If you’ve spent any time in Aspire, you know there’s more than one way to collect information from your crews in the field. Two of the most useful tools in your toolkit are Custom Forms and Service Visit Checklists. At first glance, they might look similar — both give your team a list of items to complete in the Aspire Mobile app — but the way they work is a little different. And depending on what you want to achieve, one might be a better fit than the other.
Custom Forms: The Flexible Option
Think of Custom Forms as your “anything goes” checklist builder. You can choose from different question types — checkboxes, dropdown lists, text fields — and even decide which ones are required. Plus, they’re available in English and Spanish, which is a huge win for teams with bilingual staff.
You can set Custom Forms to appear at different points in the day:
- When an employee clocks in
- When they clock out
- When they start a ticket for a specific service
- When they complete a ticket for a specific service
The catch? If you’re using the “Complete Ticket” version, the crew won’t see the form until they’ve marked the ticket complete. That works great for end-of-job confirmations, but not so much if you need them to check things off during the work itself. Also, managers can’t see these forms in time entry — you’ll have to pull a report to review them.
Where Custom Forms shine is in situations like:
- A morning safety checklist before leaving the yard
- State-required chemical application reporting
- Snow service wrap-up with materials tracking and photos
Service Visit Checklists: The Real-Time Option
Service Visit Checklists are built right into an estimate. Once the job is in Aspire, there’s a “Checklist” button in the mobile app where employees can see it before they complete the ticket. That means they can work through items as they go — and if they try to close the ticket without finishing all the required items, Aspire will send them right back to it.
Managers get real-time visibility, too, since they can see checklist status in time entry. The downside? Service Visit Checklists are a bit more limited — they’re checkbox only, and there’s no built-in Spanish option (though you can type items in Spanish manually). Also, because they’re tied to estimates, you have to set them up before a contract is won or do a change order later.
They’re perfect for:
- Client-specific requests (like calling on arrival or checking a gate before leaving)
- Detailed, step-by-step instructions for renovation or installation work
- One-time reminders for a specific job
Choosing the Right One
If you need multiple response types, bilingual support, or the flexibility to trigger a form at clock in/out, Custom Forms will give you more options. If you want your team to see and complete items during the job and give managers instant visibility, Service Visit Checklists are the way to go.
Taking It Further
Here’s the thing — neither of these tools is typically set up for you during Aspire’s implementation process. That’s where Two Twelve Advisors comes in. We help you design forms and checklists that actually match your workflow, so you’re not just collecting information — you’re getting the right information at the right time.