ClockShark is a time tracking, scheduling, invoicing, and project management software targeting field service and construction companies that promises to chomp off your admin task woes so you can save time and money, and have the freedom to go after the big fish and focus on what’s best for your business.
However, my personal experience of ClockShark left me less than thrilled. The mobile app is glitchy, the GPS tracking is inaccurate, the geofencing feature has loopholes, its integration has pretty severe limitations, and its scheduling feature might land you in hot water over break compliance. All of these made me think that this software doesn’t quite deliver the full power of its promised bite.
In this review, let’s take a look at why despite its seemingly successful concept and impressive features list, ClockShark ultimately sucks.
Mobile App Performance and Reliability Issues
One of the most common user complaints for ClockShark is its poorly performing mobile app, and after testing it myself, I think these criticisms are valid.
I frequently encountered white or black screens on launch, failed or delayed syncing, sign-in difficulties, incorrect employee location updates, and work hours not being captured as expected. And even when the app wasn’t crashing outright, its performance was inconsistent enough to make me uncertain if my hours were being captured accurately.
Some users report that these issues are more apparent in older devices and in areas with weak or nonexistent internet connections, which does not seem ideal for construction crews, field service teams, and other mobile workforces.
The mobile app also proved to be a noticeable battery drain, which I’d say is another major drawback for employees working long shifts in the field. That is likely why the app continues to hover below four stars on both Google Play and the App Store.
To address data syncing issues and recurring bugs in the app, ClockShark has added an “Update/Sync” button, but that also shifts the experience by making data updates the user’s responsibility rather than happening automatically.
Inaccurate GPS Tracking
One of ClockShark’s best-selling points is its ability to show you where your employees are in real time, ensuring that they are where they are supposed to be when on the clock. This feature is supposed to relieve admin of the tedious task and massive cost of having folks stay on-site just to keep an eye on your crew. Having said that, my experience with ClockShark’s GPS tracking was marred by its inaccuracy and the attendant inconveniences down the line.
ClockShark captures location information by trilateration, which pinpoints your location through signals sent from three separate satellites in outer space to your device’s GPS receiver, which is then received and recorded by ClockShark, and then reported to you.
All of this sounds well and good on paper, but in practice, I’ve encountered some difficulties, especially on older, refurbished, and lower-end devices that I think jeopardize the effectiveness of the feature as a reliable insurance of physical presence on the job site.
For one, ClockShark’s website says that its high accuracy ping is within 35 meters, medium accuracy is at 36-85 meters, while low accuracy is 85 meters and beyond, and the user can be anywhere within the radius. A lot can happen in 35 meters, and that’s ample meterage for someone to run out of the site and do non-work stuff while on the clock, so imagine what can be done with a leeway of 85 meters or more.
Adding to that, GPS updates refresh less frequently (about every 15 minutes compared to some competitors), which can result in less precise route details and leave noticeable gaps where time theft could potentially slip through.
Another concern is that when I am around steel or concrete buildings, the tracker doesn’t work quite as well, which is ironic given their target market. Construction revolves around these things, you know.
Lastly, I’ve discovered that it doesn’t work well around large bodies of water as well. So if your site is along the coast or near the ocean, good luck to you, as it may record your employees’ locations as far as three miles off into the deep… hopefully not swimming with the sharks!
Geofencing Loopholes
Since we’ve reviewed ClockShark’s GPS tracking deficiencies, we should also pay some attention to some alarming loopholes in its geofencing feature. Hand-in-hand with the GPS tracking feature, the geofencing feature is supposed to ensure that your crew stays where they are supposed to be when they’re on the clock. Geofencing puts up a virtual perimeter on the job site and notifies the crew when they step out of the perimeter to clock in, clock out, or switch tasks. It also notifies admins when that happens.
However, it does have one serious flaw: it doesn’t allow geofencing restrictions, which means that even if your employees are outside of the geofenced area, they can still clock in. This crucial flaw takes away an important aspect of attendance control and kind of defeats the whole purpose of a geofence, doesn’t it?
In addition to that, when employees step in or out of the geofenced area, they are not automatically clocked in or out, and there are no other actions done by ClockShark except to send notifications to the employee and the admin. Practically, an employee could still be on company time while outside the job site, and that can get costly for your business.
These, combined with the unwieldy GPS tracking and glitchy mobile app, spell a lot of trouble and admin headache come payroll time.
Integration Limitations
Integrations are essential for any time tracking software, especially with payroll and accounting solutions. While ClockShark does connect with Zapier, QuickBooks, ADP Workforce Now, MYOB AccountRight, Paychex, Xero, and others, the list is quite limited.
In addition, you can only use one payroll or accounting integration at a time, and this can be a point of frustration when you need to multitask and use multiple integrations at any given time to save hours and effort.
You also can’t rely on using open API to easily connect with your favorite software that’s not on their list, as ClockShark doesn’t support it. The best you can do is suggest an integration, but that takes time and critical mass to be acted upon.
Break Compliance Difficulties
Breaks are something every employee is entitled to, though the rules around them can look pretty different depending on the country. Not being compliant with these legal requirements can land your business in hot water and give your legal team an upstream battle that can cost you a lot, and even close your company down.
That being said, time clock and employee scheduling software need to have granular control on scheduling breaks so you can be compliant with the regulations enforced in your area. However, ClockShark doesn’t have that much fine-tuned control. It only allows you to create a single break with a specific duration, and that’s it.
For locations with looser requirements, that approach might be fine. But in places with strict regulations, like California’s break laws, you could easily find your company in the middle of a legal feeding frenzy… and you definitely won’t be the one doing the eating. Yikes.
Conclusion
For a time clock and employee management software that promises a powerful bite, ClockShark can be quite toothless in some critical areas and deliver the opposite of its intended results. It could certainly use a little bit more development in the areas of deficiency, but it does have its fair share of redeeming qualities, such as an amazing facial recognition feature that takes into consideration the difficulty of other biometric verifications for construction and fieldwork jobs, and a robust reporting feature.
If you’re still deciding which software would suit your company best, swim over to our list of top time tracking software to help you out.
And since you’re out here fishin’ for a time tracker software, why not read our Honest Review: ClockShark where we give our final verdict on ClockShark?
