Badger Maps Reviews - Is Badger Maps the Right Choice for You?

Wondering whether Badger Maps are the right route planning tool for you?

That’s why we’re here - to help you make an informed decision, which can only be done by:

• Analysing Badger Maps’ key features;
• Determining its best use cases;
• Reviewing its pricing policy;
• Offering the best alternative for businesses who won’t really benefit much from using this platform.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in our blog.

TLDR

• Badger Maps is a route planner app designed for field sales reps and teams
• In addition to route planning, it offers some CRM and team management functionalities
• Its omission of some more advanced features and customisation options renders it useless for any type of business except for field sales
• Badger Maps’ per-user pricing makes it a good choice only for individual sales reps and the smallest of sales teams - however, there are lots of extra charges which make this tool unaffordable for many
• eLogii is the best Badger Maps alternative for both big and small businesses of various types, as it offers the widest range of highly customisable cutting-edge features that make it a comprehensive solution for overall delivery & transportation management and optimization

Badger Maps reviews - Research approach

To get the best hang of Badger Maps’ capabilities, we’ve done a few vital things:

• We’ve found and interviewed a couple of dozen past and current users to find out what they considered to be great about the platform, what left much to be desired, what compelled them to use it or stop using it, etc.
• Went over the ratings and reviews on reputable SaaS rating sites such as G2 and Capterra.

And since we have years of experience with transportation logistics solutions under our belt, it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about the crucial functionality no good platform can go without.

That’s why we’ve paid special attention to matters such as:

• Badger Maps’ ease of use;
• Core features;
• The price;
• Primary use case.

So, let’s buckle up and dive right in!

Badger Maps reviews - Ease of use

Badger Maps’ UI isn’t all that complicated to use.

Namely, this platform doesn’t have too many advanced features, as its sole focus is on simplifying field sales operations.

That means that apart from route planning & optimization, as well as some options for finding leads and scheduling appointments and follow-ups - all the things a field sales rep needs at the reach of their hand - Badger Maps’ doesn’t have much more to offer.

Although it’s fair to say that the UI isn’t all that eye-catching, as it looks a bit dated, it still gets the job done just fine, which is what matters.

However, this only applies to the web app.

The mobile app is a different story altogether, as users have reported various glitches, lagging and an unintuitive UI that’s difficult to navigate.

As far as onboarding is concerned, Badger Maps has a support centre comprised mostly of articles grouped into categories, but there are some video tutorials to help new users get the hang of its features.

Moreover, if you opt for the more advanced pricing plan, you’ll get custom field and engineering support, a technical account manager and a dedicated customer success representative.

The verdict

Badger Maps’ web app’s UI is user-friendly so that new users will learn the ropes pretty quickly and without much fuss.

However, the mobile app isn’t as smooth to operate, which is quite a problem once you consider that Badger Maps’ is a platform dedicated to helping field sales reps, teams and managers.

Namely, the very nature of a field sales rep’s job means they’re constantly on the field and need easy, convenient, mobile access to their route planning and optimization tool.

So, the fact that the mobile app is prone to glitches and sometimes takes forever to load and adjust to changes and new parameters can quickly become a major problem.

In addition, while Badger Maps’ general customer support service is pretty responsive, if you want access to the benefits of having a dedicated manager or support, you’ll have to cash it out since it’s only available with the higher tier plans.

Badger Maps reviews - Core features

• Calendar and CRM functionality
• Find new leads on-map
• Filter and prioritise appointments
• Check-ins overview
• Team management options

1. It combines route planning features with calendar and CRM functionality

That way, Badger Maps enables field sales teams and reps to have all they need for optimal efficiency in one place.

Inside Badger Maps, you can:

• Import your customers’ accounts - by entering that data, you’ll get a visual overview of all your accounts on the map, alongside all the vital info on each;

• Plan and optimize routes - the “Lasoo” tool is a fun way of achieving route optimization. On the map, you encircle the customer accounts you’re due to visit that day and hit the “Optimize” button to get the best route;

• Plan ahead - the calendar integration allows you to set a route for any given day or schedule an appointment or a follow-up. Badger Map will then be sure to alert you on your appointments;
  
  
• You can set the exact start time and estimated duration for any appointment - once you do that, Badger Maps will show you whether you’ll be early or late for it, based on the given order of appointments entered in a specific route. That way, you can change an appointment’s priority directly in the app by simply moving it up or down on the appointment list for that day to be punctual.

