QXpress Scheduling Software™ by Alocet Incorporated

So far so good
Chicago Pest Control 
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[05/02/2008]  We were using another online program for our operation program for the last few years but got sick of web always going down, so we looked for a stable desktop app last September. We run a good sized operation with 8 CPUS, 4 on vista, 1 windows 2003 and 3 on XP. After looking we found QXpress in a trade magazine and did a web demonstration with Noel, who was excellent and recommended the QX Enterprise version. Highly recommend doing a demonstration if you are looking at the software, it really cuts through all the features and makes it easy to understand, plus it’s free, plus the demonstration is recorded and emailed to you within 5 minutes of the demo. That impressed us, as the company had their act together. In the beginning we went with Platinum because the features are the same and the price is a lot less than Enterprise. That was a mistake. 8 users are too much for Platinum, which is why I'm giving the performance a 4/5 (even though Noel told us this ahead of time). So we upgraded to Enterprise (as per Noel's orig. recommendation) and it was as fast as promised on the network. Support was really good. We usually get someone live, but sometimes have to leave a message. They call you back but for some reason it always seems like when you are on lunch! We had a problem initially where two computers couldn't connect on Vista machines at the same time. They researched it, and had us apply to Microsoft for a hot fix which solved the problem. That was going over and beyond for me, so we are very happy. Program very easy, and my staff is adapting to it quite well. We are satisfied users and got over the learning curve in about 3 weeks and will be recommending this product to other members of our local association.
 
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CEO
Service 1st & Foremost 
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[05/02/2008]  Tired! Tired of manually entering invoices each month into QuickBooks. Tired of wasting time each morning setting schedules up for the crews. Tired of wondering why one crew can make 40% more each day than another crew and not being able to track WHY! Tired of getting chewed out by customers because I forgot to do a job they asked for 2 months ago. Tired of putting up with the Morning Circus, breakfast stops, and crews taking the "long route" to the next customer. Tired of looking for software that ACTUALLY works with QuickBooks the way the sales staff says it will. Tired of having to depend on Tech Support for answers you should be able to find on your own given a proper TechKnowledge Base. Great job QXpress. Helpful forum, solid TechKnowledge Base, "logical" programming. Qx Platinum and QX Mapping. What a breath of fresh air. Feels good!
 
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I have found what I need!
Grasshopper 
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[05/02/2008]  My company has grown too big for whiteboard scheduling. Yeah, I know it is only mowing, but I don't have time to write and erase all day long. I have tried a few other scheduling programs, only to get upset. I am very satisfied with the scheduling options that are available. Hell, I am satisfied with everything the software does. It probably does way too much, but I bet I'll have room to grow. But the main thing is the software works with QuickBooks, not separate. So at the end of the month, I don't have to do billing in two different software packages. What used to take me two days to do now get done by noon on the first day. That is amazing to me. I could go on and on, but just get the program and see for yourself.
 
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Decent Software, Poor Customer Service
Lukewarm 
Overall Rating:
 
[04/24/2008]  Purchased this software for my Company last year, does a decent job with not too many problems. Recently I purchased a second license for an additional company we have started and I ran into a problem with simple moving of data from the first program to the second. I asked for assistance and was told that I had to pay for support minutes for assistance with an issue that would normally be a basic feature of a software program. Company customer support leaves much to be desired. While you are able to get a support tech normally within 1 day, if you ask to speak with anyone in management, either on the sales side or the support side to express a concern you are told that you may not do so. In my opinion any company that will not let you speak with a management team member leaves much to be desired and while I am now stuck with the software, I would NOT recommend anyone else use it for this reason only. Decide for yourself.
 
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Good overall choice
kodiak 
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[03/03/2008]  This is a good piece of software that is priced right. We are an electrical contractor and the dispatch board was the primary reason we purchased the software. Many of the other features the program offers we do not use as of yet, but do intend on using in the near future. It is lacking in few features, such as inventory, however I do not believe it was designed for that purpose. It would be a nice feature though. Pretty easy to use and the tech support is as good as expected. Watch out for Vista compatibility, the program will no longer update itself and QX Mobile is not working. They are working on a fix for these issues but they are way behind the curve, given that Vista has been out for some time now. I have confidence the issues will be resolved soon and this should not persuade someone from purchasing the software - just be sure to check with them before you buy to be sure the software will work on your machine.
 
