u/fishnussy

Hi, long time lurker here, figure this might be the sub to ask: I work part-time at a shoe store in Canada where we provide shoe repair as a service alongside selling leather shoes and boots, we would take about 100 tickets a month so it's not that much, but it's enough to take up a large portion of time and attention away from our daily work since we are a small team, and everything is analog and feels so scattered. So I am looking for any idea on how to make it more streamlined.

Our current workflow is literally tracking these services in a single spreadsheet, write down what we have to do on the receipt and stuff it in the shoes. When it is finished, one of us has to look up the row, grab the phone, and call the customer to let them know it’s ready. Half the time it goes straight to voicemail, or some people don't even set up their voicemail. Sometimes people don't pick up their shoes and we will often have 15-20 pair of shoes just sitting on the shelf.

For anyone else running a service/repair storefront in Canada (cobblers, tailors, gear repair, etc.): What software are you actually using to manage your active backlog? Or is there an app you use that automatically texts Canadian numbers when a repair / service is ready without costing a fortune?

I come from a tech background as well, so the process we have feels especially clunky to me, I don't mind spinning up a simple app to manage this entire workflow if it means my work will be easier but I just want to see if any valid solutions already exist in the Canadian space before I spend my nights and weekends writing code.

Appreciate any insights, recommendations, or let me know if you have a similar experience as well. Thanks!

Hi, long time lurker here, figure this might be the sub to ask: I work part-time at a shoe store in Canada where we provide shoe repair as a service alongside selling leather shoes and boots, we would take about 100 tickets a month so it's not that much, but it's enough to take up a large portion of time and attention away from our daily work since we are a small team, and everything is analog and feels so scattered. So I am looking for any idea on how to make it more streamlined.

Our current workflow is literally tracking these services in a single spreadsheet, write down what we have to do on the receipt and stuff it in the shoes. When it is finished, one of us has to look up the row, grab the phone, and call the customer to let them know it’s ready. Half the time it goes straight to voicemail, or some people don't even set up their voicemail. Sometimes people don't pick up their shoes and we will often have 15-20 pair of shoes just sitting on the shelf.

For anyone else running a service/repair storefront in Canada (cobblers, tailors, gear repair, etc.): What software are you actually using to manage your active backlog? Or is there an app you use that automatically texts Canadian numbers when a repair / service is ready without costing a fortune?

I come from a tech background as well, so the process we have feels especially clunky to me, I don't mind spinning up a simple app to manage this entire workflow if it means my work will be easier but I just want to see if any valid solutions already exist in the Canadian space before I spend my nights and weekends writing code.

Appreciate any insights, recommendations, or let me know if you have a similar experience as well. Thanks!