However, while its route optimization feature is fun and easy to use, and the calendar and CRM integrations are very convenient for sales teams, there are some issues worth noting as well:

• There are no options for live-tracking your sales reps and knowing their exact location at any time;
  
  
• There are no advanced routing options, such as the ability to adjust to unexpected events in real time and quickly find the new optimal route;
  
  
• You have to hit the Optimize button every time after entering changes - the app doesn’t automatically consider new parameters that have been set. So, should you forget that one extra click, the route won’t be optimized;
  
  
• There are no live chat options - the rep and base can’t communicate with each other directly. The manager can add changes to any rep’s route and schedule for the day on the go, but the omission of an actual live communication feature can pose a significant problem, especially when something doesn’t go according to plan;
  
  
• You can’t communicate with leads through the app - meaning you can’t notify them about your arrival or remind them of the follow-up, so the rep may more often than not miss an opportunity just because no one’s home.

2. Find new leads on-map

Badger Maps has an option for finding leads nearby or in any given area you’re interested in called “Places”.

All you need do is enter an industry-related keyword (e.g. dentists, doctors, pet shops, etc.) into the search places field, and all the relevant accounts will pop up on the map.

This can come in really handy for prospecting and lead generation and can be done on the go.

However, if you’re not in the B2B space but are selling, for example, household appliances or life insurance policies, this feature won’t be able to do much in terms of finding new leads.

3. Filter and prioritise appointments and accounts

Data visualisation is a nifty thing when you need to filter or prioritise your appointments or accounts.

Badger Maps allows you to do precisely that, as you can segment accounts right on the map by applying various filters, such as:

• Priority;
• Days until next follow-up;
• Days since the last check-in;
• Next step date;
• Customer type, etc.

By having a clear overview of what appointments are urgent or what accounts are due for a follow-up, you’ll be able to easily plan days and weeks ahead.

However, bear in mind that:

• You cannot change the designated colour code, as there are no customisation options - so you’ll just have to remember what each colour signifies in the app, or you’ll get it all mixed up;
  
  
• The filters & colours feature often glitches in the mobile app, meaning you’ll have to prepare and apply all the filters on your computer at least one day ahead and cannot add any changes while on-field.

4. Check-ins overview

This option enables sales reps to add notes to any given customer’s account immediately after an appointment.

Check-ins can include any or all of the following:

• Description of how the appointment went;
• What the sales rep accomplished if anything;
• What’s the next step;
• When the next step is due, etc.

In addition, the sales rep can take a photo as proof of what took place during the appointment.

This feature makes life easier for both the salesperson - as they can easily log all the vital info on a meeting and offer photos as additional proof - and sales managers since they’ll have an instant and clear overview of each rep’s performance.

However, other than photos, there are no other methods of proving that the appointment was indeed successful, i.e. that an item has been sold to a particular customer

5. Team management options

Badger Maps are more than a route planning tool, as we’ve mentioned before. This platform tries to provide users with a comprehensive solution for managing on-field sales operations.

And that means that certain team management options are a must here.

So, sales teams’ managers have access to each team member’s profile, so they can easily keep track of their overall performance and efficiency.

In fact, there are graphic reports that show you the stats on how a salesperson’s been doing over a certain period of time.

Moreover, team managers can add changes to sales reps’ routes and schedules via the Badger Maps app in just a few clicks.

However, as highlighted earlier, there are no options for live communication between the managers and the reps, meaning that your base will be deprived of vital info from the field, which opens the door to miscommunication, overcrowded schedules and missed appointments.

The verdict

Badger Maps have many handy features for on-field salespeople, and some of its functionality can help manage sales teams.

The ones that especially stand out are:

• The “Lasoo” capability that adds a bit of fun by gamifying route optimization;
• The “Places” feature which helps salespeople find new leads on the go.

However, prospective users have to keep in mind the following downsides to Badger Maps:

• It cannot handle more complex logistics operations, as its route planning feature is pretty basic;
• There is no live communication between base and on-field reps, nor communication with clients in case the rep’s late for a scheduled appointment;
• The ETA calculations are not too precise since they cannot consider advanced factors such as traffic, weather conditions, etc.
• The mobile app is prone to glitches, which is a major shortcoming because it deprives sales reps of the possibility to change and adjust their schedules on the go;
• There are no customisation options whatsoever - what you see is what you get;
• You cannot track your reps and vehicles in real time.

Still, Badger Maps’ features make it a decent option for individual sales reps or tiny sales teams that don’t have to cover large areas or complicated routes.

