Servant Keeper Reviews

Servant Keeper gets across the board. Their salesman,

Comments: Online directory for church membership.
Saved many man days of work recording and tabulating contribution statements to the membership.
Opens door to online communication to church membership.'
Allows membership to review their giving statements at any time online.

Pros:

We formed a committee to review electronic giving in early November. In this process we learned that our church had purchased SK, but had not implemented it. After reviewing the benefits of SK we decided we should first implement SK before moving into electronic giving. We tested SK live for over a month to confirm that it work for us. Prior to SK we used PowerChurch Plus for membership records and manually recorded all of contribution records by hand on paper ledgers. The conversion from PCP went very well using the SK provided tool for data conversion. In this process we moved 525 families with 1149 members to SK from PCP in a manner of minutes. The SK salesman met with us almost daily over the phone to answer our questions when we were in the month long evaluation. He answered both functional and technical questions as we tested the functionality. At this point we have implemented the membership and contributions modules from SK. We are planning to implement the Directory next and then get into email ' text communication in the Church membership. The guys entering the contributions especially enjoyed doing the "Ka-Ching" feature that sounded every time they entered a contribution. Overall at this time we are very happy with SK and the service they have provided as we implemented the software. We decided to implement the "cloud" version of the software and it works as fast as the local version which we used in testing.

Cons:

We wish that all of the features were rolled up in the cost for the cloud version. Other than that there everything has worked as advertised.

Best customer service

Comments: I probably would not have remained with you had it not been for your customer support. I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to technology and the customer support has been my lifeline.

Pros:

I have used Servant Keeper for over 20 years for our church management and to keep track of donations. The Help desk has been a great feature when I have had trouble navigating the site as well as the customer support site.

Cons:

As with any program, you must learn the features. I am in the middle of migrating our donation information back into Servant Keeper from Faithlife. I used Faithlife because of its app feature and having one stop shopping through that app for our membership. The process to get into the membership portal on Servant Keeper was a little more involved and I wanted our members to be able to keep track of their giving and print off their contribution sheets at the end of the year which was easier on the Faithlife site.

Amazing customer Service

Pros:

The customer service woman went above and beyond helping me with my problem. I really appreciate that

Cons:

Very user un-friendly !! After the update, I spent 3 hours with issues related to the update. Makes we uneasy about ever updating again

Weekly user of Servant Keeper, version 7

Comments: This has been a very reliable software as I have experienced very few issues with it. In the almost seven years I have used it, I think I have called for technical assistance only two or three times. My issues were resolved in a timely and helpful manner. I am a satisfied user of Servant Keeper.

Pros:

I use Servant Keeper to make my weekly deposit; to record membership; to print picture directories; to prepare annual giving statements; and to run reports for budgeting purposes.

Cons:

I would like to be able to do accounts payable from the same software in which I track income.

Servant Keeper The Choice in Church Software Innovative and Integrative; Relational Software

Comments: We have integrated our accounting and membership departments. We have had been able to communicate more effectively and efficiently with the congregation through the SK Notify tools. We are expanding our functionality by adding Event Brite, Check In and Cloud Directory. We anticipate simpler processes and more excellence with the addition of these tools. Having the ability to equip others to utilize the SK tools definitely supports stronger relationships which in turn supports less money for staffing due to the time saved through equipping others. SK continues to impress me with their ability to listen and hear their audience by remaining innovative with their software.

Pros:

The synergy for how all the modules work together. The opportunity to add add on modules when ready both financially and with personnel. The Cloud version is outstanding and the addition of the apps. Time saving! Connectivity at its best! These additions bring the corporation, the leadership and the attendees into relationship because of the tools. Our organization has always appreciated the Support Desk. When i think of Servant Keeper SERVANT always a listening ear and continual support via phone, email or on site trainings. KEEPER committed to excellent support and excellent products.

Cons:

There is definitely a learning curve however the Webinars, Trainings, Tutorials, Support Desk make it possible for anyone to use SK.

