Help & guides
Practical help, organised around the job.
Start with the task you are working on. Quotes, QA reports and invoices each have a pale-blue Send link section for sharing and viewing customer responses.
Set up your business
Add the details 411 uses on customer documents and communications.
- 1Open your profile or business settings from your account menu.
- 2Add the business name, contact details and trading address you want customers to see.
- 3Add your logo and company number. If VAT registered, enter your VAT number and check the VAT settings before creating quotes or invoices.
Add a customer and lead
Capture a new enquiry without creating unnecessary job administration.
- 1Open Leads and create a new enquiry.
- 2Select an existing customer or add the customer’s contact and address details.
- 3Record what they need, then save the lead until you are ready to quote or schedule it.
Create and send a quote
Enter labour and materials, check VAT where applicable and send a link for customer acceptance.
- 1Open the lead and choose the quote action.
- 2Choose a fixed labour amount or enter your hourly rate and estimated hours. These quote hours are separate from the time reserved on the job calendar.
- 3Enter a short materials description and total selling price. Choose your own prices; 411 does not fetch supplier prices.
- 4Check the description, labour, materials, VAT where applicable and optional expiry date, then save the quote.
- 5Open the saved quote and use the pale-blue Send link section at the bottom. Choose Email link, Text link or Copy link; send the prepared message from your email or messaging app.
- 6The customer opens their link without creating an account, reviews the quote, signs and chooses their job-update preference. Acceptance updates the quote automatically and brings scheduling to the top of your attention queue.
Schedule and manage the job
Reserve a calendar slot, review availability and keep the job visible to the right people.
- 1Open the job and set its date and start time. Use the days and hours sliders to reserve the same work period on 1–7 consecutive calendar days; use the extra minutes choice for a short appointment.
- 2Use Check availability to review each booked day and assigned workers. If saving shows an overlap, change the slot or use Save anyway only when the clash is intentional.
- 3Use the calendar to review the address, assignment and job details before travelling.
- 4On the dashboard, use Notify customer I’m on my way in Today’s job. Send the prepared text in your messaging app, then confirm that you sent it. Customers who opted out of job updates cannot be sent this message.
Complete QA and client sign-off
Create a lasting completion record with notes, photographs and signature.
- 1At completion, start the walk-around check and record the outcome in plain language.
- 2Add the relevant photographs and let the client review the completion summary.
- 3For on-site sign-off, capture the client’s signature and declaration. To request a remote signature for a job linked to a quote, choose Save QA & prepare link; the saved completion record is locked.
- 4Use Email link, Text link or Copy link in the pale-blue Send link section of the quality check page. Send the link to the customer or authorised signatory. Their response appears there automatically, alongside the saved QA record.
Invoice and record payment
Create the invoice from the job and keep its payment status accurate.
- 1Open the completed job and create the invoice, then verify the customer, description and amount.
- 2Check the invoice details and VAT where applicable, then use the pale-blue Send link section at the bottom of the invoice page.
- 3Choose whether to prepare online payment, then use Email link, Text link or Copy link. Send the prepared message from your own app. The customer sees the invoice and, when your payment account is connected and ready, a secure payment button on the same page.
- 4Payment status refreshes automatically. For cash, bank transfer or another offline method, open Document and link options and use Record payment received only after the funds arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers
Does my customer need a 411 account?+
No. Their unique link opens the documents shared with them. It does not give access to your staff workspace. Treat it as private and check the recipient before sending.
Where do I check customer responses?+
Look in the Send link section on the saved quote, quality check or invoice page. Responses and payment status refresh automatically while the page is open.
How does VAT appear on documents?+
Set your VAT registration details in Company Profile before creating documents. Check the VAT treatment, subtotal, VAT and total on each quote or invoice. Previously saved documents retain their recorded tax treatment.
Where can I find a signed QA report?+
Open the relevant job and choose Open quality check, or choose View report from the job wallet. The saved QA record and the Send link section show the report and any customer responses.
Can I send the sign-off report to someone other than the person on site?+
Yes. On the quality check page, use Send link and check the recipient in your email or messaging app before sending. Share only with the customer or someone authorised to sign, such as a landlord or managing agent.
Why can’t I request an online payment?+
Online payment requests require the business payment account to be connected and available. You can still issue the invoice and record an offline payment when it has been received.
Does accepting a quote create a job?+
Online acceptance updates the quote automatically and brings the scheduling action to the top of the attention queue. You still choose when to create and schedule the job.
Does 411 find material prices automatically?+
No. Enter a materials description and total selling price yourself. Check the amount before saving and sending the customer link.
What happens if jobs overlap?+
When jobs assigned to the same worker overlap, 411 shows a warning before saving. Review the time and assignment; Save anyway is available for an intentional clash. The calendar books working hours on each selected day, not evenings between them; these hours are separate from quoted labour hours.
We will keep improving these instructions as the product and its users teach us what needs explaining.