HELP Home Services relied entirely on paper and pencil—sometimes even using napkins if they were available. This outdated method led to frequent errors, redundant data entry, illegible notes, and a disconnect from HELP’s ERP system. To streamline operations, they needed a digital form solution that could accurately capture information and seamlessly bridge the gap between systems.
The HELP team transitioned from paper to digital by implementing online, shareable club membership forms, resulting in 86% growth of their program in just one-third of the time. By utilizing features like Conditional Logic, Automatic Calculations, and Automated Workflows, the team now benefits from real-time, accurate data that is efficiently routed to the appropriate personnel, improving both data management and overall processes.
HELP Club Membership Form
Sales Form
Commission Form
Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains proudly serves the tri-state area, including Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and the greater Cincinnati region. They specialize exclusively in residential services, ensuring homeowners receive expert care for their essential home systems. The HELP team provides comprehensive solutions in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, offering both repair and replacement services. HELP also offers comprehensive plumbing, electrical, and insulation services.
Ten years ago, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains (HELP Home Services) operated entirely on paper. “We were a paper and pencil organization. If you could find a repair or replacement job and you had a cocktail napkin handy, you wrote it on there,” explained Larry Banas, Sales Manager for HELP Home Services. “We needed a way to be able to take sales calls and get that information into our ERP system.” Recognizing the need for a solution, the HELP team turned to Google to find the right digital form solution. “There was no reason to pretend that we could solve this any other way. We knew we needed a digital solution because we were driving our dispatchers and warehouse teams nuts. That’s when we found GoFormz.”
“There was no reason to pretend that we could solve this any other way. We knew we needed a digital solution… and that’s when we found GoFormz.”
– Larry Banas, Sales Manager, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains
The first form HELP digitized was its club membership form. “This form is important to us because a club member is our best opportunity to make sure we get to service their equipment,” explained Banas. “I tell my salesmen that I would much rather have a new club member than to sell a thirty thousand dollar system today,” explained Banas. “Every six months we do our club members tune-ups and make sure the health of their system is going well. If that fateful day comes when the equipment dies or we start to have to find ways to prolong the equipment's life, then we are ready to assist right away. So that club membership is gold to us because if we keep them and do the right things, then that thirty thousand dollars I didn’t get today, we get later down the road in a variety of ways.”
HELP’s club membership program gives the business a competitive edge. “We are at roughly 13,000 club members in Cincinnati right now. That gives us a leg up over our competitors because now we have a base of 13,000 customers we can resell to,” explained Banas. “That’s why club members are important to us. It’s not the immediacy of a sale, it's the lifetime proposition we can get from someone.”
“We are at roughly 13,000 club members in Cincinnati right now. That gives us a leg up over our competitors because now we have a base of 13,000 customers we can resell to.”
– Larry Banas, Sales Manager, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains
The HELP team leverages GoFormz online forms to capture this vital customer information. “We have a ten-person customer service group that is either outbounding or inbounding on calls for our 110 trucks on the road,” explained Banas. “This form sits on our website, and while the team is contacting non-club members, they can easily send them a link to sign up.” Using Public Forms to collect customer information is an efficient and cost-effective solution. Before GoFormz, this information was being captured in napkins and pieces of scratch paper. “We had paper copies of our club membership forms, which was originally done in a completely offline world for us,” explained Banas. “Now we have tracking capabilities and we can understand why people may want to drop the club membership through those analytics.”
Since implementing GoFormz, HELP’s club membership program has significantly grown, nearly doubling club members in a fraction of the time. “We went from 7,000 club members to 13,000 with GoFormz in just three years.”
“We went from 7,000 club members to 13,000 with GoFormz.”
– Larry Banas, Sales Manager, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains
The HELP team utilizes a 15-page digital sales form in the field. “This form is extremely integrated into our day-to-day operations. The information captured in this form could either go to our warehouse group, purchase order group, finance group, or sales team,” explained Banas. Before GoFormz, this official form didn't exist—salesmen would gather information however they could, often scribbling details on large cocktail napkins.
“It’s very important for us to get the model numbers of the equipment we’re selling for heating and cooling,” explained Banas. “We work with two manufacturers, and some of the data on these pages is highly important. I didn't want one manufacturer to see information meant for the other. GoFormz helped create conditional logic that automatically directs the data to the appropriate vendor based on specific criteria. That’s all possible with the power of GoFormz.”
“We work with two manufacturers, and some of the data on these pages is highly important. I didn't want one manufacturer to see information meant for the other. GoFormz helped create conditional logic that automatically directs the data to the appropriate vendor based on specific criteria. That’s all possible with the power of GoFormz.”
– Larry Banas, Sales Manager, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains
Three of the pages within the Sales form are dedicated to capturing images. “We take pre-job pictures so that my installers know what they are up against,” explained Banas. “Our salesmen include images so installers can see key details like the breaker panel, the indoor setup, or the outdoor unit. The more information we provide, the better the installers can understand the scope of the work.” Image fields are an excellent method for capturing proof of work while also visually outlining the tasks that need to be completed.
“We also have AHRI matchups, which is the industry saying that the new equipment will work together. So the outdoor, indoor, and the coils will all match. So there’s a matchup in there that means a ton to our vendors and our warehouse people,” explained Banas. “This form really has a life of its own, and as you can see, integrates with all functions of our business.”
Given how integral the Sales form is to the HELP organization, the team implemented automatic triggers to ensure each person receives exactly the information they need. This is what the process looks like:
At the end of this process, Banas receives each of the form pages to ensure everything looks right. This automation enables the HELP team to create a single comprehensive form that efficiently delivers the correct information to the right people. Ensuring each person only receives relevant details reduces the risk of errors and misunderstandings about their specific responsibilities.
Information is now being routed to its appropriate locations. “The neat part about GoFormz is the information that is captured on our GoFormz forms is getting uploaded to our ERP system on the actual work order that gets created,” explained Banas. “So a huge benefit for us is that we are no longer duplicating data.” This has also introduced error-free data. “Our salesmen don’t make as many mistakes when we ask them to complete this information. The less they have to write, the better it is, and the information is legible too.” Using features like Drop Down menus tied with Data Sources allows the team to automatically fill in form fields, reducing opportunities for human error and streamlining the form filling process.
The HELP team can ensure their team members are ready for anything. “We are able to ensure our installers are made aware of what the housing situation is like so they can be prepared for any type of installation service,” explained Banas. Using Image fields, the salesmen can include a layout of the house for the installer ahead of the service appointment. “There might be a house that is difficult to move around, or mice to be aware of. The good news is that we have pictures to work off of to let our installers know ahead of schedule if they need to wear a hazmat suit or something,” explained Banas. “The real benefit here is that we have an exchange of information in a format that’s easy for us to understand.”
“The real benefit here is that we have an exchange of information in a format that’s easy for us to understand.”
– Larry Banas, Sales Manager, HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric, and Drains
HELP leverages Automatic Calculations within their sales form. "The automatic calculations are crucial. When our team fills out the form, it instantly calculates the required tonnage for heating and cooling, ensuring the system specifications are accurate," explained Banas.
This helps the finance department. “I have drop down menus for our finance companies. You pick a company, pick a plan number, and then all of that saves a ton of time for our accounting group,” explained Banas. “I don’t have to worry about financing anymore. It’s the ease of transacting every sale that makes it so that we don’t have to guess what happened anymore; we know the data is accurate. I cannot put a price on how valuable this is to us, but it just is.”