The perfect database for the church of the '90s

Comments: Having used Servant Keeper for 2 years, it did exactly what I needed it to do, but never without some challenges that had to be overcome. Servant Keeper's look and features really feel designed for an older church but a church with a younger staff and demographic would probably find itself better suited with another option.

Pros:

It is a straightforward database system. Running reports is easy. Overall, Servant Keeper provides a nice sampling of features for church management.

Cons:

Is not Mac friendly. If you use a Mac you can find ways to make it work but you will have consistent headaches in doing so. Limited features compared to its main competitors. Looks and feels like it was developed in the '90s and has never really embraced modern technology. The sign-in system is difficult to set-up and maintain and, once again, greets people with a dated look that doesn't appeal to today's families. Customer support is prompt but rarely provides necessary solutions to the issues.

Awesome Servant Keeper!

Comments: I am able to monitor member personal information, donations, pledges, and interface with QuickBooks for the donations. This has made my job much easier. Thank you!

Pros:

Servant Keeper 7 is easy to use with donations, member info, and attendance monitoring.

Cons:

I have heard that Servant Keeper 8 allows you to email, which would be helpful, but is lacking with Servant Keeper 7.

Servant Keeper for a Mid-Sized Church

Comments: SK is a huge benefit in tracking all kinds of information regarding our membership and in producing digital and paper directories.

Pros:

I'm not utilizing everything yet but these are the things I'm using and have found to be very helpful: A membership database with the ability to run all kinds of reports. The ability to create a paper directory/pictorial directory that includes contact information for the whole family. Easily upload and crop pictures for family profiles and individual profiles. Access to membership data through the SK App Customer support is exceptional! Whenever I call needing help the staff is very kind, professional, and helpful.

Cons:

The inability to change the preschool designations in the school grade category. The inability to move around between I have difficulty finding the information I am looking for with the help/search tool in the database.

Excellent customer service

Comments: Very good - customer service is excellent and the product is helpful in many ways.

Pros:

Received great customer service today. Product is for the most part pretty good. Saves a lot of time. Useful for tracking donations and maintaining lists of congregants who serve in various capacities.

Cons:

Some of the interfaces don't always work that well. Setting up new financial management program and it is a bit more complex than we anticipated.

Help with getting to know the different levels of Servant Keeper managements was so easy to gash

Comments: Love to used this product tried Vanco not my taste for processing payment but it works and too expensive to used.

Pros:

Integration and features added to the app. After getting through the Staff step by step login for the set up.and managing for that was manual for donors that used cash donation. Next was the process of give now for the members and donors giving through the process of their email payments and receipts.

Cons:

I have never disliked servant Keeper use it for membership donation only for over 20 years. Now with getting the donors an for me to track is very good for me and the process of income to the church

servant keeper rocks

Comments: it can use it for all of church functions

Pros:

how membership and contribution manager interacts

Cons:

Very few function can be a little bit better overall it is still very user friendly

Customer Service is Key

Comments: We will be exploring forecasting for donor management.

Pros:

The product is easy to use and we are able to be proficient very quickly. I have been a user for able even months and continue to learn how to make the most of the features of the software.

Cons:

Not sure yet. I am a heavy user of Excel and will be explore how to import data to do donor management analysis.

Dylan Paddio Review

Comments: Great product, but it's too expensive

Pros:

It is a great program that enables us to keep track of all our donors.

Cons:

The cost per month of Servant Keeper is VERY expensive. We may be canceling soon.

Servant Keeper for Church Management

Comments: Has improved workflow, aides in pulling key information for annual reports, and stores more than just member data.

Pros:

Customization and user defined fields in a variety of field types are key in making the most of member data. Servant Keeper really delivers in this area.

Cons:

I come from a database management background and might be more skilled than some office staff. The product may be overwhelming to some. The help-desk is subscription based and there is no access to the knowledgebase forum if you are not subscribed. This is disappointing as there could be value in users helping each other. Am hoping that with the Faithlife relationship that this will change in the future.

