How Field Service Automation Improves Customer Service

While the idea of cus­tomer ser­vice seems to be get­ting a lot of atten­tion nowa­days, there’s more that could be done to make sure con­sumers are happy with the prod­ucts and ser­vices they actively pur­sue. Among the mul­ti­tude of other claims of tech­nol­ogy, tools and indus­tries being dead or one foot in the grave, cus­tomer ser­vice is one com­po­nent of busi­ness that com­pa­nies can’t afford to let dete­ri­o­rate. Espe­cially for field ser­vice pro­fes­sion­als, the key to repeat busi­ness and earn­ing loyal cus­tomers really depends on how well they’re equipped to meet the needs of home­own­ers or small-business part­ners. What’s more, expec­ta­tions for qual­ity of ser­vice con­tinue to increase as the tech­nol­ogy avail­able to con­trac­tors improves. Field ser­vice automa­tion is one of the most effec­tive resources that an enter­prise can use to ensure its mobile work­force is pro­vid­ing the high­est qual­ity of ser­vice to con­sumers. Here’s why:

• Improved depth of knowl­edge. Cus­tomers feel bet­ter know­ing the com­pany and con­trac­tors they’re work­ing with not only have exper­tise in their par­tic­u­lar field, but also in their work his­tory. Field ser­vice soft­ware is a cloud-based plat­form that gives con­trac­tors detailed knowl­edge of cus­tomers’ pre­vi­ous main­te­nance or instal­la­tions. Hav­ing this infor­ma­tion at their fin­ger­tips gives field ser­vice pro­fes­sion­als a wealth of knowl­edge that pro­vides cus­tomers with peace of mind. Con­trac­tors can ref­er­ence the type of equip­ment home­own­ers have, what parts have been installed or replaced and can even trace every ser­vice call. This infor­ma­tion is cru­cial in devel­op­ing trust with cus­tomers. They don’t want to feel like they’re deal­ing with a tech­ni­cian who is either inex­pe­ri­enced or doesn’t care to learn any­thing about them.

• Antic­i­pat­ing demands. Mak­ing use of automa­tion in field ser­vice man­age­ment allows con­trac­tors to proac­tively address cus­tomers’ needs rather than wait­ing to see what the prob­lem is. While issues can arise spon­ta­neously, tech­ni­cians are bet­ter able to antic­i­pate ser­vice needs by hav­ing detailed knowl­edge of the customer’s his­tory. Because tech­ni­cians have access to a wealth of infor­ma­tion, they can make more informed judg­ments about what prod­ucts or equip­ment would best suit an exist­ing system.

• Improved deliv­ery of ser­vice. Field ser­vice automa­tion pro­vides a cen­tral­ized sys­tem that cre­ates a more stream­lined approach. Cus­tomers don’t want to feel as though they’re being squeezed into a contractor’s already busy sched­ule. With paper-based pro­cess­ing, work orders are far more rigid. Once the sched­ule is made, it’s increas­ingly dif­fi­cult for com­pa­nies to adapt to new work orders and emer­gen­cies. Sched­ulers can receive call orders for ser­vice, which is imme­di­ately entered into the cloud-based sys­tem. Tech­ni­cians are assigned accord­ing to exper­tise and avail­abil­ity, mean­ing a home­owner gets the high­est level of ser­vice both in terms of skill as well as speed. More­over, the line of com­mu­ni­ca­tion between cus­tomers and con­trac­tors is never bro­ken. Both have a clear under­stand­ing of when the work order is sched­uled and con­trac­tors can adjust for what equip­ment they’ll likely need, poten­tial costs and dura­tion of the job.

Cus­tomer ser­vice is a vital aspect of any­one involved in the field ser­vice pro­fes­sions. Man­age­ment soft­ware is the most effec­tive resource for con­trac­tors to improve upon their ser­vice deliv­ery. Tech­ni­cians and cus­tomers will be equally grateful.