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Qxpress, QuickBooks and Windows Vista
Las Vegas Pest Control Company 
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[02/11/2008]  We had been running QXpress Gold and QuickBooks 2007 Pro for 7 months. At the beginning of February we bought a new PC that came with windows Visa installed and everything has come to a screeching halt. QXpress no longer syncs with QuickBooks. Tech support has been working on the issue, but is has been over a week.
 
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Using QXpress in the UK
garyrk@affinitylandscapes.co.uk 
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[12/18/2006]  We have been bowled over with the product since we went live with the Gold version earlier this year. We have since upgraded and have not been disappointed with the product. We perform a mixture of Commercial Landscape maintenance and one-off landscaping projects. It integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Pro UK version, giving access to real-time changes in core QuickBooks data. It has removed multiple business process issues we have had relating to invoicing and scheduling where our clients have very specific/unique billing and scheduling requirements. We are still discovering how useful some of the more in-depth features are to us. The company is a joy to deal with (even with the time difference) and have been very receptive is dealing with any UK questions or issues.
 
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Excellent Program
Charm City Home Services, LLC 
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[08/08/2006]  We chose QXpress after evaluating four or five different solutions for our cleaning company. For such a great price, it does more than programs out there costing many times more. As a new user, every time I think "hey, it would be cool if this software did this," I just dig around and sure enough, it's a standard feature. Plus, with their leasing option, you don't have to worry about a large up-front expenditure -- which proves invaluable when starting a new business. The only complaint about the software is that it sometimes runs a little slow and you may have to attempt a few times (multiple clicks) for it to respond ... it always does respond, but is a little slow.
 
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Good - But Not Great
Computer Guy 
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[07/22/2006]  I bought the Platinum version of this program earlier this year. It has done a decent job but has not lived up to expectations.

Even though originally Qxpress’ website and marketing material included IT consulting as one of the fields this product was designed for (I now can find no reference to IT consulting as a covered field), none of the included forms were designed for my type work. Qxpress would not help in setting up their program with the proper forms (unless I was willing to pay their hourly rate for tech support). This forced me to spend many, many hours designing and modifying my own forms, work orders, and route sheets – something I did not realize I’d be required to do. Even after I made a special appeal based on the fact that none of the pre-made forms and route sheets were designed for a business that they claimed the program was made for, their response was that they were only required to make sure the program was installed and operating over a network. Be prepared that except for the 2 hours of initial installation support – you’re on your own or you pay for tech support.

I really like the fact that it is a very customizable program. This was one of the main features that attracted me to Qxpress. However, I’ve found the customization process to be time-consuming and fairly complicated. I would compare it with designing an Access database, but without a good set of instructions.

Some of the documentation and web-based tech support is very good, but it can also be hard to find, with the online search engine not coming up with obvious search terms. The graphics and screen shots in the downloadable manual are fuzzy and hard to view, with the embedded text almost unreadable.

The ability to email work orders with a few clicks is very good. I just wish the program would remember the email addresses previously typed in. We have to manually type in the email address each time we send a work order – something that is very tedious when we send out 20 work orders a day. The lack of a web-based calendar or ability to synchronize with Outlook calendar is also very limiting.

Also, be careful that even if you buy the program outright instead of renting, their subscription verification is web-based and ongoing, so if their server goes down (or they go out of business) the program stops working. Another “gotcha” is that each version of their program will work with only 2 years versions of QuickBooks – the version of Qxpress I currently own will work with QuickBooks 2005 & 2006. So if I upgrade to QuickBooks 2007, I have to also pay to upgrade Qxpress.

The online reviews are very puzzling, as ALL reviewers have given this software program 4.5 to 5 stars. As hard as I try, I can’t understand how anyone would give this program 5 stars, let alone all 19 reviewers.
 
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