Before you install a free time clock app thinking it will improve your HR processes, consider all of the hidden costs. Everyone is always looking to get something for free: Free podcasts, free music, free movies, free professional advice and free technology. Yet when it comes to free software, it really is never truly “free.” A lot of companies claim to offer customers free usage of its best tech, but buyer beware. There’s almost always a catch.
Take time clock apps, for example. These apps are used by employees to track the hours they work. Mobile and easy to use, time clock apps like the one offered by ExakTime allow employees to clock in and out on their phones no matter where the office is. The app can feature tools like GPS so it provides workers a quick list of the closest job sites, and records where they actually are at clock-in. ExakTime’s time tracking app also comes with field notes and scheduling.
Benefits of Time Clock Apps
Time clock apps give companies a secure, fool-proof way to track the amount of time their employees work, improving employee attendance and eliminating buddy punching and inaccurate time cards. Companies that use time tracking apps always know where and when their employees are working, thanks to GPS tracking. These apps can stop time theft by using PINs, biometrics and photo ID capture so no one else can clock in for the employee being tracked. Overtime is easily monitored and curbed with real-time oversight, and time worked is easily synced to payroll, so paychecks are always correct.
Time clock apps also let companies see how many hours are being devoted to each job site, helping them stay on budget, reduce labor costs and produce accurate estimates for next time.
Why Don’t You Offer a Free Time Clock App Trial?
Since ExakTime’s time clock app has many benefits, why don’t we offer a free trial to share its amazing features? Because there really is no such thing as a free lunch. More often than not, free time clocks come with strings attached.
Free versions of apps come with limited access to features.
You can’t get a feel for how the app will work for your company if it is not doing everything it could for your business. Good time tracking software does more than just track time. For example, ExakTime’s app provides employee scheduling and field notes, and helps maintain compliance by requiring employees to sign off on workplace accidents and breaks.
You might have to onboard yourself and hope you do it right.
Free versions of time clock apps don’t exactly come with award-winning customer support. It’s difficult to use software to its fullest if you don’t know all its features or functions. ExakTime’s workforce management experts ensure you understand how our app and cloud software works, and check to see that all is working as it should.
Free is only free for a limited time.
A software company won’t invest time and money in a solution unless they can make money off of it; the goal with offering any free employee time clock is always to up-sell you to a paid solution. ExakTime is upfront with what our products cost and offers flexible pricing that scales with your company. Check out our pricing here.
Free trials can give false impressions.
Free trials tend to give users a false impression that they’re receiving a 100% truly free product. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Confidence is lost if the customer thinks they’ve been misled.
Investing in a product makes you more inclined to use it.
Here’s another old adage, you get what you pay for. When products are free, they tend to lose their value faster than something you paid for. When you invest money into something, you’ll prioritize its use and stick with it. ExakTime provides demos for our time clock app so you can see exactly how it works and how it will improve your time tracking before you buy.
It’s better to know the costs upfront.
Ever find a great deal only to nickel and dime yourself to death to make it work with what you have? That’s exactly what can happen when you try to make some “free” software work with what you already have. By the time you’ve outgrown the software, you’ve invested in so many integrations, it’s a hassle to switch to another product that could actually be useful to your company so you have to continually upgrade, which quickly adds up. ExakTime is always upfront and honest about the products you need and what they’ll cost. We offer extra options that work together so if down the road you want to add other software, it’s a snap to do so.
You’ll get your money back with a paid product.
When you invest in a full product (not an abbreviated version) it will include expert onboarding and implementation plus access to helpful HR solutions. You’ll get set up correctly with all of your expectations known and met, and you’ll start seeing a return on investment quickly. Plus, you can plan to scale up as you grow with protections in place if the app isn’t what you expected.
Schedule a Demo Today
The best way to see everything a great time clock app can do for your operations is to watch a demo. ExakTime’s time tracking experts can show you exactly how our products work and, more importantly, work for your company. We’ll show you just how ditching paper time cards can accurately track hours and attendance, improving productivity. Plus, the ExakTime solution scales to any company size for streamlined labor tracking across multiple crews and locations, helping keep projects on budget while maintaining compliance.
