6 Rules For a Great Service Department: Rule #2 Knowledge is Power

We at HindSite say this all the time.  Knowledge is power, my friends.  And it rings true, especially for those in business.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

One great thing (or challenge, depending on how you look at it) about the field service industry is that it is always changing.  Every work order is unique.  Every customer is unique.  No two customers or problems are the same, which means there is always something new to learn.  You can be pretty sure a new product will be coming out in the next week or a new way to perform a service will be recommended to you by the end of the summer.  Wouldn’t it be helpful if your techs were knowledgeable about each individual situation?

And maybe you aren’t ready to implement new devices or services.  What if you have customers who ask you why you don’t?  You know who we are talking about.  The ones who think they know it all.  Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have your techs well informed about why you aren’t doing certain things?  For example, our customers think that they really want iPhones.  iPhones, however, drop calls and at times even stop collecting data from the field when they do not have an internet connection.  Our techs need to be able to explain why a great personal phone may not make a great work phone.

There are two main things your service techs should be continuously learning about: technical skills and customer skills. 

1. Technical – This can be a new device, new equipment, or a new service you are trying out.  It is important for your techs to be knowledgeable about anything new you introduce to the company.  For one, it ensures if one person is sick or gone for the day, that someone else can fill the position.  Another reason techs need to learn and understand the technical side is because that is how you as a company stay ahead in the industry.  By being up to date and well informed, you have an edge others don’t.
2. Customers – Your techs should be just as well trained on customer service.  It never hurts for them to learn new ways to deal with difficult customers, how to discuss needing money from a customer, or how to work with a brand new customer.  Plus having these customer skills provides your tech with confidence in the field, which in turn can lead to referrals from customers.

We recommend monthly training.  Have a set time each month for you and your techs to learn about a new product, a new kind of service, a new way to handle customers.  Have your techs to the teaching and pretty soon you will be agreeing with President Franklin.