Kickserv is a field service management solution, headquartered in Austin, Texas. It includes features such as dynamic scheduling optimization, invoicing and online payments, and detailed reporting.
$79
per month
Picsello
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Photography business management software is for photographers, and helps them manage, market, and manage their business at every stage. It includes a client booking system, where the user can create and view sessions and events right from a calendar, as well as promote upcoming events right from a public profile. Integrated email supports communicating with clients, and its streamlined process guides clients through the entire booking process so they can view availability and proposals, sign…
We use KickServ for nearly every aspect of our operation and cannot think of a scenario when it is "inappropriate" or "less appropriate". It is the backbone of our operation and is used for everything from data gathering to estimates to invoices to payments and accounts receivables to reports to tracking to storage of photos and past invoices. Better searching abilities would be good instead of having to create tags for things we don't know we are going to need later.
Picsello helps you stay on task. I have struggled with being too nice to clients in regards to when they pay for my services but Picsello fixed that. A payment schedule is included in the proposal process so when you send the email to your client, they'll get their contract, questionnaire, pricing details and a request for payment to secure booking. That's one less item on my to-do list and I can move forward with my workflow.
Organization - keeps everything organized nicely and has several different filters that you can use to view only the information you need.
Simple website - this was important because you want it to load quickly when you are in the office and on the road.
Database - keeps track of the things that you enter. This is nice when trying to get information on a product or a price when requested by the customer.
People like flexibility and being able to work with previously established vendors that are different from the print vendor currently available in Picsello. I know additional partnerships are forthcoming and once they do I think this product will only increase in popularity.
One feature that would be helpful is to be able to block off time in the calendar so potential clients can view your availability.
I'd like to be able to enter multiple contacts under a single client. If you have a large group and you have their email addresses you could send the gallery to more than one person but from the same job.
It is intuitive enough, but there is some training that will be necessary because of a perceived redundancy within their workflow. It can be hard to distinguish which stage a customer is in (thus what the most important thing to be working on, if you are in sales, for instance) without some training.
Picsello is a 10 because it has everything I need to successfully run my photography business. I can communicate with my client, get them booked and paid all in one location. I don't need a separate gallery manager, I don't need to remember gallery passwords, I don't have to worry if I remembered to send a contract to a client, I don't have to worry if I don't hear back from a client about their gallery because Picsello will tell me when they logged in to view it. And best of all, I know what I need to charge in order to earn the goal I set for myself and at the end of the day, it's all about earning money doing something you love!
Very good technical help. The team is well-versed in their product and what to look for, particularly when interacting with other software platforms. You nearly always get a live person when you call, and if you don't, they will return your call promptly. This is another factor in my client's decision to move forward with their solution.
The people at Picsello are genuinely interested in seeing you succeed! Are you having trouble deciding what to charge? They have a Mastermind Facebook group, and they have business coaching available. Are you frazzled and just need a little extra help, Customer Success is there to listen and dive into the app with you. Are you new and just need some guidance? Customer Success is there to walk you through the process or send links to demo videos or to sign you up for a one-on-one meeting. These people have been truly nice to me as I've gotten help and learned the product. Customer Service is a big deal to me and this company is going to have my business for a long time.
Against Pixieset: I like Picsello better for a client experience and managing pricing and galleries. Pixieset is too complicated and cumbersome. Setting up the store is required before you can sell products on Pixieset and that's one large step more than Picsello. Against Honeybook: This is a product that's too generic and doesn't have even half the features of Picsello. It might work for freelance type work but a photographer needs way more than what is offered. It's just not made for photographers so it fails to hit the mark. Shootproof is another I tried but it's just not robust enough. There aren't enough features to help you successfully run your business, but if you'd like to add music to a photo montage, they've got you covered. That's fun to have but it's more important to earn a livable income and Picsello has them all beat with the Smart Profit Calculator!
We are essentially paper free. No paper work orders.
We've been able to avoid a layer of middle management by supplementing this layer with technology. KickServ is a part of that layer.
Negatively speaking, like all technology, it has created a void of human level connection. Because we know that we can deliver work orders to our foremen remotely, we are less likely to drive up to the shop and shake a hand or see someone face to face. We had to learn that lesson the hard way, that both technology and human connection are necessary to maintain our culture.
By incorporating everything I need in a single email to my client, it saves me time. The contract, questionnaire, pricing details and payment are all sent over in one email and the automation takes over from there as the client signs everything and returns it with payment. So much time saved!
Having all my clients saved in this platform is a space saver for my Contacts app and so easy for me to contact them on the go since Picsello is mobile-ready. I can use it's full features anywhere!
The questionnaires are a godsend! I use to have word documents saved all over my laptop from clients but having everything in the Picsello app is way move convenient!
The photo galleries are given a password and it's automatically entered into the email you send your clients when you share the gallery. I used to have to come up with a password and keep track of it in case a client lost it. Such a pain! This is so much easier and I literally don't even think about this anymore since Picsello does it for me!
