My field technician is a superhero- He is always ON TIME to rescue our customers.
Field service helps brands differentiate and remain competitive. Field service management is key to improving customer loyalty and trust, from repairs to preventative maintenance.
It is essential to look at how organisations can make life easier for the field service agents responsible for delivering it while keeping it customer-centric.
Challenges of field service agents
Providing consistent, seamless, and efficient field service isn’t always easy. Long waiting times, poor customer communication and inadequately briefed field service agents affect the service standards and frustrate the customer. They can also increase the need for return visits and leave your service agents feeling stressed and unsatisfied.
So, how do you keep customers happy and help field workers perform at their best? Below, we outline our top six field service management tips to make your field agents a superhero:
What is the solution?
Working day in and out with half of the information can be frustrating. Proper communication between field service technicians, managers and customers is required. Various solutions can be opted for by your field technician for being the superhero that he is.
- Assign jobs according to skill set– Field service technicians should be classified according to their experience and skillsets. Perform a job analysis to identify the level of expertise needed for each position.
- Don’t overwork your technician – understand your field technician’s productivity and deliver them work orders accordingly. Overburdening them with work might lead to poor performance and attrition.
- Assign tasks in an organised manner– field technicians can not fly everywhere. It’ll be better to assign them with work in a region and show the next job on the phone with complete customer details, so they don’t spend half of the time travelling and give more time to each task.
- Constant communication with technicians – Constant communication between supervisors and technicians is necessary. The technician should be able to come to the supervisor if they face any issues on the field. Whereas the supervisor must resolve the issue, enabling prompt resolution.
- Training is necessary – Provide skill refresher training to keep them up to date on the latest technologies, allowing them to do their tasks quickly and ahead of schedule. Provide soft-skills education.
- Digitisation – Storing the information digitally as soon as the technician finishes the task will help prevent information loss. It can also accelerate the process, with technicians quickly moving from one task to another.
A day-to-day task of a field technician includes various responsibilities. Let us have a look at them:
- They’re always moving to reach different locations and offer services at the customer’s location.
- They live a scheduled life according to the customers and their tasks.
- They have to maintain a proper report and track all the things necessary.
- Reporting back to the field service manager is expected at the end.
- They should prepare for any change in their routine throughout the day.
You never know what an onsite job expects from you. Sometimes a field technician rushes in and out of the office after every job site. To take the required materials, grab the gears, fill in the details and complete the paperwork.
Is field service management software a solution to all this?
Field service management software is the ultimate solution for this. When field personnel have the right technology, they can accomplish work in lesser time. And when they have instant access to the most up-to-date information about the customer via a field service management app, their productivity and job satisfaction skyrocket.
What essential features should you consider when shortlisting a field service management software?
- View tasks on the fly – Knowing your day in advance can help with time management. Now you can set meetings on the calendar, have a notification for jobs and get reminders.
- Easy route planning – Field technicians can have complete access to google maps and traffic APIs. With this app, moving from one location to another can help them take the most optimal route and get work done on time.
- Reduce paperwork – Field service management software offers a way in which all the customer data, reports, requirements and feedback can be digital. It helps in fast tasks and securing data on the spot.
- Accessible product catalogue – field technicians can share the product catalogues and other files with customers. The latest part availability and updated information on the stock can help the customer decide on their product needs.
- Productivity management – With the complete track of the technician’s performance, you get the complete field picture. Timely updates of demands and tasks assigned help in the decision-making for changes needed to improve productivity.
With a single platform, integrated data, and advanced digital capabilities, organisations will be able to optimise their field service management. They empower their field service managers and employees to optimise efficiency and performance and strengthen customer loyalty and trust. Step into the automated future with excellent field service management software and make your field service agents superheroes.
