Pete Bradham on transition to ServiceTitan: ‘I don’t know if it could have gone any better’

Pete Bradham spent years preparing to change the software used by his Charlotte-based HVAC business, Bradham Brothers Inc. 

“I didn't just jump into this process,” he said. “I took my time. It was three or four years before I decided to do this. I knew when I started out, this is what's going to happen. I’m going to follow through.” He knew what he wanted: A software that would grow with his company, cement his processes, and make it more valuable. 

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He studied several types of software before choosing ServiceTitan, the cloud-based software for the trades.

One of many reasons: ServiceTitan promised “to take care of Pete,” meaning ServiceTitan would listen to and address Bradham Brothers’ unique needs. A year and four months after joining, Bradham has no regrets.

“I don’t know if it could have gone any better,” he said.

Bradham concedes there were hiccups. But in the aggregate, he sees ServiceTitan as the platform that will foster, allow and enable the company growth he envisions.

“I think it’s really good for our business, and for me personally,” he said.

Among the benefits:

• Dashboard information. Data on revenue, jobs, work of technicians and more is easily visible on the home page and through custom reports. No more compiling spreadsheets from multiple sources. “It cuts my time by 10 compared to what it was,” Bradham said. 

• Using data to power positive coaching. Kelly Dowdy, Bradham’s General Manager, said gaining information on each tech’s performance can be used “in a positive way, to try to push people forward,” rather than to question shortcomings.

• Integration via mobile. That helps the techs in the field.

• Implementing more spiffs. “Let's face it, we're all here for money to a certain extent,” Bradham said. “It’s allowed (the team) to be more responsible and engaged for their own income.”

• Simplicity of communication via mobile. If a technician sees a repair or fix is needed, he or she adds it to the task list. “The software tells the office: ‘Hey this guy did this, did that,’” Bradham said. “The technician really does nothing more than do his job.”

• Notifications to customers. Bradham said he’s actually seen customers out in public, and they’ve told him how much they appreciate the notifications they receive—notifications that are built into ServiceTitan.

• Office efficiencies. A byproduct of all the above, which in the end helps both the business and the customer.

“It's definitely allowed us all to focus a little more on rethinking and innovating, and reconsidering change,” Bradham said.

Bradham admits that there are elements of the business that still need refining, which he expects to happen as the company continues to grow into ServiceTitan. One is offering options on estimates, another the expanded use of spiffs to reward performance.

Finally, Bradham still has information on its 1,400 or so memberships stored in a filing cabinet; he looks forward to finding “the next level of comfort” with ServiceTitan so it can handle those memberships—which includes sending automatic renewal notices.

As Bradham looks to his business and its future, he thinks of his son Boyd and daughter Kylie, and he realizes that if they decide to take over the business, one key decision will be crossed off their to-do list: Bradham will be settled on ServiceTitan, which he says is willing to grow and push forward alongside the business.

“Whoever takes over this business, it’s more valuable because that (software) process is taken care of,” he said. “They don't have to worry about that part.”