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:

Profit Margins for Service Dept. Report
To allow for additional tracking for the Service Department, we have added the ability to check Profit Margins on the "filtered" Service Department Report. This change also includes all internal sales (using payment method 12) for the Service Department. This report can be filtered for single or multiple mechanics and can help in the area of mechanic efficiency and profitability. In addition, the profit margins will be displayed (if run in detail) for individual transactions with each invoice number printed for your review. At the end, this report will also total all transactions with the filter criteria and show the accumulative profit margin for all. Special thanks to Lowell at Bikers Edge in Witchita, KS for this cool enhancement!

Customer History Available from Menu
The ability to access your customer's transaction history (which has always been easily accessible from the P.O.S. screen) can now be accessed from the Menu option, under 1-Maintenance/Display 2- Customers. Invoice reprinting is also available from both places. Thats go out to Matt at A1 Parts in Brookfield, MA, for this great suggestion!

Network User-License Counter Updated
In the past, Counterman has always recorded the computer name AND the login name as a full user in the system. This prevented multiple log-in names from the same computer system. In order to allow multiple log in names, we have taken a different approach to this process and now allow for it. So if you have a station with Counterman installed, you can setup additional log-ins for y our employees and Counterman will not count them as additional users. This can be helpful if you have sensitive data and/or programs that you do not want your employees to have access to. We again appreciate the input from A1 Parts in Brookfield, MA for another nice enhancement!

Restock Charge on Vendor Returns
When using the "Internal Payment Method" of 14 for Vendor Returns, often times the vendor/supplier will charge a restocking fee for returned merchandise. Counterman has setup an allowance for this for any Vendor Returns and will automatically deduct (from the cost level pricing) the percentage entered at the beginning of the transaction. No longer will it be necessary to do the math to figure out your restock charge, as Counterman will do it for you. So, when you begin any transaction for a customer who is preset for a Cost+0 discount, a Counterman window will popup and ask you if this is a Vendor Return? If no, just Escape past this window. But if it is a vendor return, enter the percentage of the restock fee and Counterman will do the rest! A note at the bottom of the invoice will say "TOTAL REFLECTS A XX% RESTOCK CHARGE" (where XX = the percentage you enter). This enhancement is a result of several Counterman user requests.

PDF Emailing for Invoice Reprints
Severral users have requested that we allow for the same PDF e-mail process we currently allow for such as when an invoice is processed, when reprinting an invoice. This has been implemented in this release. If you still like the old way Counterman did this (in text format) we can easily switch you back, just give us a call and we'll delete a single file that controls this process.

Snap-On's Parts Manager Pro Interface
For many OEM franchise shopes that use Counterman, an on-screen computerized micro-fiche system known as "Parts Manager Pro" is used instead of paper catalogs to locate items their customers want. This is a helpful tool that Counterman now has a full interface with. Items can be selected from Parts Manager Pro and a list built. Then, when the list is complete, it's a matter of just a click or two to import those part numbers directly into Counterman. If you are interested in an on-screen microfiche system, Counterman interfaces with several of them including PartSmart, HLSM, and now PartsManagerPro. Special thanks to Chris at Anchorage Yamaha for his help on this.

All New Warranty Processes!
Difficulties with processing, tracking and accepting payments for Warranty work performed in y our shop, is now a thing of the past! Counterman has spent much time and effort into presenting you with a newly formulated warranty process that is not only highly functional, but allows for just about any scenario. From the customer to the manufacturer, whether you receive credists or payments from the manufacturer for warranty work you perfomed. Even an enhancement that allows for partial payments by the customer at time of processing, Counterman can now do it all! You say the Manufacturer only pays for the labor and credits you the parts? Or visa-versa? Or the amount you originally processed on the warranty is different from the credit and/or payment your received form the manufacturer? Or maybe the customer wants to purchase something in y our shop on the same transaction as their warranty items? Counterman now allows for all these different scenarios and more with the newly released warranty process. If you process warranties in Counterman, than this is for you. If you have never processed a warranty in Counterman because the software was unable to accommodate the processes that your manufacturer demands, then this is for you! Please take the time to read the article "All New Warranty Processes" on your printed Newsleter. You'll be glad you did! Again, give thanks to Rodney's Cycle House in Little Rock, AR and Big Dog Motorcycles for their help in bringing you this aweseome enhancement!

F3, F7, F8 Disabled in POS Screen
Issues directly related to the F3, F7, and F8 keys are now non-existent in Conterman Pro. As these keys were not used for anything when in the middle of a transaction, we have disabled them all-together. If you happen to accidentally press one of these keys from a transaction, nothing will happen. Thanks go out to Athens Sport Cycles in Athens, OF for catching this one. Thanks guys!

F&I Other Phone Number Search
This added feature will make it easier to locate your customers who have provided you with more than one telephone number. We enabled a similar enhancement about a year ago that allows a search for customers by either their primary telephone number, or by their "other" phone number when performing a regular Point of Sale transaction to search for a customer. Cell phones are a distinct part of the future and many customers have more than one number where they can be reached. This release allows you to find a customer from within the F&I program by either phone number. Special thanks go out to RPM Motorcycle Service in Nashua, NH for this added feathure.

F & I Margines to Exclude Trade-In Values
A common requests for Counterman F&I users is to NOT include the value of the trade-in when calculating the profit on a motor-cycle sale. Even though, technically speaking, it does decrease the profit because you are adding to the cost of sales, the price for the trade-in. But this cost can be considered an added cost to your major inventory, which is how Counterman will treat trade-in values with this new update. Profits on motorcycle sales will no longer deduct the trade-in value from the profit on the sale and all employee activity reports cash drawer reports will show the profit margins accordingly. Thands to Bikers Edge in Wichita, KS and to Randy's Cycles in Huntly, IL for this suggestion that we are confident will appeal to all Counterman F&I users.

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 2.09
Update 3.08
Update 2.08
Update 1.08