The Modern CRM Built for Tradesmen

Most software wasn't built for the trades. It was built for office workers, then bolted onto service businesses that had no other option. Merchant Protocol was built from scratch for contractors — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, landscaping, and every other trade that runs jobs in the field and manages customers from an office.

One platform. Four integrated products. Every contact, job, crew member, invoice, conversation, and photo lives in a single data layer that flows automatically across everything. No more copy-pasting between apps. No more chasing techs for job updates. No more missed follow-ups because something fell through the cracks.

If your team is still using spreadsheets, separate scheduling software, a standalone invoicing tool, and a generic website that doesn't connect to any of it — this was built to replace all of that.

Design Philosophy

Two principles drive every product decision at Merchant Protocol. Not features. Not UI trends. These two things.

1. The CRM should stay current on its own

A tradesman's job is to do the work — not to update software. The moment you ask a field tech to log into a CRM and fill in a form, you've already lost. They won't do it consistently, and when they do it'll be hours or days after the fact.

Merchant Protocol is designed so that the CRM stays current as a natural byproduct of the work itself:

• Tech takes a job photo → it's in the CRM
• Customer signs off on the job → it's in the CRM
• Tech marks themselves en route → the job status updates
• Customer pays an invoice → the project closes
• New lead fills out a website form → a contact and project appear automatically

The data enters the system the moment the action happens, through the tool the person is already using to do their job. No separate data entry step. No "please remember to update the system." The work is the update.

2. AI should multiply a tradesman's relationship capacity

The best tradesmen win on relationships — they remember customers, follow up at the right time, and make people feel taken care of. The problem is time. One person can only maintain so many relationships manually before things start slipping.

AI in Merchant Protocol isn't a chatbot. It's a relationship multiplier:

• Automatic follow-up — AI sends the right message at the right time so no customer falls through the cracks after a job
• Instant estimates — AI drafts estimates from job notes and photos so techs spend minutes reviewing instead of hours writing
• Proactive outreach — AI identifies customers due for service, maintenance reminders, or seasonal check-ins and initiates the conversation
• Memory across interactions — Every call, text, note, and visit is summarized and surfaced so anyone on the team can pick up a customer relationship mid-stream without asking the customer to repeat themselves

The goal isn't to automate relationships away. It's to give one tradesman the relationship capacity of a team of five — so they can close more jobs, retain more customers, and grow without needing to hire someone just to manage follow-ups.

Products

Cloud CRM

The web-based command center for office staff and owners. Manages the full customer lifecycle from first contact through final invoice — contacts, projects, scheduling, invoicing, crew dispatch, communications, and reporting. AI automation handles the repetitive data entry and follow-up work so your team focuses on closing jobs and keeping customers happy.

Mobile App

The field companion for technicians and crew leads. Gives field staff their job details, navigation, time tracking, photo capture, customer signatures, and two-way communication with the office — all without requiring them to call in or touch the CRM. Works offline and syncs when connectivity is restored.

Customer Portal

A branded self-service portal for your customers. Customers can view their project status, review and approve estimates, pay invoices, and message your team — without calling the office. Reduces inbound calls and gives customers the transparency they expect. Accessible via a secure login link texted or emailed after first contact.

Tradesmen Website

A lead-generating website built and hosted for your business. Contact forms, quote request forms, service pages, and review widgets feed directly into the CRM as new contacts and projects. No manual entry, no spreadsheet handoffs. The site is SEO-optimized for local search and maintains itself as the CRM data stays current.

How the Products Connect

Data Type	Cloud CRM	Mobile App	Customer Portal	Website
Contacts	Create / Manage	View	View (own record)	Auto-create via forms
Projects	Full management	View / Update status	View status	Auto-create via forms
Invoices	Create / Send	View	Pay online	—
Schedule	Dispatch / Assign	View own schedule	View appointment	—
Photos	View / Manage	Capture / Upload	View job photos	—
Messages	Full inbox	Send / Receive	Customer thread	Inbound web chat

Getting Started

Start with the Cloud CRM overview to understand the core data model, then walk through each product section in order. Each section documents the features available, CRUD operations, and any integrations between products.