Field service organizations come in all shapes and sizes, and with a difference in size comes a different path towards success. Large field service management teams have greater resources, such as financial resources, a greater pool of personnel and expertise, and the ability to generate profit in different areas.
According to Jolt Consulting Group, who have experience working with service companies of many different sizes, 94 percent of HVAC field service organizations have under 150 technicians. That makes up most of the market in the United States, and speaks volume to the level of competition in the industry, as there are plenty of options for HVAC service in any city around the country.
Those small-medium businesses are surviving, despite not having the national reach of some of the largest carriers in the country, and they are doing it on the back of hard work, a focus on what they do well, an adapting to the changing climate they live in. And just because they don’t have the same financial backing or large pool of technicians to select from, doesn’t mean they can’t take advantage of field service management software. In fact, it’s making these small-medium HVAC companies more competitive against the larger enterprises who are all fighting for the same market share.
So how are they doing it? By focusing in on three key areas that no matter what size of the company, will help produce a successful organization.
Invest in HVAC field service software
The largest HVAC field service organizations are all running some type of HVAC field service management software to better handle their work orders, scheduling and dispatching and empowering their technicians in the field with mobile field service apps. But so are small-medium HVAC organizations. Gone are the days of manually producing work orders, whiteboarding schedules in the back office and using Excel spreadsheets for a legacy system.
Small-Medium HVAC organizations are investing heavily in HVAC field service software to make them just as competitive in the market as any large company is. Those who don’t are finding it harder to keep in competition, while those who do are finding more ways to utilize the smaller technician pool they have and better optimize their work order management and scheduling and dispatching practices. With cloud-based HVAC field service software, small-medium HVAC organizations don’t need a massive IT department to be able to handle the complex nature of an HVAC field service software, making it still cost efficient to bring technology into the work place.
Keeping the focus on service delivery
With a smaller pool of technicians, and a lack of financial resources, it may be difficult for small-medium HVAC field service organizations to tackle every type of service call available. Sometimes, they just don’t have the expertise to complete a job. There are options to hire subcontractors who can be managed through an HVAC field service management software, but if your full-time technicians don’t have the skill set, the organization may not be able to go into certain areas.
That isn’t all bad, as small-medium HVAC service teams are focusing more on what they are good at and providing top quality service in those fields. With a shortage in skilled technicians, doing even the simplest jobs will keep your organization busy. With HVAC field service software, small-medium HVAC organizations can optimize their service delivery to deliver the best possible experience to their customers, which will keep them happy and returning. There is no shame in doing something simple but doing it very well, and many smaller organizations are taking up these roles and excelling, keeping long-term business under their roof.
Exceed the customers’ expectations
Customers don’t care how large your organization is. They care that the work is getting done right the first time, and that your service providers are great at what they do. They want reliable service, fast service times and a high first-time fix rate. The best part is, small-medium businesses can deliver all of those just as well as any large organization, and perhaps even better as they have a smaller pool of technicians to monitor, ensuring standards remain high.
HVAC field service software helps ensure customers are happy with dispatch tools that help narrow down the window of time for the technician will arrive. Mobile field service apps help guide technicians through their service calls, ensuring quality is never lowered, and to increase first-time fix rates, manuals, guides and instructions can be sent to the mobile app to help a technician through a repair.
No matter the size of your HVAC field service organization, there is a solution to help you stay competitive in the HVAC industry. You don’t need the deep pockets or talent pools of a large organization to be successful, and can carve out your own path to success by utilizing an HVAC field service software and investing in the future of efficient service delivery.