You want your customers to feel like regulars. As if you know their order just the way they like it. The service business is built on that type of customer service when you regularly use that service. So, even when you’re entering their business, knowing how they like their service completed goes a long way to nurturing the relationship with them. Even the simplest things like:
- Knowing which door to enter the building
- Who to talk to when you enter
- Where the HVAC equipment is located
- What equipment they have on-site
- Door codes and access points
Let’s see how HVAC software can help you nurture your relationship with your customers, which in turn, grows your business. With these helpful features, field service software will give your technicians the functions they need to offer a great customer experience.
HVAC Software Builds Trust
You’re probably wondering: how can an HVAC software help me build trust with my customers? Through history. History is what helps you build your bond with your customers. The longer you know a customer, the tighter your bond can be. Accessing service history from a field service software helps to build that bond. You may be able to have the same technician going to that customer every time. But in cases you don’t, they need to be all caught up on the history of the customer.
From their field service mobile app, accessing history from an HVAC software is simple to do. They can reference past jobs and solution notes to help solve complex problems. It’s literally as if your technicians are walking around with every work order ever made for that customer in their hand. Customers have more trust with a field service business that comes fully prepared and knows all the ins and outs of their business. Knowledge is power, as they say, and it’s a powerful tool to use to not only solve repair problems but also while nurturing the bond with your customer.
In the case where the same technician is requested for service, dispatchers can use HVAC software to automatically apply work orders from that customer to that technician. Customers have strong connections with repeat technicians who have worked on their equipment before. They become more than just a company name showing up to the door to work. They become a trusted face.
Field Service Software Keeps You Organized
Having mounds of work orders and information can be difficult to manage. And as we have mentioned already, information is critical. But what is more critical is handling all that information and organizing it properly. It does no use to anyone if work orders are in different places, contracts and maintenance schedules aren’t attached and projects are not properly planned out.
With field service software, you have a single source of information – your HVAC software system. Everyone from dispatchers to managers to technicians is all using the same platform. That means, any information entered into the system on one end, is viewable by everyone who has access. Notes technicians leave while on the job site can be picked up by dispatchers and salespeople. Or the next technician coming on-site can also view the note and relay it to the customer.
If you have ever had to find a needle in a haystack, you know exactly how difficult it can be to find what you need when you need it. With field service software, searchable fields make it quick and easy to find the information you need. Search by customer name, equipment type, and serial numbers to find exactly what you are looking for when you need it. With respect to customers, it’s a great way to avoid problems and miscommunication, as all information is put into one HVAC software platform.
Upselling and Quoting
The core benefit of building a relationship with a customer is that they will trust your expertise. So, they will be more likely to trust your technicians when they say it’s time to upgrade, or that additional work needs to be done. Recurring customers are more likely to upgrade and providing additional products and services to your customers is how you grow the business. That’s why technicians today need sales skills in order to be able to quote jobs and upsell products to customers. It’s far from the sleazy car salesmen people think of, but rather a trusted expert they have built a long relationship with.
When it’s time to upgrade and quote, technicians need access to their HVAC software to compile a quote and quickly have it turned into a work order. From their field service mobile app, they can select parts, quote hours of labor and generate a fully detailed quote in minutes. If the additional work doesn’t require parts and can be started right away, a push of a button turns that quote into a work order and work begins.
It’s also an added service to your customers that they are looking out for them. They are checking areas that need repairs and could use upgrades and looking for what is best for them. Upselling metrics can be tracked in field service software to tell you who the best sales technician is in your company.
Keep Building Relationships
Your relationship with your customers will dictate the success your business has. If you want a chance at recurring revenue from preventative maintenance contracts, you need to build trust with your customers to get them to sign on the dotted line. And you do that by having more information on hand and accessible to your technicians in the field. By doing so, they can complete repairs faster, answer customer questions when they ask, have a better understanding of the job they are walking into and can offer additional services and upgrades. HVAC software may not interact with your customer, but the benefits of a fully integrated field service software will have a long-lasting effect on your customer’s relationship with your service business.