How To Optimize Customer Service for Field Service Businesses 

For any field service business, customer expectations surrounding service levels and results have risen significantly in recent years. With online marketplaces like Amazon Prime, for example, customers expect the same level of care and responsiveness from business-to-business transactions—and so does the marketplace. 

A company’s ability to remember and know its customers can have a dramatic effect on customer loyalty. Imagine the relief with which customers greet a friendly voice: “Oh, you’re [so and so]! I see here you had a service last month; are you happy with the result? Which equipment are you calling about? Oh, I see that two years ago was the last time we changed it. How’s it working?” This type of interaction is crucial in keeping customers happy, and yet many businesses do not have systems in place to provide this level of service. 

The right person for the job and the right parts will get you the results you need. 

When sending technicians to perform repairs, it is important to match the technician with the equipment’s severity and problem. For example, if an air conditioner fails on a hot day, sending a maintenance technician without knowledge of air-conditioning systems may delay the repair. The customer should be aware that they are waiting longer because of your decision not to send the appropriate technician. This will lose business as customers may decide to use your competitor due to unbearable conditions. 

Having adequate parts available for your service technicians is important. Acumatica Field Service Management makes it easier to manage parts inventory by making the service technician’s vehicle a mobile warehouse. 

At the Right Time 

Productivity can be negatively affected when a technician doesn’t arrive for an appointment on time. Acumatica has developed a solution to this problem: software that automatically reschedules appointments with those technicians who are late. 

Acumatica’s calendar board displays certain colors and notifications if an appointment has not been closed out. In other words, Acumatica knows in real-time what is happening in the field. It will send off alarms, notifying you to figure out what to do if an appointment has not been closed out. 

Then the dispatcher can call the technician, who can mitigate further disaster or delays in the schedule. If there is a flat tire, for example, Acumatica helps you find another technician or reschedule for another time. 

Faster Billing: An Effective Billing Solution  

Efficiency in billing is a problem in field service. When systems are not integrated, there is a problem with paperwork. It takes time to transcribe the information onto invoices. The information may get lost during transcription or be unreadable due to difficult handwriting. 

Acumatica’s mobile platform allows technicians to convey information immediately and cleanly. It also allows technicians to use voice dictation, so they can document their work and dialogue with customers. This voice dictation is easily accessible by anyone at any time—and saves the company a lot of time in the long run. Acumatica wants to support its technicians—and its technicians want to support the company as well.  

Acumatica also allows businesses to print invoices on the premises. The customer can receive an electronic invoice along with a recap of what occurred at the appointment, which shortens the billing cycle. 

Reducing paperwork also reduces the amount of time your staff must spend on accounting, freeing them up to focus on more complex tasks that will better serve customers.