Tech Actions: Every Option Explained
What each option in the Tech Actions menu does, and when it shows
When you're the technician on a site visit, or you run the company that sent the technician, the visit page has a Tech Actions button at the top right. It holds everything your side can do on the visit: reschedule, back out, swap in a coworker, ask for more pay or expenses, submit the work for payment, pull it back, and ask Service Envoy for help.
Who sees what.
The technician on the visit can request a schedule change, request removal, escalate to Service Envoy, re-open a submitted visit, and use Sharing Options.
Admins, project managers and staff at the technician's company can do all of that, and they're the only ones who can swap the technician, request more pay or expenses, and submit the work for approval. The technician fills in the check-out form; the office handles the money.
An employee on their own company's visit sees Tech Actions with Sharing Options only. Everything else in this article applies to Tech Marketplace and Private Network work.
Greyed-out options. Once a visit is past the point where your side can change it (approved, closed, or checked out, for a technician), the options stay listed but greyed out. Sharing Options keeps working. They're also greyed out while the client has a removal request open against you.
After the client approves. The menu shrinks to Late Pay Increase, Late Expense Reimbursement and Sharing Options (see below), until the payout is released.
The options are listed in the same alphabetical order as the menu.
Escalate Overdue Approval
Asks Service Envoy to follow up with a client who hasn't approved your submitted work. Service Envoy also checks every day and escalates overdue visits automatically, so this just lets you do it straight away.
When it shows: on a Tech Marketplace visit the client has had for 7 days without approving. The 7 days count from when it became the client's turn, so time spent waiting on something you owe them doesn't count.
Escalate to Service Envoy
Asks Service Envoy support to step in on a visit: the client has stopped responding, the site isn't what was described, or something else you can't sort out between you. You describe the problem, and it changes to Withdraw Escalation while it's open. Escalating a Site Visit to Service Envoy covers what happens next.
When it shows: on a Tech Marketplace visit you're assigned to. Not on Private Network visits: those are between you and the company that hired you, and Service Envoy isn't involved.
Late Expense Reimbursement
For costs you forgot to claim before the client approved the visit. It works like Request Expense Reimbursement. If the client approves it, the amount is added to the payout that's waiting to be paid.
When it shows: after the client approves, until the payout is released (on the Private Network, until the company marks you paid). Company admins, project managers and staff only. One at a time; edit the pending one to change it.
Late Pay Increase
For extra hours you didn't ask for before the client approved the visit. It works like Request Pay Increase, and if the client approves it, the amount is added to the waiting payout.
When it shows: same as Late Expense Reimbursement.
Re-Open Site Visit
Pulls a submitted visit back from the client so you can fix it: a missed task, a forgotten photo or signature, or a change to a pay or expense request. The visit goes back to Site Visit Complete, and the client is told you pulled it back. Submit it again when you're done.
When it shows: while the visit is Awaiting Approval. The technician on the visit can always use it; office users need the Re-Open Submitted Work permission.
Request Expense Reimbursement
Asks the client to pay you back for materials, parts or supplies you bought for the job. You list the items and give a reason, and the client approves or declines.
When it shows: before the visit is approved. Company admins, project managers and staff with the Request Expense Reimbursement permission. One open request per visit: if one is already pending or approved, the option says so, and you edit that one instead.
Request Pay Increase
Asks the client for more pay, usually for labor hours beyond what the visit's rate covers. You enter the hours, the amount and a reason, and the client approves or declines.
When it shows: before the visit is approved. Company admins, project managers and staff with the Request Additional Pay permission. One open request per visit, as with expenses.
Request Removal from Visit
Takes you off a visit you can't do. This can't be undone.
Tech Marketplace, more than 24 hours before the start: no penalty. The visit goes back to the marketplace for the client to route again.
Tech Marketplace, within 24 hours of the start or after it: recorded as a Back Out. Back-outs count toward the back-out percentage shown on your profile to clients.
Private Network: the company that hired you is told to route it to someone else. It isn't recorded on your marketplace profile, and while the visit is still open you can ask for it again.
When it shows: before you check in. Once you're on site, removal goes through the client.
Request Schedule Change
Proposes a new date or time to the client. They accept or decline, and the visit keeps its current schedule until they accept. Rescheduling a Marketplace or Private Network Site Visit covers the details.
When it shows: until you check out. Greyed out while a change is already waiting for an answer.
Request Tech Swap
Replaces the technician on the visit with another technician from your company, for example when someone is out sick. The client approves or declines the swap. Swapping the Technician on a Site Visit covers it in full.
When it shows: before check-out, for company admins, project managers and staff (a technician who can't make it uses Request Removal from Visit instead). Only when you have someone to swap in: on the Tech Marketplace, another of your active marketplace technicians; on the Private Network, another of your technicians who is in that client's network. If there's nobody, the option is greyed out with the reason. Greyed out while a swap is waiting for an answer.
Sharing Options
Creates and manages links that let someone outside the app see the visit, such as the person on site or your own customer. You choose what they see and can turn a link off at any time.
When it shows: always, even when everything else is greyed out. It closes 30 days after the work.
Submit for Approval
Sends the finished work to the client for review and payment. If any parts on the visit aren't covered by an expense request, you're asked first whether to open a reimbursement request, submit without one, or cancel. Once submitted, the visit is Awaiting Approval. Nothing is approved automatically: it waits for the client. If they haven't approved it after 7 days, Service Envoy follows up with them (see Escalate Overdue Approval).
When it shows: on a Tech Marketplace visit after the technician checks out (Site Visit Complete). Company admins, project managers and staff with the Submit Work for Payment permission.
Withdraw Escalation
Takes back an escalation your side sent to Service Envoy. It shows whether Service Envoy is already reviewing it. You can only withdraw your own escalation, not one the client sent.
When it shows: while your escalation is open.