And that means the customer won’t have to correct them. It doesn’t look great for your business if your customer is answering questions your technicians should have answers to. So, before heading to the job site, have your technicians access the work order software and make sure they have answers to these must-know questions.
At which site are you located?
A question so simple, but very important. Your technicians can’t fix the right equipment if they don’t go to the right job site. And you don’t want technicians phoning customers to ask them for directions. The real problem with having technicians go to the wrong address is that it costs money. The time the technician is on the road is time they aren’t spending servicing equipment, and the time on the road is eating up gas in their truck. Miscommunication in dispatching happens, and it turns into a costly mistake. It also backs up the technician’s schedule, resulting in phone calls to other customers to explain that the technician will be late.
To avoid mistakes like this, work order software is full of ways to ensure your technician gets to the right job site. Integrations to CRM software, such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Microsoft GP is one way. You can share customer information through field service management software. Any changes made in the CRM software will also be changed in the work order software. That way, there are no errors or wrong addresses. The address put on the work order is the correct one entered throughout the entire work order system.
Addresses can be attached to equipment or services in preventative maintenances contracts, too. So, if you bill to one address, service can be performed elsewhere with the correct address attached to the work order.
Route your technicians to the job with work order software
To get your technicians to the right job site, route using GPS mapping and directions. Not only does this reduce the amount of driving your technicians do, saving gas and truck repairs, but it ensures they get to the job site on time. Using field service management software routing tools gives your technicians the information they need to succeed in the field. The most critical, perhaps, is the location of the actual job. With field service mobile apps, turn-by-turn directions are available to get technicians where they need to be.
What’s your door code?
If your customer is in a gated area or has codes to access their doors, technicians need this information on their work order. Any instructions, even calling ahead to let the customer know they are coming, is important. Knowing these codes and access points are the fastest way to perform service and the amount of time your customer is involved in the repair is kept to a minimum.
Perhaps they don’t want technicians coming through the front desk, but have a loading zone with better access. Putting that information in the work order software will ensure instructions get to the technician in the field. When they use mobile field service management software, they can have codes, phone numbers, and access point information as part of the work order process.
Following instructions with work order software (even subcontractors)
What will it say about your service if your technicians can’t follow simple instructions? Especially if those technicians are subcontractors you have hired and are not directly from your own business? Don’t let a subcontractor tarnish your reputation because they had to ask the front desk for door codes and access to utility rooms. It slows down the work because that staff member probably knows very little about the service call taking place. It eats up valuable time that could be spent making the repair. Use a work order software and put all the instructions for each service call on the work order.
Is this equipment under contract?
Preventative maintenance contracts are recurring revenue every field service business would love to have. It’s a value they can offer to their customer and revenue they can count on if they deliver excellent service. However, it can be difficult to keep all the contracts and warranties you have with your customers in order. The last thing you want to happen is your technician talking to a customer about repair costs when that repair should fall under a contract.
A customer shouldn’t be answering, at any time, whether their equipment or service is under contract. You should be telling them. When they call for service, work order software will have all contract information built in. This will alert you when a contract is active or expired. If the contract is expired, it’s a great sales opportunity to get them back under a contract. By using field service management software with work order and contract capabilities, you have a complete work order management system that automates preventative maintenance contracts into work orders. And you have a system that makes contract information easily accessible to the dispatcher or technician who needs it.
What could void the warranty?
If there are warranties on the equipment you sold, there could be certain processes that void the warranty. If your technician doesn’t have access to that warranty information, their repair could void it, resulting in your company footing the bill. So why not allow them to use a field service management software that has all that critical information available? Don’t leak revenue because your technicians made a mistake that was avoidable.
Work order software answers the tough questions
When it comes to questions in field service, you need to have all the answers. Customers are turning to you in their time of need and you need to be able to come up with an informative answer. Field service management software is a perfect way to get all that information together and have confidence in your answers. It allows your technicians to complete work orders efficiently and reduce expenses. Give your technicians all the information they need to succeed in the field with a work order software designed for their success.