The ONLY Church Management Program I will recommend

Pros:

Another church administrator recommended SK to me in 2000. I am forever grateful that she did. SK is very user-friendly and has many useful and customizable features for every size church. Their customer service and help desk are very knowledgeable and are genuinely happy to help you. I always recommend SK to other church administrators when I am asked what program at our church.

Cons:

Nothing. All the features are very easy to use and integrating with QB was very easy as well.

Avoid at all cost

Comments: Our ministry was using SK for some time before I was brought on as the Executive Pastor. After evaluating the system, I noticed our ministry was only using a very small portion of the program because the features were not user friendly. We also were wanting to do mobile check in for your children’s ministry by using iPads and wireless printers. SK is not mobile friendly. They are such an out of date and unfriendly user system that it’s not worth investing in. When we made the switch to another program, SK did not want to give me all of our data we had. They only released a small portion and said it was all the data. I ended up having to purchase the church’s data from SK! Not kidding. Even though I paid hundreds of dollars for our data, they still dragged their feet in getting the data to me. Even as I am writing this review, I have not received our data and it’s been days since I’ve paid for it.

Pros:

Nothing. It’s not user friendly. It’s not mobile friendly, meaning you can not use iPads or mobile devices to check in your children for children’s ministry. When you attempt to leave SK’s services, you have to buy back your own data and they drag their feet in releasing it to you.

Cons:

I noticed the features were not user friendly. We also were wanting to do mobile check in for your children’s ministry by using iPads and wireless printers. SK is not mobile friendly. We had the newest version, SK8 at the time of this review, And it is such an out dated and unfriendly user system that it’s not worth investing in.

Do Not Buy

Comments: Used this service for a massive organization where we were tracking thousands of people and running dozens of different reports on daily. Except that it was near impossible to use. The software was dated beyond what was reasonable and didn't stand up to competitors at all. But we were stuck with it and data migration was going to be a nightmare. So we basically had to have one woman become the guru on reports and she spent hours a day trying to figure out how to run the right reports. Wouldn't ever consider buying it.

Pros:

It was a database for tracking and maintaining information on congregants. So basically a database.

Cons:

Not user-friendly. Complex to maintain. Pretty much impossible to manage effectively. Running reports is a nightmare.

customizable and works

Pros:

Used this for years. Used for class lists for the children at the church. Tracked the different adult studies that the adult members attended. Able to separate the financial information from the non-financial so not all of the staff had access to the financial records (I didn't, for example). Had good experience with the support team when questions or issues arose.

Cons:

Not a problem with the software. Make sure that backups are made. It has tools that allow you to change data for large groups of people, which can be very helpful. Sometimes changes needed to be undone, especially when volunteers were given access to the database. :(

Investing in the Helpdesk saved me as a customer with Servant Keeper

Pros:

I love how much time it saves me. Highly proficient. Love the Help Desk department!. They are quickly becoming my 2nd family.

Cons:

Cannot purchase without Helpdesk. I was a little taken back at first by the fact that the we invested into servant keeper and when we needed training on the program we were told that we needed to pay more money to learn how to use the software.

Solution for Church Management Software

Comments: Overall, we are very happy with the transition. We are a small church. So, it is the most affordable solution that met most of the criteria we had for functionality.

Pros:

While I am certified in Database Technology, I understand the need for software that's easy to use for the end-user. This product is intuitive, making it a snap for new users to get up and running with it.

Cons:

Our previous software had an accounting module to handle more than just our contributions. We currently link Quick Books to our Servant Keeper to solve this problem. However, Quick Books is a huge learning curve as it is not designed for non-profits (terms/language is very different).

