Field service management is a complex task, even in today’s increasingly digital world. To effectively manage your field service operations, you need a powerful strategy to track all the people, processes, and tools in your ecosystem simultaneously.
Effective field service management balances complex logistics, on-site operations, employee management, and the constant pressure to meet customer expectations. As the marketplace continues to transform and customers demand more from their service providers, companies are facing increasing field service workloads.
Currently, 80% of decision makers say that field service is an important part of their overall strategy, and about 75% of decision-makers view field service as a revenue driver.
Fortunately, there are ways to improve your field service management with the right tools.
1. Unlock the Power of Automation
Automated processes and workflows can never replace the skills, creativity, and expertise of your field workers, but they can give them a much-needed boost. Automation tools can complement and enhance your workforce in a variety of ways, from automated troubleshooting with background investigations to more convenient processes like reporting and administration.
Tools like Cempresso allow companies to unlock the benefits of automation for their field agents, automating everything from onboarding processes to finding valuable data. The agent console even has intelligent, guided workflows with AI extensions that help employees use their technology more effectively.
You can also use automated systems and AI to track changes to your devices and technologies, so you can more accurately determine when a customer needs help.
2. Make Crucial Tech Mobile
It almost goes without saying that in order to work optimally, field workers must have access to the same quality of tools and technology in the field as they do at their desks. Comprehensive tools for analytics, customer service, and data management need to be available to your field workers on the go.
The Cempresso ecosystem includes both web-based and mobile apps to help your staff complete tasks and effectively serve customers. The standalone mobile app is already integrated with the Cempresso platform and provides a library for integration with existing customer apps and end-user web portals. With an all-in-one mobile environment, field technicians can:
- Perform service checks in real-time
- Track customer perception instantly
- Perform full diagnostics
- Check the status of key tool parameters
For field service agents to be at their best, they need to know that the technology they access every day provides them with exceptional knowledge, access to collaboration tools, and helpful insights.
3. Unlock Access to Valuable Data
To provide excellent customer support and ensure outstanding performance from every employee, companies increasingly rely on access to the right data. It’s worth remembering that the benefits of data aren’t limited to your back-end staff and customer service representatives.
Field service representatives can also benefit from data insights to do their jobs more effectively. For example, the analytics console in Cempresso can help field reps gain better insight into customer interactions and collect data about customer needs.
With the right data collection tools, technicians can also use their field service app to check service status before visiting a customer. This means they can double-check what needs to be managed before they arrive at the job site and make sure everything is working properly before they leave.
Remember, some 76% of the field and mobile workers in Salesforce’s 2021 study said they view their jobs as more strategic than ever. Having access to the right amount of data and insights can help your employees make smarter decisions about how to complete tasks.
4. Reduce the Need for Repeat Visits
Speaking of analyzing the state of technology before deploying engineers and technicians on-site, using the right technology can also help you manage your resources more effectively. In today’s fast-paced environment, companies can’t afford to send engineers to places where their help isn’t needed.
Many telecom companies regularly experience issues with unnecessary technician deployments or repeated need for services after the technician has left the site. The Cempresso app allows telecom companies to remotely track any issues and fix the problem on the way to the customer.
Technicians can remotely assess the issues and determine if an onsite visit is required or if they can be resolved using self-service processes and guidance from a customer service representative. This improves the customer experience and reduces the risk of customers having to call a company multiple times about the same issue.
You can even use your analytics tools to gather information about frequently recurring issues so you know when to schedule field service call-backs for specific customers.
5. Use Proactive Service to Boost Performance
If you want to get the most out of your field service management strategy, you don’t just need to make sure you’re getting the best results for your employees. The right strategy can also help you strengthen relationships with your customers and reduce churn. Proactive field service could help keep you ahead of the competition.
With an end-to-end view of business processes, data collection capabilities, and intelligent automation, the Cempresso platform can give companies a behind-the-scenes look at when certain tools and solutions need additional maintenance. Predicting trends and challenges before they impact customers means you can effectively schedule your field service technicians to perform maintenance before issues arise.
Not only does this process provide your customers with better quality, but it can also reduce employee stress. Since technicians are fixing problems before they even occur, they’re less likely to deal with stressed employees.
6. Focus on Employee Experience
To truly improve your field service management strategy for the new age of work, you need to think about how to put your employees first. In the age of the “Great Resignation,” retaining your key technicians can be harder than it seems.
The field skills shortage is on the rise, and companies can’t afford to lose skilled workers to competitors or elsewhere. Unfortunately, about 33% of field service technicians currently say their jobs aren’t as satisfying as they should be. In addition, about 60% of agents say they aren’t willing to stay in the field.
To reduce the risk of dissatisfaction among your employees, you should first ensure they’ve access to the intuitive technology they need to do their jobs. Then, you should develop strategies to gather feedback from your employees. Based on their feedback, you can determine whether you need to invest more in things like AI bots to help with troubleshooting or self-service tools.
The more information you gather from your employees, the better you can make smart decisions about how to help them succeed.
Getting the Most out of Your Field Service Technicians
Field service management has never been a particularly straightforward process. However, as customer expectations continue to evolve and the technology, we rely on becomes more complex, managing your teams can feel more difficult than ever.
Right now, it’s important for companies with in-house field teams to look for comprehensive technology suites that can help them align their employees around the same goals and equip them with unified tools. An all-in-one environment for automation, access to vital statistics, and deep insights can transform your entire business.
Contact Bulb Tech today to find out how field technicians are already using our powerful Cempresso platform to increase productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Ready to transform your customer service?
Contact us and leverage our Cempresso digital solutions to cut down cost per first interaction by more than 30%