Jobs

A Job is the primary container for work in HeyChief. It represents something you're doing for a customer—whether that's a 30-minute haircut or a 3-month home renovation.

Why Jobs?

Most business software splits work into confusing categories: appointments here, orders there, projects somewhere else. You end up managing the same customer relationship across multiple systems.

HeyChief uses Jobs as a single, flexible container. One concept. One place to track it. One workflow.

Job types

Every Job has a type that determines how much structure you need:

Appointments

Simple, time-based work that typically happens in one session.

Best for: Salons, studios, trainers, consultants, photographers

Characteristics:

Has a scheduled start and end time
Usually completed in one visit
Often booked directly by the customer

Example: A 60-minute massage scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm.

Projects

Complex work that progresses through stages, often requiring quotes and multiple touchpoints.

Best for: Contractors, landscapers, event planners, creative agencies

Characteristics:

May span days, weeks, or months
Often starts with an estimate or quote
Includes multiple line items (services + materials)
May require deposits

Example: A bathroom remodel with demolition, plumbing, tile work, and fixtures.

Job lifecycle

Jobs move through a predictable sequence of stages. Not every job uses every stage—a simple appointment might go straight from scheduled to completed—but the full lifecycle is always available.

Request → Quote Sent → Approved → Scheduled → In Progress → Completed → Invoiced → Paid
                ↓           ↓
            Declined     Canceled

Status	What it means
`request`	Customer has inquired but nothing is confirmed
`quote_sent`	You've sent a quote; waiting for approval
`approved`	Customer approved; work is greenlit
`scheduled`	Work has a date/time on the calendar
`in_progress`	Work is actively happening
`completed`	Work is done
`invoiced`	Invoice sent to customer
`paid`	Customer has paid in full
`declined`	Customer declined the quote
`canceled`	Job was canceled before completion
`no_show`	Customer didn't show up (appointments)

Note: Status transitions are enforced. You can't jump from request directly to paid—the system keeps your workflow honest.

What's on a Job

Every Job has a consistent structure:

Core information

Field	Description
Job number	Human-readable ID like `#1042`
Customer	Who the work is for
Type	Appointment or Project
Status	Where it is in the lifecycle
Assigned to	Staff member(s) responsible

Scheduling

Field	Description
Scheduled start	When work is planned to begin
Scheduled end	When work is expected to finish
Service address	Where the work happens (if different from customer address)

Financials

Jobs automatically calculate totals from their line items:

Field	Description
Subtotal	Sum of all line items
Tax	Calculated based on tax rate
Total	What the customer owes
Amount paid	Payments received
Balance due	What's still outstanding

Line items

Line items are the individual services and materials that make up a Job. They can come from your Pricebook or be entered manually.

Types of line items:

Type	Description	Example
Service	Work you perform	"AC Diagnostic – $89"
Material	Physical items used	"Refrigerant – 2 lbs @ $45/lb"
Fee	Additional charges	"After-hours fee – $50"
Discount	Price reductions	"Loyalty discount – -$25"

Line items can be priced different ways:

Each – A flat fee ("$89 service call")
Hourly – Time-based ("$150/hour labor")
Per unit – Quantity-based ("$3.50/sq ft")

Jobs and other concepts

Jobs connect to everything else in HeyChief:

Quotes → A Job can have one or more quotes attached. When a customer approves a quote, the Job advances.

Invoices → When work is complete, you generate an invoice from the Job. Line items flow through automatically.

Payments → Payments are applied to invoices, but you can always see the full picture on the Job.

Conversations → Customer messages link to their Jobs, so you have context when replying.

Creating Jobs

Jobs can be created in several ways:

From the Inbox – Customer sends a message? Convert it to a Job in one click.
From the Schedule – Click a time slot to create an appointment.
Manually – Create a Job from scratch and fill in the details.
Ask Chief – "Create a job for Sarah Chen, AC repair at 123 Main St."

Common patterns

The quick appointment

Customer books online → Job created automatically → Appointment happens → Mark complete → Charge on file

Typical for: Salons, wellness, personal training

The quote-first project

Lead comes in → Create Job as request → Build quote with line items → Send quote → Customer approves → Schedule work → Complete → Invoice → Collect payment

Typical for: Home services, contractors, agencies

The recurring relationship

Customer on a maintenance plan → Job created automatically each visit → Work logged → Invoice generated → Payment processed

Typical for: Lawn care, pool service, cleaning, pest control

Tips

Don't skip statuses just to save clicks. The lifecycle exists to help you track what's really happening. If you mark things paid before they're actually paid, your reports will be wrong.
Use line items, not notes, for pricing. Line items flow to quotes and invoices automatically. Notes don't.
Link jobs to conversations. When a customer texts you about their project, link it. Future-you will thank past-you.