Fieldworker App Alarms, Alerts & Reminders
OctopusPro’s Fieldworker App Alarms, Alerts & Reminders help you run a tighter schedule by prompting fieldworkers at the moments that most commonly cause delays or missed jobs—before an appointment, when they’re at risk of arriving late, when they must accept/decline a job request, and when job photos are required at check-in and check-out.
- Fewer missed appointments: fieldworkers confirm attendance and acknowledge job requests.
- More accurate ETAs: proactive “leave now / running late” prompts reduce customer follow-ups.
- Cleaner dispatching: fewer “ghost” bookings and faster reassignment when a fieldworker can’t attend.
- Better job documentation: consistent before/after photo capture for quality control and disputes.
This guide explains each alarm type, where to enable it, and what the fieldworker sees in the app—using standard field service terms such as ETA alerts, attendance confirmations, and accept/decline prompts.
On this page
- Overview of alarm types
- Requirements & recommended settings
- Upcoming Job Alarm & Running-Late ETA Alerts
- Previous-Day Attendance Confirmation Alarm
- Pending Booking Accept / Decline Reminder
- Before & After Photo Upload Reminder
- Best practices & examples
- Troubleshooting
- Related guides
Overview of alarm types
Depending on what your company enables in settings, the OctopusPro Fieldworker App may show one or more of the following alarms and reminders.
| Alarm | Purpose | Key triggers | Typical benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upcoming Job / Running-Late (ETA Alerts) | Prompts fieldworkers to depart on time and confirm an updated ETA if delays occur. | Upcoming appointment + GPS/travel-time estimate indicates risk of late arrival. | Fewer late arrivals and fewer “Where are you?” calls through proactive ETA updates. |
| Previous-Day Attendance Confirmation | Requests confirmation the day before so dispatch can plan ahead. | Scheduled reminder on T-1 (time set by admin settings). | Earlier visibility of conflicts, enabling reassignment before the day starts. |
| Pending Booking Accept / Decline | Ensures new job requests are acknowledged quickly. | Booking assigned as Pending and not actioned within the reminder window (repeats until actioned). | Faster dispatching and fewer unconfirmed (“ghost”) bookings. |
| Before & After Photo Reminder | Prompts job-site photos at check-in and/or check-out. | Triggered at Start job (check-in) and/or Complete visit (check-out) when enabled in permissions. | Consistent documentation for quality, disputes, compliance, and before/after portfolios. |
Requirements & recommended settings
Fieldworker requirements (recommended)
- Allow notifications for the OctopusPro Fieldworker App (otherwise alarms may not appear on time).
- Location Services (GPS) enabled (required for GPS-based ETA / running-late alerts).
- Allow background activity (battery optimization / low power mode can delay push alerts on some devices).
- Stable connectivity (if the device goes offline briefly, updates may sync when connection returns).
Admin settings (recommended)
- Review your workflow and alarm flags here: Booking Settings, Flags and Permissions
- Review fieldworker access and photo requirements here: Fieldworker Permissions & Access Control
- Learn how alerts are delivered here: Use Real-Time Notifications
Upcoming Job Alarm & Running-Late ETA Alerts
The Upcoming Job / Running-Late ETA Alert reduces late arrivals by prompting the fieldworker to leave on time using appointment start time, GPS location, and estimated travel time. When enabled, the updated ETA can also be shared with the office and/or customer (depending on your notification settings and templates).
Admin setup
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Booking Settings.
- Enable Fieldworker Running Late Alerts (GPS-Based ETA Monitoring).
Optional: control when the full address is visible
If you use address/privacy controls (for example, restricted sites, high-value jobs, or dispatch-led routing), you can control when the fieldworker sees the full address:
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Fieldworker Permissions.
- Configure Display full booking address at all times:
- Enabled: Full address is visible as soon as the job is assigned.
- Disabled: Only the suburb/locality is shown until the day of the job; the full address is revealed when the fieldworker taps On The Way (and ETA monitoring begins).
How it works (high level)
- ETA risk check: OctopusPro compares the fieldworker’s GPS location and estimated travel time against the appointment start time.
- Alarm prompt: If the fieldworker is not on track to arrive on time, the app prompts them to confirm what’s happening.
- Logged actions: Responses (leaving now / running late / unable to attend) can be recorded so office staff have a clear timeline.
What the fieldworker sees & what to do
When the prompt appears, the fieldworker typically chooses one of the following:
Option 1: “Leave now / Departing now”
The fieldworker confirms they are leaving. The app calculates the ETA and may ask them to confirm the arrival time before updating the booking.
