How Field Service Businesses Use Tech to Improve Customer Experience

Read this blog for 3 ways field service businesses can use tech to improve customer experiences and maintain client bases.

Did you know: Only 12% of customers say they fully believe when companies claim they put their customers’ needs first?

In today’s world, where customer expectations are high, it’s not enough to simply do a satisfactory job and move on. For field service organisations to stay afloat in a competitive market, they must consider how to take the overall customer experience (CX) to the next level.

But, anticipating customer needs and delivering a service that genuinely impresses them can be tricky if you rely on outdated systems and spreadsheets to manage your client relationships. 

And that’s where field service management software comes in.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how the latest technology helps you to satisfy your clients and maintain your customer base.

3 WAYS TO USE FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE TO DELIGHT YOUR CUSTOMERS

There are so many ways field service management software can help.

Essentially, the tech improves operational efficiency for smoother services and makes communication much easier and more transparent. Whether that’s allowing customers to self-serve, track engineer’s expected arrival times, or making communication between the field service technician and customer easier… There really are so many ways it improves the customer journey.

Let’s take a closer look at just three of these 👇

1. AUTOMATE PROCESSES TO SAVE CUSTOMERS’ TIME

As technology is becoming more integrated with many aspects of our lives, customers want companies to provide the convenient digital services they’re accustomed to elsewhere.

🔍In fact, 70% of people now expect business websites to include a self-service application.

Self-service. By providing an online bookings customer portal, you’re allowing customers to make and manage appointments in their own time. As such, they won’t need to sit on the phone, waiting to speak with a representative. 

Complete customer history. When using field service management software, all customer bookings come straight to your back office. The system then assigns the job directly to a customer profile, so you have a comprehensive record of all interactions you have with the client, eliminating the need for error-prone spreadsheets and hours of manual administration tasks.

Effortlessly keep customers updated. Plus, storing all customer information and interactions within a central CRM (customer relationship management) system enables you to take automation one step further. Customers can receive real-time, accurate updates instead of waiting at home all day, waiting for a technician, or needing to call into the office to find out when they will arrive.

State-of-the-art FSM platforms pull through information from the CRM to send automated texts and emails to customers. The notifications provide your clients with an estimated time of arrival and a GPS tracking link so they can see the exact location of their technicians — allowing them to go about their day without worrying that a worker could turn up at any moment.

2. GET THE JOB DONE THE FIRST TIME

🔍Unfortunately, companies with a first-time fix rate of under 70% notice that their customer retention rate declines by 10%.

When customers make an appointment, they want you to solve their problem on the agreed date, so you must have the tools to get the job done the first time.

First-time fixes. Thankfully, field service management platforms make high first-time fix rates a possibility. For example: Once your customers make their bookings, your back-office team can assign technicians to the job based on skill set, vehicle type and location. 

Then, they can allocate stock, equipment and assets to each project, so your technicians turn up to every job with the correct gear. Your workers will never have to waste time making another appointment again because they realise they don’t have the right part in their vans. 

Attend more jobs, quickly. As a result, you’ll free up more time for your technicians to attend additional bookings each day, meaning you can deliver a speedier service to your customers. 

3. QUICKLY CAPTURE AND LISTEN TO CUSTOMERS’ FEEDBACK

🔍According to data from Microsoft, a colossal 89% of customers want the option to provide businesses with feedback.

So, you should provide your clients with a platform to share their opinions.

Thankfully, field service management systems can make capturing customer feedback simpler than ever 👇

Automated & personalised feedback requests. Once the technicians have completed their jobs, the platform will instantly generate a personalised email with a customer satisfaction survey included. The email serves as an opportunity to thank customers for their patronage and collect their thoughts on the service, making them feel valued. 

Spot trends to improve services. Aside from making clients feel appreciated, the email serves as a chance for you to see if any trends are emerging from the feedback. With such vital data at hand, you’ll be able to make changes to your business that you know will delight your customers and keep them coming back time and time again.

DELIGHT YOUR CUSTOMERS: FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY IS THE KEY

🔍In the UK, 47% of people say they have higher customer service expectations than they did just one year ago.

So, field service organisations need to think outside the box and leverage the power of new technologies to stay ahead of ever-changing demands.

And this is where field service management software really changes everything.

To sum up, it:

• Automates the time-consuming, admin-heavy aspects of managing customer relationships, benefitting both you and your clients.
• Frees up your back-office team to focus on more business-critical tasks.
• Provides customers with the convenience they crave by allowing them to manage their bookings online.

And all in all, you’ll likely find that your bottom line is boosted, your customer retention rates skyrocket, and you’re able to attract more clients 🚀

ANTICIPATING YOUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IS SIMPLE WITH BIGCHANGE

Some systems manage relationships. BigChange helps you master them.

Our fully integrated CRM system gives you a 360˚ view of every account, contact site and contract. Deliver positive customer experiences at every level thanks to an array of dynamic product features.Want to find out more? See how BigChange can make your business grow stronger here and arrange a free demo today.