A different perspective ' an IT Services Professional's view of SK

Comments: As an IT Services professional for over three decades, I am engaged daily, sometimes for hours on end, with software products, services, and helpdesks around the world. Over the years, I have observed great software looses its greatness if the helpdesk and support team do not provide the same level of great support. Sometimes made bearable with a good helpdesk and support. Tolerable with live, call-in, voice support instead of chat and email support. Quite serviceable if the helpdesk knows the software inside out. Equally important is, if the helpdesk clearly understands the short-term and long-term purpose and goals of why the software was developed. A combination darn hard to find today. To be really great software, the helpdesk must be equally great. That is not done by the helpdesk following a Script of (many times) unrelated checkpoints and disjointed steps. I am not the "end-user" of SK. For my clients, my task as a contract IT professional, is to install, and locally support SK through all phases of it lifecycle. Of course, the client also has the ability to call SK directly. On the more technical, cumbersome or time consuming challenges, I am typically asked to do the "heavy-lifting" with the SK helpdesk. Over the past 6 years, with every single instance, I have experienced a very high quality level of support. Some of the very best service have experienced, and I deal continually with a lot of helpdesks around the world. How I rate SK (01, lowest to 10, highest points) Service:
10 pts. Purpose Driven
10 pts. Mission Driven
09 pts. Down-right pleasant and personable - the right amount just to let you know it is "Person-to-Person", NOT "Script-Reader to User".
09 pts. Professional
09 pts. Knowledgeable - I am continually surprised at the depth the helpdesk folks know their product.
42 pts. Truthful - If they didn't know the answer at the time, there was no bluffing, no wasting time. Simply, "I don't know, but will find the answer or a staff person (supervisor or engineer) - and I will get back to you by (target time/date). 100%, without fail. Oh, did I miss mentioning the software. Absolutely, 9.999 Points. (Of course it's not perfect) I have SK installations in a very large congregation (1000+) and in smaller congregations (under 250). All of my users have found SK and the Helpdesk Subscription extremely Cost Effective. ROI on all of this? In this case, Eternal - Priceless.

Great program!

Comments: I used several different programs before I found Servant Keeper and none of them were as easy to use and contained the information the church needed like this one. Servant Keeper also allows me to customize it to fit my needs. The company is very good at taking suggestions for improvement and I often find the changes in new upgrades. The staff is wonderful to work with and readily solves problems. I recommend this program to every church secretary I meet. There is nothing else on the market that provides the needed information for my church. The price is fair and I highly recommend having their help desk contract. It is worth it.

Pros:

Ease of use, adaptability for my needs, the reports available, ease of emailing contribution statements, tracking information, great customer service and help desk, and more.

Cons:

Not compatible with PayPal for online giving but that is a very minor thing.

TREMENDOUS BANG for the BUCK

Comments: I couldn't be happier! The staff id very helpful and knowledgeable and can always pinpoint and solve my questions or issues!

Pros:

The fact that you only have to enter the information ONE TIME and it migrates to all the other applications!

Cons:

That in Membership when I select a name and double click only partial information is displayed until I click to show the full page. An extra step isn't bad when I'm only doing a few changes. But, with many changes it is frustrating!

Gets the job done

Comments: I feel like SK is a pretty standard database. Pretty easy to work if you are familiar with databases. Missing some key pieces and not always user friendly.

Pros:

Basic and easy to use if you understand databases.

Cons:

Notes section does not automatically notate when someone makes a change to a profile. When updating family information , it doesn't always carry update to all family members. It asks which members need that update, great feature, but then doesn't always make the updates.

Customer Service Counts!

Comments: Excellent.

Pros:

Technical Support is everything. If you cannot back up a great product with great technical support, then users are in the dark, left scrambling for answers, which cuts productivity. I also appreciate the cheerful IT staff and their willingness to help. [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN], the technician was able to anticipate my questions even before I asked. He never became frustrated with my level of understanding or computer skills.

Cons:

There are training sessions offered to enhance understanding of Servant Keeper Programs. I am new to my position and appreciate the ease in learning and additional instruction provided.