Option 2: “Running late”
The fieldworker acknowledges a delay and confirms the revised ETA. OctopusPro can log this and notify the office/customer based on your notification configuration.
Option 3: “No longer attending / unable to attend”
If the fieldworker cannot attend, they may be asked to confirm and provide a reason. This helps dispatch reassign quickly and keeps reporting accurate.
Example fieldworker screens for the Upcoming Job / Running-Late alarm flow:
Previous-Day Attendance Confirmation Alarm
The Previous-Day Attendance Confirmation alarm prompts fieldworkers to confirm tomorrow’s booking(s) in advance—so dispatch has time to reassign, adjust routes, or notify customers early if someone can’t attend.
Admin setup
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Booking Settings.
- Enable Day-Before Attendance Confirmation Alarm.
- Select the reminder time (for example, the evening before the appointment).
- (Optional) If you want fieldworkers to acknowledge a cancellation policy when declining, add your policy under Settings → General Settings → Fieldworker Terms.
Fieldworker experience
The day before the booking, the fieldworker receives the prompt and chooses Attending or Not attending.
If declining is enabled/required, the app can display your cancellation policy and collect a reason.
Example fieldworker screens for the Previous-Day Attendance Confirmation alarm:
Result: The response syncs immediately so the office can take action (reassign, reschedule, or contact the customer if needed).
Pending Booking Accept / Decline Reminder
This reminder ensures new job requests do not go unanswered. When a booking is assigned as Pending, the fieldworker is prompted to Accept or Decline. Reminders can repeat until the request is actioned (based on your configuration).
Admin setup
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Booking Settings.
- Enable Pending-Booking Accept / Decline Alarm.
- Set the reminder interval (commonly every few minutes, depending on your configuration).
What happens when a fieldworker responds
- Accept: the booking progresses in your workflow (for example, to Confirmed/Assigned depending on your setup).
- Decline: you can require a decline reason (or custom questions) so dispatch can reassign quickly with clear context.
Example fieldworker screens for the Pending Booking Accept / Decline reminder:
Before & After Photo Upload Reminder
Photo upload reminders standardize job documentation by prompting fieldworkers to attach photos at check-in (before work begins) and/or check-out (after work is completed). Prompts can be configured as mandatory or optional.
Admin setup (Fieldworker Permissions)
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Fieldworker Permissions.
- Enable one or both photo prompts:
- Ask fieldworkers to upload photos when starting a booking
- Ask fieldworkers to upload photos when completing a visit
- If required, enforce photos as mandatory using the relevant “make uploading images mandatory…” flags.
- Save your changes.
Detailed setup guides:
- Require “Before” Photos at Job Start (Check-In)
- Fieldworker Job Completion Photos (Mandatory/Optional)
Fieldworker workflow
- At job start (check-in): the app prompts the fieldworker to add photos before continuing (if mandatory).
- At job completion (check-out): the app prompts the fieldworker to add photos before final completion (if mandatory).
- Multi-visit bookings: prompts can repeat per visit to capture a complete visual history across multiple appointments.
Best practices & examples
- For mobile services (travel to customer sites): Enable Running-Late ETA Alerts + Day-Before Confirmation to reduce late arrivals and day-of cancellations.
- For subcontractor networks: Enable Pending Accept/Decline so jobs don’t sit unanswered and reassignment happens fast.
- For high-value or high-risk jobs: Require mandatory photos to strengthen quality control and reduce disputes.
- For privacy-sensitive operations: Restrict address visibility until On The Way if needed.
Troubleshooting
- Fieldworker isn’t receiving alarms: confirm notifications are allowed for the app, Focus/Do Not Disturb is not silencing notifications, and battery optimization is not restricting the app.
- Running-late alerts aren’t triggering: confirm Location Services (GPS) is enabled and Fieldworker Running Late Alerts is enabled in Booking Settings.
- Address is hidden but should be visible: check Display full booking address at all times in Fieldworker Permissions.
- Photo prompts aren’t appearing: confirm photo flags are enabled in Fieldworker Permissions and that the booking workflow includes check-in/check-out steps.
Office-side SMS follow-up views
If your reminder or notification workflow also involves SMS communication, office staff can review incoming replies from the SMS Inbox and trace related activity from the SMS Log.
Related guides
- Use Real-Time Notifications
- Manage Notifications, Internal Discussions, Call & SMS Alerts
- Booking Settings, Flags and Permissions
- Fieldworker Permissions & Access Control
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