Fault Reports with Photos
Owners pick their unit, enter the controller code and attach a picture of the display, so dispatch knows what it faces before calling back.
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A Generator Customer App for Owners Before and After the Outage
We build a generator customer app that lets homeowners book annual maintenance, follow an install from permit to startup, and report a unit that failed to start, without sitting on hold while a storm rolls through.
01
When the Grid Drops, Every Owner Calls in the Same Hour
A generator business has a lopsided demand curve. For months the phones stay quiet, and then a hurricane, ice storm or summer derecho takes down a grid and every owner whose controller shows a red light tries to reach you at once.
A self-service app gives those homeowners a place to go first. They log the fault with the controller code, attach a photo of the display, and see that the request sits in the queue, which takes pressure off a front desk that may itself be running on backup power.
The install side matters too. A standby job moves through a site visit, load calculation, permit, gas utility coordination, pad, set, electrical tie-in and inspection. Customers who can see which stage they are in stop calling to ask.
02
Sitting Beside Your Field Software and Manufacturer Portals
Most installers already schedule and invoice in a field service platform such as ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or Jobber, with QuickBooks behind it. The customer app should read appointments and job stages from that system rather than keep a second calendar your dispatcher must update.
Many units also report to a manufacturer monitoring service, such as Generac Mobile Link or Kohler OnCue. We would not rebuild that telemetry. The app can link owners to their monitoring account and turn an alert into a service request with one tap.
Where a platform has an open API we connect directly, and where it does not we look at scheduled exports or webhooks. Which route fits gets confirmed on the scoping call, not guessed at in a proposal.
03
Permits, Text Consent and What Owners Should Never Touch
The app installs nothing, but it reports on work governed by the National Electrical Code, local permit offices and the gas utility. Any status it shows, such as permit submitted or inspection passed, should come from your records and never from a date the software assumes.
Text reminders need documented opt-in under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, so signup records consent and makes opting out easy. Records hold home addresses, gate codes and sometimes medical reasons for needing backup power, so access is limited by role and data is encrypted.
Troubleshooting content needs care. Telling an owner to check the main breaker or clear a controller alarm is reasonable, but anything that sends them inside the enclosure or near the transfer switch is not, and that wording stays under your review.
What you get
Key features
Install Stage Tracker
A plain timeline shows assessment, permit, utility work, set, inspection and startup, updated from your office records.
Maintenance Booking
Plan holders choose an annual service window, get a reminder the day before, and can flag a locked gate or a dog in the yard.
Storm Notices by County
Your office pushes one clear message to every customer in an affected area, explaining response priorities while phone lines are jammed.
04
What We Would Ask Your Office to Hand Over
A self-service app is only as good as its picture of your real process. We would need your job stages as your office names them, the maintenance plans you sell, and the brands and model ranges you install and service.
We also need someone who can settle edge cases, such as an owner with an air-cooled unit you did not install, or a property where the propane tank belongs to a fuel supplier rather than the homeowner.
- Admin access or API credentials for your field service and accounting software
- Maintenance plan names, inclusions and renewal terms
- Your service area by county or ZIP code, plus after-hours rules
- Approved wording for storm notices, fault reporting and permit updates
- Logo files, brand colors and photos of your own crews and installs
05
Missteps That Leave a Generator Customer App Unused
The first is letting homeowners book an install slot directly. A standby install needs a site assessment for gas pressure, meter capacity and clearances, so the app should book that assessment and leave crew scheduling to your office.
The second is ignoring fuel type. Natural gas and LP owners ask different questions, and a propane customer may need a tank level reminder before storm season that would only confuse someone on a utility gas line.
The third is treating the outage rush as an afterthought. If the app stalls when hundreds of fault reports land in one night, it loses trust exactly when it should earn it, so we load test the request flow before launch.
06
Numbers That Show the App Is Earning Its Keep
Choose a handful of measures before launch and record where they stand today. Most come straight from your phone system and field service platform, so nobody has to track anything by hand.
Review them after the first storm event and again at maintenance renewal time. Those two moments are where a self-service tool proves itself or shows what needs fixing.
- Inbound calls per outage day compared with a similar past storm
- Share of maintenance visits booked without staff involvement
- Status calls from customers waiting on permits or inspections
- Visits where the tech arrived and could not reach the unit
Can the generator customer app show live data from the unit?+
Live readings come from the manufacturer monitoring service, not from our app. We link owners to that account and let an alert become a service request. Rebuilding telemetry would add cost without adding much value.
Will customers be able to book installations themselves?+
We recommend they book a site assessment instead of an install slot. Your team still has to check gas supply, meter size and placement before committing a crew. Once the job is sold, the app shows every stage.
How much does an app like this cost?+
Mobile apps start at $4,500 with SIZ Group. Integrations with your field software, storm messaging and fault reporting all shape the final figure, and we confirm scope and price in writing before work starts.
Who keeps the information customers see up to date?+
Mostly your existing systems. Stages and appointments flow from your field service platform, while an admin dashboard handles storm notices, plan details and help content.
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Let's make it happen
Give Homeowners an Answer Before They Dial
Book a free scoping call and we will map your install stages, maintenance plans and storm workflow into a customer app your office can keep current.