Ecanvasser

Pros

I used this software and used list printed from Republican headquarters WHAT A TIME SAVER this software is. I went door to door for another campaign after losing in the primary. The other campaign did not use Ecanvasser Took me 3-4 times as long to cover the same area as it would have using Eanvasser!

Cons

A bit of a learning curve noth too difficult

Pros

The software is extremely accessible and easy to use. I really admire the quickness of data syncing from cell phones and tablets.

Cons

I don't have any cons, but would enjoy a phone-banking software included with the canvassing service too.

Pros

If it were working properly, I like the fact that it's a paperless option for canvassing.

Cons

The app is slow, crashes (to the point where we've had multiple canvassers give up mid shift), the map shows houses in different areas of the street, often causing people to have to backtrack, you cannot filter results by "notes" so the ONLY way to find notes input is to click on each name one by one (no one has time to do this), there is no way to cut turf and assign it through the app, when you try to print a paper list, there is no way to filter by "uncanvassed" or otherwise, and then the paper list asks for age and job, instead of the important results such as issues, email, requests window sign, volunteer, etc. When asking ecanvasser for help, all they can tell us is it seems to be working fine on their end. We've sent videos of the issues to no avail. We are not software engineers, we are trying to run an effective field program and this app is holding us back to our detriment.

Pros

eCanvasser is focused on canvassing homes, instead of trying to be a be all end all of campaign operations. It is fairly easy to use. Hands down, customer service is outstanding. They respond quickly via email, and it is easy to talk to a live person. I like the control I have with the data, and unlimited custom fields I can create. The other big pro is their license model. I can assign as many volunteer canvassers as I want without an additional charge. All other services I found charge a license per user. This gives a budget tight campaign a lot of flexibility in using volunteers.

Cons

The data model needs some maturing. When creating groups, you have to select voters to put in that group. That's no biggy. But if you append the master database, the changes to a voters record do not aggregate to the record you placed within your groups. The Canvass Types are static. I would like to be able to create additional types, and select my own color. Canvassers also have to drill down too much to get to data they need at the door. Their are a few areas where it could be more intuitive. However, these are easily overcome with additional training. Overall, the product is great. We will continue using the product, and ensure our needs are input to developers for future enhancements.

Pros

The the I like most about ecanvasser is its ease of use. It's incredibly intuitive and easy to learn. Both from an admin side, where you're setting things up from the desktop dashboard, and in practice at the doors side where it's super easy to enter accurate data.

Cons

The one thing I don't like about the app is editing contact information for individuals at the doors. When in the android app it's difficult to find at first. Once you do find it, it can be incredibly frustrating to enter into the data.

I also dislike that you have to press the confirm/check mark button to save any data you've entered into any field. If you aren't aware of that when you first get started it is very easy to think you're collecting data but layer find out none of it was saved.