Badger Maps reviews - Pricing

Badger Maps are charged on a per-user basis, meaning that if you have a team of 10 reps and one manager, you’d have to buy 11 licences.

The monthly price is $59 for the Business plan and $105 for the Enterprise plan when billed monthly. If you opt for annual billing, there’s a discount.

However, there’s more to Badger Maps’ pricing policy than meets the eye at first.

Once you look at the pricing page and the feature comparison between plans, you’ll notice that some features have a couple of asterisks next to them.

These asterisks are there for a couple of reasons - and you probably won’t like them:

1. Self-service is limited to 2500 records, meaning that if you want more than that, you’ll have to pay up over the monthly fee;
2. Features marked with ** are only available if you purchase at least 20 licences, and there’s room for additional expenses, depending on the custom implementation you need;
3. CRM integrations are only available once you opt for an annual Business or Enterprise plan, and their price comes at a staggering $2940 for up to 5 licences.

The verdict

Badger Maps seem a viable option for individual sales reps or very small sales teams due to their per-user pricing system.

However, the conclusion isn’t all that simple once you consider that:

• You won’t get access to any of its advanced features unless you buy at least 20 licenses at once;
• CRM integrations are charged extra (almost $3000 extra, to be precise) and include up to 5 accounts - meaning that you’ll probably have to pay more if you need more accounts.

This means that individual sales reps and small teams probably won’t be able to afford these advanced options.

Which businesses could benefit from using Badger Maps?

As mentioned above, Badger Maps’ features and per-user pricing make it a good option for individual on-field salespeople and small sales teams.

However, the fact that they charge extra for most of the best functionality, or condition users to buy at least 20 accounts straight off, will keep this platform out of reach for many sales reps and teams.

Moreover, if you’d like a solution that offers actual customisation options and has more versatile use cases, Badger Maps simply won’t deliver.

Badger Maps reviews - Best alternative

So, if you fall in the category of users who’d like a solution that’s more versatile, customisable and has more advanced features than Badger Maps, eLogii might just be the platform that ticks all the boxes.

eLogii is a comprehensive delivery management and optimization solution that helps users tackle all the challenges of modern-day delivery and transportation logistics.

eLogii has a wide range of highly-customisable features that make it a perfect choice for various types of businesses - from field service providers to retailers, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants, couriers, food & drink delivery services, etc.

Some of its features include:

• Various advanced routing options, including dynamic, multi-day, multi-stop and return to depot routing;

Several methods of ensuring customer satisfaction, such as real-time SMS and/or email notifications from every stage of the delivery process, live ETA notifications (with updated recalculations if something changes on the road), live-tracking of every delivery, enabling customers to easily leave feedback, etc.;

• Vehicle live-tracking - so that you’ll know where each vehicle and driver is at any given moment;

• Numerous highly customisable operational parameters that enable things such as vehicle load optimization, which help you cut costs and make the most of your fleet;
• A designated mobile app that allows seamless live communication both between drivers and dispatchers and drivers and customers;

• Flexible tasks that allow dispatchers to easily set and change their order and priority and notify drivers straight away via the mobile app;

• Widest range of POD methods on the market (including barcode and QR scanning, among others);

• A well-documented API allows integration with all the other tools and technologies you use.

Moreover, eLogii doesn’t have one-size-fits-all pricing packages, which makes it an ideal solution for small, medium and large businesses alike.

eLogii comes with custom-tailored pricing plans that are based on your business’s particular configuration and needs, with the typical entry-level price starting at around $359 per month for 2500 tasks.

You can compare each plan’s features yourself.

Or you can...

Badger Maps reviews - Key takeaways

1. Badger Maps is a platform designed for on-field sales reps and their managers - other than that, though, it has no other use cases due to its omission of more advanced and versatile functionality

2. It is relatively easy to use precisely because it doesn’t have too many capabilities, but its mobile app is extremely glitchy, which often renders it practically useless for use on the go

3. Badger Maps’ most prominent features are route optimization and options for finding new leads, as well as some team management functions

4. Its per-user pricing makes it suitable for the smallest teams or individual salespeople as the costs can stack up pretty high pretty fast for a bigger number of users

5. Most of its best functionalities are only available with the purchase of 20+ accounts, and CRM integration is charged an extra $2940 over the monthly fee

6. eLogii is the best Badger Maps alternative for businesses of all types and sizes looking for a highly customisable and versatile transportation management & optimization solution.