Who benefits from field service management?
The best field service management has a ripple effect across the organization. A better experience for your field service team leads to better customer experiences. Here’s how each member of your field service team will benefit:
Contact Center Agents
With a complete view of the customer, contact center agents personalize every interaction. That matters when 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations.
Support agents access knowledge base articles and use automated workflows. Meanwhile, AI works behind the scenes to improve their responses and recommendations. If agents can’t find what they need, they can collaborate to resolve complicated requests.
If a customer needs help with a simple task — such as how to reboot a piece of equipment — agents can troubleshoot with visual remote assistant software. Agents launch a video session that becomes a two-way interactive experience. The agent sees the object in real time and guides the customer through directions. If the customer needs more support, the agent connects them to a skilled technician.
Dispatchers
Gone are the days of using whiteboards to map schedules. Field service management automates the entire scheduling process for dispatchers. So, when dispatchers go to schedule an appointment, the system recommends the next available field service mobile worker with the right expertise for the job.
If schedules change unexpectedly, field service management sources a replacement. Or if the customer cancels, the system adjusts schedules with the help of automation. It reassigns the field service mobile worker to a new job that requires similar skills, tools, and equipment.
These capabilities help dispatchers to be more efficient and free them up to focus on more complex work. They also remove any bias that would have otherwise come from manual scheduling. Workloads are better balanced and every employee and contractor has a shot.
Field Service Mobile Workers
With the right technology, field service mobile workers no longer feel disengaged from the office. They have mobile devices that provide a real-time view of data. From their mobile app, they can review schedules, recommended routes, and key customer information. They can also ensure they have the right tools and equipment on the truck before they head out for the day.
Online and offline mobile capabilities give them what they need, even in remote locations. They can access knowledge articles, workflows, and tasks lists. They can also add notes, which sync with the field service management system. If a problem is outside of their expertise, they can connect with an expert with visual remote assistance.
Time with the customer also provides a way to naturally cross-sell and upsell. The field service mobile worker can help customers upgrade equipment or service contracts from their mobile device. Or, they can hand the customer over to a sales rep for more complicated requests.
Contact Center Managers
Field service management helps contact center managers keep operations running smoothly. The system collects data around important key performance indicators (KPIs). These include first-time fix rates, average resolution times, customer satisfaction, and others. Managers create reports on these metrics and use them to improve processes. They are also able to track changes to equipment or service contracts made in the field. Since information is visible to other departments, managers ensure the customer always gets what they signed up for.
Contractors
During busy periods, field service organizations hire extra help. Field service management makes it possible for contractors to hit the ground running. They have the same capabilities as full-time staff, which accelerates onboarding. Plus, they get immediate access to training materials, knowledge base articles, and experts to help them succeed. Even when they are out in the field, they can chat with colleagues and consult with experts in any channel, including video.
Customers
Eighty-eight percent of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as their products or services. But field service organizations are learning that customers have even higher expectations to meet. Customers expect field service to fit into their schedules, and clear communication and complete transparency matters from the start.
Field service management gives customers the control and convenience they crave. They can schedule their own appointments from a portal, website, or app. On the day of service, they get updates with capabilities like appointment assistance so that no one is waiting around. This includes reminders on their appointment times, details on who will be coming, and their estimated time of arrival. Customers get updates on the channel of their choice.
