Being in the field service industry comes with its fair share of ups and likewise, downs. Servicing hundreds of properties is a time consuming and sometimes complicated task. Of course there are many things that can go wrong and being human, they most likely will go wrong. Since we always strive to improve, we have gathered the top 5 complaints this year in the field service industry and come up with a few easy ways to solve them so that 2015 is your best year yet, complaint free (maybe)!
1. Timeliness
This one ranges from being 10 minutes late all the way up to not even showing up. To me, this is a silly issue to have. If you have hired the best people for your field service business then this should not be happening. If it is however, the first step to solving it is to actually know about it.
Make it clear to your employees that being late is unacceptable and make it easier for them by scheduling enough time in between appointments for them to get to the job on time. Some field service businesses actually can track where their trucks are at any given time with software.
Being able to view them on a map is a sure fire way to see if they made it on time. Of course, you don't want to have to waste your time stalking all of your guys, so hire trust worthy people and take your customers complaints seriously. Only allow it to happen once before taking action, this might mean scheduling fewer appointments in a day, but that's okay. Quality will lead to quantity.
I always like to say; never promise something if you know you cannot deliver. Even if you have the smallest pang of doubt that you'll deliver, keep your mouth shut. You will quickly erode your reputation and those shiny words will only be just that. If the issue isn't however that you're over-promising, it's most likely communication; aside from a hiring issue.
Communication is vastly important in this business, if the technician and office person don't have clear communication about what the customer expects- the result will be, that's right! An unhappy customer. And you simply don't want that. Nip this issue in the bud by writing clear instructions for the your workers, I'd suggest being over-detailed as opposed to under-detailed.
The goal here is a satisfied customer, so going above and beyond should and will happen. The people you send out into the field represent your business, so if they are consistently under-performing, what do you think that says about your company? Increase your level of performance for 2015 by creating open communication and even having follow-ups with customers if you don't already.
3. Organization
When I owned an irrigation business years ago, this was one of my biggest issues. It may even have been my biggest. Organization comes into play daily in the field service industry on multiple levels. If your company becomes unorganized it will effect the entire business.
The way that I suggest getting organized is with field service software. Software will change your life, and the life of your business. It organizes billing, invoices, emails and much more so that you don't have to worry about paperwork. When the office is a mess, you better believe that your work in the field is not going to be pretty. Solve these issues by getting rid of paperwork and investing in software.
4. Technicians unfamiliar with equipment
To me, this directly falls on management. Onboarding and training new employees is crucial for their success in the business. If a technician shows up unprepared to handle a piece of equipment, it's usually because they weren't trained properly. This problem can easily be solved, but it requires time and commitment. Some technicians aren't willing to take the time to be trained on equipment, but trust me when I say that it is necessary. If there isn't any big or dangerous equipment being used on a a job, take that opportunity to allow a trained technician to train another.
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