Recent Updates to Counterman!

Our Goal is to continue to improve!

As we continue to make improvements for Counterman Pro, we will inform you of these updates and enhancements in this section. We strive to provide the tools and features Counterman users have requested. Listening to your comments and suggestions provides us greater insight to your software needs. We encourage you to contact us with these comments and suggestions by email or phone call. There are very nice updates for this release:

Automatically add Shop Supplies?
After several requests (most recently from Steve over at SKS Motorcycles in Lilburn, GA) we have added the ability to automatically add Shop Supplies to Service Repair and/or Warranty Repair Orders. In order for this to work, it will be necessary to have a pre-setup product code of "SS" for "Shop Supplies", PLUS, a text file has to be present in the path (on the server station) called: "SHOPSUPP.TXT". We made the decision to control this enhancement with this TXT file so we could add this feature exclusively for users who request it. If you would like to add this feature, just give us a call and we'll help you get it all setup, it only takes a minute...

Detailed Credit Card Breakout Here is another feature available for you, made upon request and again controlled with a text file. This feature comes to us by suggestion from Eagle Rider in Las Vegas, NV; performs a detailed tax breakout of all payment methods on a summary level, as part of the Cash Drawer Report.
The additional page on the cash drawer report will summarize each payment method, Total Sale, Taxable amount, Non-Taxable amount, and Total Tax charged for each payment method. This feature is controlled with a text file named: BREAKOUT.TXT must reside in the Counterman path. If you would like to add this feature, just give us a call and weÕll help you get it all setup, it only takes a minute.

Smaller Receipts for Thermal Printers
Thanks to Bikers Edge in Whichita, KS for this cool suggestion: A nice enhancement is now available upon request to print receipts (invoices) on a 40 column Thermal Receipt Printer. Thermal Receipt Printers are approximately 1/4 the size of a normal laser printer and will help save a tree or two by printing all invoices on half the paper normally required. We have formatted this smaller receipt to include as much data as possible, however, most of the description will not be printed due to size limitations. If you are interested in implementing the 'Smaller Receipts' in your shop, give us a call and we will help you get it all setup.

Reorder List Enhancements A little known keystroke, available from the POS screen that can help save time has always been available in Counterman, where; when the cursor is on the Product Code area of any transaction, then F2 (Stock Check) is pressed, the part number on the F2 screen (press spacebar) can be pasted directly into the POS sales grid. As of this update, you can now use this same function from within any Reorder List. Additionally from the Reorder List, is the confirmation of multiple vendors when refreshing (F3) the order. The F3 'Refresh Order' will now list all vendors previously on the order and allow for editing and/or adding vendors. When the order is refreshed, only those vendors included in this list will be included in the order.

Create Filter Button Counterman has always had the ability to add new reporting filters (F11) in order to customize any Filtered Reports currently available. To add to Counterman's 'click-ability', all filtered reports now have a button you can click to add a new reporting filter. In this screen, you can design your own filters. Not that this is a new 'function', just a new and easier method of opening the Add New Reporting Filter screen.

Other Phone Number Search
Several users have requested a means in which to access a customers account by using the secondary telephone number.
Here it is: From POS, when accessing a customer by their telephone number, Counterman will now search both the primary Phone Number, and the 'Other' Phone Number fields in the customer record to locate a particular customer. Often times customers have multiple telephone numbers and this enhancement makes searching for those customers much easier. We should note that, if the customer is in fact, located on the 'Other' Phone number, the primary phone number will continue to be displayed on the POS screen. Thanks to Sucker Punch Sally's for this one!

Previous Month End Processes, NOT ALLOWED
We have ran into several instances where users have run month end processes for previous months. As you may (or may not) know, Counterman is a "Real Time” program and sales history information is collected as it happens. So closing a previous month can only cause some type of unwanted results. A safeguard has been implemented within the program to prevent the possibility of running a month end process that has an older month than that of the previous updated information.

Ctrl/Y Leaves the Cursor at the Next Line
Have you ever had this experience before? You have one of those long Service Repair Orders and, using the Ctrl/Y button to delete an existing line item (which works well), but only to find your cursor has moved all the way down to the end of the entire transaction? This was happening because Counterman always wanted to end up on a blank line and the nearest blank line was at the end of the transaction.
Thanks go out to Rachel at Suckerpunch Sallys in Scottsdale, AZ for bringing this to our attention. This annoying little issue is now a non-issue. As of this update, deleting a line item from any transaction will result in dropping the cursor down one line. This should help in keeping your place, when going through those long crash jobs, or any transaction that has multiple items on it. This will also enhance the ability to "put things where you want them” on the invoice too.
Additionally, in case you did not already know this, if you ever need to insert a blank line in between two items on the POS screen, you can easily accomplish this by moving the cursor to that line and pressing the "Insert” key. This allows you to add items in between the lines, or just put a "space” between items. This "space” will print as a blank space too.

Part Number Merge Process
Here’s another fine example of how Counterman listens to their users and makes changes for the greater good. Again we give thanks to Rachel over at Suckerpunch Sallys in Scottsdale, AZ for this new and very cool feature. This can be found in "Inventory Maintenance” and is designed to actually merge two different part numbers into one.

The issue was; there are two part numbers and they are virtually the same item. Either superseded or maybe purchased from two different vendors. In any event, they have different part numbers and both have some sales history. This process will merge the sales history and the available quantities together, while applying the "merge-to” as the valid vendor code.
The process will also flag the "merge-from” item as obsolete, while placing their respective part numbers into the related part number fields to let the salesperson know that the old number should not be sold anymore.

Here is how it works: From Inventory Maintenance do a "Find” for the item you want to merge from. Press X (or click the XFR button) to transfer the information. Enter the part number you want to transfer TO. If Counterman does not find this item existing in you current inventory, it will just transfer the information into the new number. However, if Counterman DOES find this number in your existing inventory, there will be a confirmation window that will pop up and ask if you want to transfer the information from one part number to the existing one, resulting in "merging” the data of the old part number into the Transfer TO part number.

F&I Enhancements
Two F&I enhancements have been added to this update: First off, tradein values are no longer considered when calculating profit margins on the sale of a vehicle. Additionally, tax amounts can include (or not include) the value of the trade, plus or minus the payoff amount. Secondly, previously sold VIN numbers were not allowed to be sold again. Due to taking in trades which were originally sold by the same shop, this is now allowed. Thanks to Lowell and Amber out at Bikers Edge for these great F&I suggestions! you (or your customer) may have at any time.

We listen to your suggestions and make changes to the software to help make life easier and more profitable in your shop. We would urge you stay tuned for new enhancements to the program, as we welcome (and need) your suggestions! —Ralph Weaver

Update 1.09
Update 2.00
Update 3.08
Update 2.08
Update 1.08