Your field service business is made up of many different systems. You have Deb, your office person’s system, Bob, your manager’s system, Eric, your field tech’s system, and you, with your own system. All of these are unique systems controlled by the individual, and they seem to work for the individual, but not so much for the company as a whole.
The issue with all of these individual systems is that they are not documented and standardized. They are in each person’s head, but that’s it. Unless you, Deb, Bob, and Eric all have exceptional memories, we can bet you can’t remember everything you have ever done. We bet Deb cannot remember how many hours your field techs worked last week. We also bet you can’t remember every single customer you have given a discount to.
This is why we suggest you develop a standardized system for your business, document it, and stick to it. For our main example we will focus on how you charge for your services, but we suggest you do this for every aspect of your business.
Think of when Eric, your service tech, writing up a work order. Does he do it the same way each time? We doubt it. So what happens when a different service tech goes out to the job and charges a different amount then last time? This can turn in to a problem.
An automatic field service software system is a great source for developing a system and helping you stick to it. You can enter in all of the information you need for every single customer. It is a quick and simple way to document all of the information needed to run your company. Best of all? Nothing falls through the cracks. No more forgetting or guessing, just look up the customer’s history and find your answer.
If at this point in time and automatic system isn’t an option, at least have your employees documenting their systems manually. This ensures they have access records to look back on and makes your business as a whole run a lot smoother.