— what clients say
Accounts from businesses that have been through the work
These are from trades and service businesses in Penang and Kedah. We have not edited them for tone.
Back to HomeFrom clients in the trades sector
Azhari Mohamad
AC contractor, Butterworth
The survey note was useful on its own. I had assumed we needed new software but it turned out the main issue was a shared folder that only one of us could open at a time. They listed that first. We fixed it ourselves before going further and it made a noticeable difference to how the office ran.
June 2025
Lim Siew Chin
Office manager, plumbing firm, Bukit Mertajam
The job sheet process works well for most of our jobs. Where it struggles a bit is with very short notes — our technicians sometimes write only two or three words for a straightforward call. Those still need a follow-up question. But the flagging system is honest about this rather than guessing, which is what I wanted.
May 2025
Suresh Nair
Electrical contractor, Seberang Perai
I had been paying for an AI subscription that I didn't fully understand. The survey note told me exactly what it was doing and what it was not doing. We cancelled one subscription and redirected the budget. The monthly note they send now is much easier to read than anything from the original provider.
July 2025
Rosnani Abdullah
Owner, general maintenance, Penang
We have been on the retainer for four months. One of our other software packages updated and the connection broke. They caught it in the monthly check and fixed it the same week. That alone has been worth it — previously that kind of thing would sit unnoticed for a month until someone realised the summaries had stopped arriving.
June 2025
Tan Kim Hock
Director, refrigeration services, Kulim
The site survey was thorough. They spent about two and a half hours with us and asked questions I had not thought about, like what happens to job records when a technician leaves. The readiness note was delivered on day two. I would have liked more detail on one section but the follow-up call cleared it up quickly.
April 2025
Kamaruzaman Idris
Operations, HVAC firm, Alor Setar
What I appreciated most was that they did not pretend the tools were more capable than they are. Before we started, they told us what the accuracy would be on our type of notes and what we should expect to still check manually. That set a realistic picture and we have not been disappointed.
July 2025
Three client journeys
AC contractor with 8 technicians, Butterworth
Challenge
Technicians were writing job notes in a mix of Malay and English on paper, then photographing and sending them to the office via WhatsApp. The office administrator was retyping them manually before invoicing, which was taking two to three hours per day.
Work done
Site survey identified that the main bottleneck was the manual retyping rather than a missing tool. Job sheet summary service was configured for their 12 job categories. The month of checked output helped calibrate the flagging for mixed-language notes.
Result
Manual retyping reduced to checking and approving flagged items, which takes roughly 30 minutes per day for the same volume. One billing error per week dropped to approximately one per month. Now on the care retainer. Timeline: 6 weeks from survey to stable operation.
Plumbing firm with 3 technicians, Bukit Mertajam
Challenge
Small firm where the owner was doing all invoicing himself at night after jobs finished. Job records were voice messages that he was transcribing. He had tried one AI tool that kept generating part numbers that did not match their supplier's catalogue.
Work done
Survey revealed the issue with the previous tool: it was inferring part numbers rather than flagging when none were given. The replacement was configured to flag all part references for confirmation rather than attempt to fill them in. Scope was limited to three job types that covered 80% of their volume.
Result
Owner invoicing time dropped from approximately 1.5 hours to 30 minutes per evening. No incorrect parts on invoices since setup. Chose not to take the retainer initially but came back 2 months later when an update broke the connection — now on the retainer.
General maintenance firm, Penang island
Challenge
Firm had invested in a commercial job management platform but found that technicians were not using it consistently. Job records were scattered across the platform, WhatsApp, and paper. The platform was costing RM 400 per month and providing limited benefit.
Work done
Survey note recommended cancelling the platform and consolidating into a simpler setup before any AI tools. Client followed the recommendation, saving RM 400 per month before any Merbau Labs service began. Job sheet summaries were then configured against their simplified workflow two months later.
Result
Net monthly position is positive before accounting for time saved. The survey paid for itself in the first month through the platform cancellation. The client noted that the survey recommendation to simplify first was not what they expected to hear, but was the right advice.
Contact Merbau Labs
Phone
+60 4 332 6817Address
30 Jalan Bagan Luar,12000 Butterworth,
Pulau Pinang
Hours
Mon–Fri: 9am–6pm
Sat: 9am–1pm
Where we stand, as of July 2025
2+
Years operating
38
Site surveys done
4,200+
Job sheets processed
12
Active retainer clients
See if it fits your business
A short call is usually enough. We will tell you honestly whether the site survey makes sense for where you are right now.
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