Utilities set their own due dates and forms, and some move them. Their notice beats your schedule.
- Each test counts as a job toward the plan's monthly limit. 150 jobs on Growing can run out once you add service work.
- The test duty is the customer's, but a missed deadline can mean a shut-off notice for them. Never mark a test done that wasn't.