Blame the Rideshare Apps
Technology and apps like Uber, DoorDash, and many others are changing customer expectations. Think about the last time you used a rideshare app. You could see who your driver is, what kind of car they’re driving, how many rides they’ve completed, what others thought of their experience. When you’re finally in the car, you can see the final destination and the route to get there. That’s a big difference from when you would just jump in a taxi and say, “take me to this address”. With this level of visibility into something as simple as getting from point A to point B, it’s no surprise that consumers are wanting this level of detail from field service companies.
Why Field Service Companies Should Care
We all know that retaining customers is ideal, but what value do we actually see from that retention? In one study from Bain and Company and Harvard Business School, they saw that ”Increasing customer retention rates by 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%”. That’s a wide range for such a small amount of additional retention.
So how can you increase retention? “74% of consumers are at least somewhat likely to buy based on experiences alone“. So just make sure they have a good experience and you should be good, right? Well… that can mean different things for everyone. It’s important to understand what your customers want. A way of doing this is by collecting data and analytics around your customer’s experience. This gives you a better view of what incremental changes need to be made to boost overall customer experience. Controlled data collection can come from email or SMS surveys after a job is completed.
Tip: Don’t confuse this with Google reviews: these are not a reliable data source, as they are open to anyone. Instead, review, but don’t calculate data from them.
“Tell Me What You Want!”
As we mentioned earlier, your client is more likely to stay with you based on experience alone. What helps create a positive experience?
Transparency = Trust
In Q&A With Michael Israel: What’s Trending In Field Service? Michael talks about what the expectations of customers are. This is what he said:
“Customers expect the best service possible from their vendors and field service operations leaders should be working to accommodate that. The best technicians
are on time, they communicate or over communicate, and they get work done
accurately, thoroughly, and promptly. Across the board, customers expect transparency”.
So how can your team drive transparency? Accurate collection of information, photos, videos, multiple communication channels, and notifications are just a few.
Multiple communication channels
As younger generations like millennials and Gen Z begin to purchase homes and require services, adapting your communication methods to best reach them will be imperative. Providing your clients with multiple channels to get in touch and communicate with your organization or request service can not only help attract new customers, but also keep that positive experience. This doesn’t have to mean creating a TikTok account or going viral, but having something as simple as a customer portal or SMS for customers to get in touch or request work can be a big advantage for keeping or expanding your client base.
Notifications
This builds off of the previous note – notifications or communication through SMS, email, or app push notifications are important. The customer wants to be in the know. Having a way to remind them of appointments, who is performing the work, how long the appointment should take, and then a summary of the work performed, thorough communication builds trust with the customer and ensures their time is respected. Again, the customer wants transparency, to feel like they were (as Mr Burr said in Hamilton) “in the room where it happens”. With notifications, you can bring the room where it happens to them.
How a FSM solution like Service Pro Can Help
Field Service Management is a platform that connects into your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to give you increased visibility into your field service operations. With Service Pro by MSI Data, specialized features like Tech Tracker allows users to automate notifications, show customers where and who their technician is, and provide post service deliverables to improve transparency and proof of work.
How does Tech Tracker work?
Tech Tracker works by automating notifications sent to your end clients to give them insights, provide timely updates, and a friendly heads up on arrival times. Notifications are sent to the customer via email or SMS where they are able to see the location in relation to their location, the tech’s ETA, as well as information about the technician, such as photo and specialty. After the technician leaves, the customer then will receive a message for a post service survey. This can be extremely helpful to help improve customer satisfaction, improve technician skill and training, and better understand customer expectations.
FSM and Partnerships
What are partnerships?
To start, it might be more helpful to understand what partnerships are before we dive into the value of having them. Partnerships are a way that software companies work together to help mutual clients while also helping them expand their own reach into the market. A recent example of this is the partnerships between Hilton and Tesla to install 20,000 charging stations at 2,000 Hilton properties. This is a huge win not only for Hilton and Tesla but electric car drivers too.
Why Should You Care?
No one company can do it all. Through partnerships you have access to a world of solutions to choose from. The cool thing about this is that each company has its own ecosystem. Each has its own connections, overlaps, and ecosystems of their own. That opens the door to:
Access to Other Technology
- Field Service Management (FSM)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Monitoring
Efficiency and Productivity Tools
- Business Intelligence
- Technician Insights & Enablement Tools
- GPS Fleet Tracking
Customer Communication Tools
- SMS
- Alerts
- Tech Tracker
- Customer Portals
Partnerships in Action
In a recent case study with Roth Living, Roth used Service Pro by MSI Data and Sinch MessageMedia to reach a customer satisfaction score of 98%. They do this by leveraging Service Pro’s Tech Tracker Feature and Sinch MessageMedia’s SMS service to notify customers of who their technician is and when they will arrive, and then to send a follow up survey at the end to make sure they are doing the best they can do. Read the full case study here!
In Conclusion
If you are the 72% of field service companies that are prioritizing customer satisfaction, keep it up! FSM solutions or other platforms within the partner ecosystem can help you to continue to improve your customer satisfaction. If you aren’t using a field service platform, no worries! It’s never too late to start. If you aren’t using FSM and you are being bogged down by manual tasks, then this might be the time to raise the white flag and talk to a solution like Service Pro by MSI Data. In a single consultation, our team will work with you to understand the steps you take to complete a work order, and how a FSM solution can drive efficiency, increase profitability, and improve customer satisfaction.
Sources:
Q&A With Michael Israel: What’s Trending In Field Service?Field Services Innovation: Understanding And Meeting Customer Expectations
Why FSM Software Is Transforming Job Management In Field Service Organizations
Rugged Devices, Field Services, And What’s Next
