Positive customer experiences continue to drive loyalty and keep customers coming back. According to a 2023 survey by PwC, 54% of executives believe investing in the customer experience is an important part of increasing loyalty.
Retaining customers is an important part of business growth, especially in field service-based industries. Not only do you want customers to request your service again, but you want to increase the number of times they call you — driving up their overall lifetime value — or recommend your services to others.
One way to continue winning over customers is to keep up with their needs. Know how they want to find your services and what they want from there. Learn more about the intersection of technology and the customer experience through a field service lens.
The Importance of Customer Experience in Field Service Industries
Field service professionals wear a lot of hats when they meet with customers. They need to demonstrate their skills in the service they provide, whether that involves pet grooming or plumbing. They also serve as representatives and marketers for their companies. Recent research has indicated that “experience transfer” is a common phenomenon these days – specifically, as businesses continue to improve their customer relationships, customers will also raise their expectations of what is acceptable. As such, field service companies need to keep up with trends and offer high levels of service to meet consumer demands.
Service professionals need to balance responding to calls quickly with doing a good job. Customers are often more critical of field service teams because they can be judged on their customer care, service quality, and responsiveness.
Fortunately, you can help manage this pressure. Good processes can help your team respond quickly to calls and stay organized. The right service software tools can make scheduling and invoicing easy so your team members can focus on the work that needs to get done.
Key Technologies Enhancing Customer Experience
There are many categories of tools designed to improve customer service delivery and customer satisfaction. Each of these tools, from fleet management to AI chatbots, reflects your business operations as a whole.
Here are a few solutions to consider for your business that could improve your workflows.
Mobile Workforce Management Solutions
Mobile workforce management solutions are designed to support employees who work outside of your company. For example, a plumbing company will dispatch its employees to different jobs throughout the day and do their best to prevent excessive driving time or gaps between service calls. Mobile workforce management solutions are integral to a variety of industries, from optimizing routes for delivery drivers to creating schedules for pool cleaners.
Not only do these solutions help team members set their schedules for the day, but they also make invoicing easy. Your service technicians can handle entire appointments through their phones or tablets, which then send any necessary paperwork or documents to a central, digital hub. Your staff can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time doing meaningful work that supports your clients.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
CRM systems operate similarly to workforce management systems, and you might discover a single app that does both for your organization. CRM tools track customer appointments, preferred services, and invoices. A mobile dog groomer might keep notes in the CRM about a client’s dog breed and grooming style. The CRM could also keep a log of past appointments and even send marketing messages to schedule new appointments and predict future needs.
These systems are important because they allow customers to engage with your brand on their terms. They can digitally pay invoices and schedule appointments online. Each interaction with your brand can be paperless. Advanced CRMs can also automate various processes — like sending marketing messages or confirmation emails — helping you grow your business without having to increase your administrative work.
AI and Chatbots for Customer Service
Modern customer support tools help companies serve clients faster. A great example of this is the use of artificial intelligence in customer support. AI systems can solve a variety of problems and connect customers with representatives if they have more advanced issues. These chatbots are available 24/7 and can help an unlimited number of customers at once.
Several field service industries that offer 24/7 support can benefit from these AI chatbots, like plumbers who receive panicked calls when pipes break and HVAC technicians who respond to late-night requests in hot summer months. A customer can schedule an after-hours call if they have an emergency without needing to go through a call center. The chatbots can also help customers pay invoices or confirm appointment times without requiring the caller to wait for a human representative.
Implementing Technology to Address Customer Demands
If you’re ready to enhance your customer service with technology, ensure you have a comprehensive plan in place. It’s not uncommon for companies to rush into adopting new tools without training their team members or confirming the systems are right for their customers. Here are a few steps to go through as you make changes to the technology of your field service business:
- Find tools designed for your industry: This ensures you’ll have the features you need.
- Test out new apps with a few team members: Get their buy-in and troubleshoot any problems before you roll out the system as a whole.
- Invest in training for your team: Spend time working with your staff to make sure everyone knows how the new systems work.
- Market your new tools: Let your customers know how your business is changing and how these apps will benefit them.
- Collect feedback: Listen to complaints from your team or clients. Take note of how your operations can improve.
One of the biggest mistakes field service teams make is rolling out new tools without employee and customer buy-in. This can leave multiple parties frustrated within your business.
Staying Up To Date as Technology Evolves
While your new field service solution (or solutions) might be a game-changer for your business right now, keep up with technological advances to see if there are better tools or opportunities in the future. Customer service trends are constantly evolving as buyers want new and better ways to communicate with companies. Within a few years, there might be a better way to support your staff and the clients who request your services.
No matter your industry, field service is a difficult business model. By staying on top of technological trends, you can keep up with customer demand and manage your team in the best way possible. This will lead to better customer experiences that drive loyalty in the long run.
