The best way to test whether your settings are correct? Add yourself as a customer and go through the whole flow. This way, you’ll spot mistakes before a real customer runs into them.
Preparation - Check your basic settings
Before you start your test job, first check whether these components have been set up:
Component | Where to find it | Status |
Revenue groups | Settings > Method > Revenue groups | Yes/No |
Packages | Settings > Method > Packages | Yes/No |
Quote template | Settings > Method > Document templates | Yes/No |
Invoice template | Settings > Method > Document templates | Yes/No |
Notifications | Settings > Method > Customer notifications | Yes/No |
Vehicles | Settings > Equipment > Vehicles | Yes/No |
Employees | HR > Employees | Yes/No |
Missing one of these components? Set it up first. The test only works if the basics are in place.
Tip: During this test, turn OFF all notifications except quote sent and invoice sent. Those are the two you want to test - you don’t need the rest.
Step 1 - Add yourself as a customer
Go to Customers in the main menu and click New customer.
Enter your own details:
Field | What to enter |
Title | Mr or Mrs/Ms |
First name | Your own first name |
Last name | Your own last name |
Email address | Your own email address (this is where you’ll receive the quote and invoice!) |
Phone number | Your own number |
Address | Your own address (this will become the loading address) |
Click Save.
Why your own details?
Because that way you’ll receive the quote and invoice in your own inbox. You’ll see exactly what your customers will see: the email, the PDF, the acceptance link. That’s the best way to test it.
Note: Fill in the title correctly. If you leave this blank, blank spots will appear in your quote where the title should be. This is a common mistake.
Step 2 - Create a test case file
Now you’ll create a case file for your test removal:
Click New removal (or via the customer page: New case file)
The loading address is automatically taken from your customer address
Enter an unloading address (use a different address, e.g. your company’s address)
Choose a removal date (pick a date in the future)
Choose the package you want to test (e.g. “Residential - Direct”)
Select the property type (e.g. terraced house, apartment, detached)
Click Create
Note: Property type is a required field and affects the rate. If you leave this blank, the calculation may not be correct.
You now have a case file. This is your central place for the rest of the test.
Which package should you test?
Test the package you’ll use most. For most companies, that’s the residential package. Do you also want to test your business package later? Then create a second test case file with that package.
Tip: Focus on the standard flow first. Don’t test unusual exceptions. If the basic flow works, you can always test variants afterwards.
Step 3 - Carry out a survey
The survey is where you record the inventory. Open the survey tool on your iPad or tablet (or in the browser on your computer).
Adding rooms
Open the case file
Start the survey tool
Add rooms that are part of a typical removal:
Living room
Bedroom
Kitchen
Bathroom
Attic or storage room
Selecting furniture per room
For each room, you select the furniture items in it:
Click a room (e.g. Living room)
Select furniture: sofa, coffee table, TV stand, bookcase
For each item, select the correct variant (e.g. 2-seater sofa vs. 3-seater sofa)
The system automatically assigns a cubic value to each item
Move to the next room and repeat
Note: ALWAYS select a variant for each item of furniture. If you don’t select a variant, the item won’t count towards the cubic calculation. This is a common mistake that leads to too low a volume.
Distance from vehicle to property
In the survey, enter the distance from the vehicle to the property (in metres). This is the carrying distance between the removal truck and the front door. A greater distance means more carrying time and affects the calculation.
Example for a test removal:
Room | Furniture | Estimated cubic volume |
Living room | Sofa, coffee table, TV stand, 2 bookcases | 8 m3 |
Bedroom | Double bed, 2 bedside tables, wardrobe | 6 m3 |
Kitchen | Kitchen table, 4 chairs, refrigerator | 3 m3 |
Attic | 20 moving boxes | 3 m3 |
Total | 20 m3 |
Note: Boxes are counted by the system as cubic volume. In the example above, the 20 moving boxes count as 3 m3. If you don’t enter boxes in the survey, there will always be a discrepancy between your survey and the actual removal.
Quick survey method: “Cubes”
Don’t want to select every item of furniture individually? Then use the quick method:
Add a Custom item with the name “Cubes”
Enter the total number of cubic metres you want to survey
The system then calculates as if you’d selected every item individually
This is handy if you already know the volume (for example, from experience or a previous survey). You’ll be done in a couple of minutes.
Do you want to see items but not select specific furniture? Then use the category “Miscellaneous” to enter a cubic amount without specifying individual items.
Cubic calculation and man-hours
The system calculates the number of man-hours required based on the volume. The standard rule of thumb is:
Volume | Men | Explanation |
Up to 10 m3 | 2 men | Standard small |
10-20 m3 | 3 men | Roughly 1 extra man per 10 m3 |
20-30 m3 | 4 men | Roughly 1 extra man per 10 m3 |
30+ m3 | 5+ men | Roughly 1 extra man per 10 m3 |
The standard calculation capacity is 1.2 m3 per hour per man. So 20 m3 with 3 men = approximately 5.5 hours of removal time (excluding travel time).
Selecting services
Select the services you want to test:
Disassembly/reassembly: on or off
Packing/unpacking: on or off
Box service: on or off
Warranty certificate: on or off
Choose a combination that’s representative of a typical job at your company.
Note: The cubic values don’t need to be exactly right for this test. The point is to go through the flow and see whether the calculation works. You’ll calibrate the cubic calculation later with a real removal.
Calibrating the price per cubic metre
After your first test, you’ll want to check whether the price per cubic metre is realistic. You do this by recalculating an existing quote:
Take a recent quote you created manually
Enter the same inventory via the survey tool
Compare the amount Bas calculates with your original quote
Doesn’t it match? Then adjust the price per cubic metre in your package settings
This way, you’ll be sure your prices are correct before using the system with real customers.
Tip: Do this with at least two or three different quotes (small, medium, large). That way, you’ll see whether the price per cubic metre is correct across the board, and not just for one specific volume.
Tips
Start with the standard flow. Don’t test unusual exceptions. If the basics work, you can test variants.
Use your own email address. This way, you’ll receive all the messages and see exactly what your customers see.
Test on phone and tablet. Many customers open quotes on their mobile.
Please note
Turn off all messages except quote and invoice. Otherwise, unintended emails may be sent.
Use fictitious details. For your test case files, use your own email address and not that of a real customer.
Next step: Creating and sending a quote (test)
Next step: Creating and sending a quote (test)
Next step: Creating and sending a quote (test)
Next step: Creating and sending a quote (test)
Next step: Creating and sending a quote (test)