Electrical Services
How ZenTrades Helped Covenant Electric Streamline Operations And Save Hours Of Paperwork
Company Overview
- Grottoes, VA
- Established: 2005
- Employees: 4
About The Company
Covenant Electric is a Dayton-based electrical contracting company founded in 2007 by Tony. Tony began his journey in the electrical field working for a mining company, where he specialized in industrial electrical work. While employed there, he also took on side projects, gradually developing a reputation for quality and reliability.
From the start, Tony was determined to run a legitimate business rather than a fly-by-night operation. He obtained his contractor license and launched Covenant Electric, balancing both his mining job and his growing company. By 2014, the business had grown enough that Tony left his mining job to focus entirely on Covenant Electric, managing every aspect himself, from scheduling and fieldwork to invoicing and customer communication.
“ZenTrades has made a huge difference in my day-to-day. It really does streamline everything. Once you start using it, you’ll get hooked. It becomes part of your business, and you won’t want to go back.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- Key Results
50%
Jobs / inspections Tracked
$100K
Estimated Annual Cost Savings
5 hrs
Daily Time Saved
100%
User Adoption
- The Challenge
Managing Covenant Electric was extremely demanding. Tony created detailed job packets for each project, attaching invoices, material paperwork, and notes on what work had been done and what needed to be done next. After completing jobs in the field, he would return to the office to re-enter all of that information into QuickBooks, calculate costs, and generate invoices.
“I was basically doing double work. I’d spend the day in the field with paperwork and then come back to the office and do the same work again. It was overwhelming.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
This system was time-consuming and prone to delays, especially when Tony fell behind on invoicing. Resources were tied up in completed jobs, but payments hadn’t been processed yet. Over time, he realized that his old methods could not scale and that continuing this way would limit his business growth.
“I knew I had to either work every night to get things done or find another solution. That’s when I started thinking about software solutions.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Tony had explored other software solutions before, but none were a good fit for his workflow. He admitted that his hesitation to change often held him back.
“I don’t like to change. It’s easier to keep doing what I know than to figure something new out. I tried another system once, but it just didn’t work for me.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- The Solution
Tony’s introduction to ZenTrades came through persistent outreach from the team. Despite his busy schedule and initial skepticism, he agreed to a demo after multiple attempts to schedule a meeting.
During the demo, Tony saw that ZenTrades could seamlessly connect fieldwork and office operations, eliminating the need for duplicate work and manual re-entry of data. He also appreciated that the platform could integrate his existing job sheets and customer spreadsheets, making the transition smoother.
He acknowledged that his initial resistance to change could have been a barrier, but ZenTrades’ patient and consistent support made adoption possible.
ZenTrades also allowed Tony to continue using familiar templates and job sheets, which helped him adapt more easily. For instance, a customer’s lighting audit sheet was successfully integrated into the system:
Additionally, the platform offers checklist functionality, which Tony plans to implement for end-of-job quality control:
“I liked the platform, the whole setup, and the mobile app. It integrated field and office work without me having to do double work, and that was the most important thing for me.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
“I told the ZenTrades team, if I’m going to do this, you’re going to have to hold my hand and walk me through every step, because I’ll go back to what I know otherwise. And that’s exactly what you did. You were patient and consistent. You went over things four or five times with me, and that encouraged me to continue. Now I don’t use paper anymore. This is what I use.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- Onboarding Experience
Tony described his onboarding process with ZenTrades as smooth, though he acknowledged that his own resistance to change made it more challenging.
He appreciated that ZenTrades could integrate his preferred job sheets and existing workflows, reducing disruption and helping him transition confidently.
“The difficulty was on me because I didn’t know the platform and I don’t like change. But once I understood the product, even with my resistance, I saw it was a good product.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Even after learning the system, Tony still occasionally needed guidance, and ZenTrades support was there every step of the way.
“When I was getting discouraged, you said, okay, let’s back up and go over this again. You probably did that four or five times with me, and that kept me going.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- The Results
ZenTrades transformed Tony’s daily operations and brought measurable improvements across multiple areas:
Scheduling and Job Management:
“Scheduling is much easier now. When my job board changes, I can adjust it in ZenTrades quickly. Even if a job moves three or four times, it’s easy to update.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Field-to-Office Connection:
“Everything is captured in real-time. I take notes in the field, and it syncs back to the office automatically. I no longer have to worry about double work or missing information.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Invoicing and Cost Management:
“Before ZenTrades, I had to create invoices twice, re-enter costs, and calculate markups manually. Now, my costs are already in the system. I just enter quantities and it’s done. It saves me four to five hours a week.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Customer Experience:
“Estimates look professional, and customers have multiple payment options now. Some choose credit cards, some checks, some cash. Before, I was absorbing some credit card charges. Now, customers decide the payment method after seeing the invoice clearly, which has saved me money.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Work-Life Balance:
“I have more family time now. I’m not staying late every night to catch up on invoices. I can actually take a breath and plan my days better.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Business Growth:
“ZenTrades makes it simpler to manage multiple crews and jobs. When I hire more people, they can quickly learn the platform, and I can trust the information they bring back. That integration supports growth.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- Customer Service Experience
Tony consistently praised ZenTrades’ support team for their patience and responsiveness:
“You’ve been phenomenal. Everything I needed, you were there. You stayed with me until I understood the platform, walked me through the process, and helped me find solutions.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
“Customer service seems to be lacking these days, but ZenTrades restored my faith. You understand what customer service really is, and you go above and beyond. That’s why I continue using the platform.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
He also highlighted the human touch of the ZenTrades team:
“It’s not just software. It’s like a partner that walks alongside your business. You’ve got a personality that goes with a good product, and that makes a huge difference.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
- Why It Worked
ZenTrades helped Covenant Electric:
- Save 4–5 hours per week by eliminating double work
- Streamline scheduling, invoicing, and materials management
- Connect field and office seamlessly for real-time data capture
- Improve customer communication and payment options
- Support business growth and scalability
- Deliver exceptional onboarding and ongoing support
“The ability to problem-solve and streamline tasks has been amazing. ZenFire’s support team also helped us every step of the way, giving us solutions even before we knew we needed them.”
— Mandy, Operations Lead, Valley Fire Safety
“It’s worth it. It will save you time, reduce stress, and connect your field with your office seamlessly. Don’t hesitate.”
— Tony, Owner, Covenant Electric
Ready to Achieve Similar Results?
See how ZenTrades can help your field service operations become faster, more organized, and more efficient
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