Every job in PoolFlow moves through a simple workflow from booking to completion. Understanding this flow helps you manage your work efficiently.
The 5 stages
Jobs move through these stages on your kanban board:
1. Needs Your Action
New bookings that need your review. These are jobs where customers have entered their card and are waiting for you to approve.
What to do: Review the details and either approve or decline.
2. Awaiting Customer
Jobs waiting on the customer. This includes:
- Quotes you've sent that need payment
- Change orders waiting for customer approval
What to do: Wait for the customer, or follow up if needed.
3. Ready to Work
Approved and paid jobs ready to be scheduled. The customer's card has been authorized — you're good to go.
What to do: Schedule the work and click "Start Work" when you begin.
4. In Progress
Jobs you're actively working on. You can add change orders here if the scope changes.
What to do: Complete the work, then click "Complete & Charge" to finish.
5. Done
Completed jobs. The customer has been charged and the job is finished.
What to do: Nothing — these are your completed jobs for reference.
Job actions
Approve
Confirms you'll do the job. For one-time jobs, this places an authorization hold on the customer's card.
The customer gets an email confirmation that their booking is approved.
Decline
Reject a booking. Use this if:
- You don't service the area
- You're fully booked
- The request doesn't fit your services
The customer is notified and no charge is made.
Start Work
Marks the job as in progress. This is optional but helps you track active jobs.
No confirmation needed — just click and go.
Complete & Charge
Finishes the job and charges the customer. This captures the authorized payment.
For subscription jobs, the button says "Complete Job" since billing is handled separately.
Cancel
Stops a job and releases any payment holds. Use this if:
- Customer cancels
- Job can't be completed
- Booking was made in error
This action can't be undone.
Change orders
Sometimes jobs don't go as planned. Change orders let you adjust the price after approval:
Positive adjustments: Additional work, extra chemicals, equipment repairs
Negative adjustments: Discounts, credits, scope reductions
Small adjustments and credits are auto-approved. Larger increases require customer approval via email.
Manual job creation
Not every job comes through your booking page. You can create jobs manually for:
- Phone bookings
- In-person estimates
- Existing customers
- Jobs without online payment
Go to Jobs → New Job to create one manually.
Recurring jobs
Weekly, biweekly, or monthly services work a bit differently:
- Customer pays first service at booking
- Subscription is created automatically
- Future charges happen on schedule
- "Complete Job" just updates status (no manual charging)
The customer can manage their subscription through their portal.
Tips for efficiency
Check your dashboard daily
New bookings need approval within 7 days (that's how long card authorizations last).
Use the mobile view
The kanban board works great on your phone. Swipe between columns to see your pipeline.
Set up notifications
Enable email and SMS alerts so you never miss a new booking.
Take photos
Document your work for your records and in case of disputes.