In the world of field service management, face-to-face service is mission-critical. In fact, it’s a leading competitive differentiator. When customers require in-person service for equipment maintenance or repair, mobile workers bridge the divide between your company and your customers.
According to Salesforce 2019 research, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.
So what differentiates high-performing field service teams from their lower performing competitors?
Investing in Field Service
Customers are 2.6x more likely to say service that comes to them is important versus unimportant. It is therefore not surprising that 84% of service decision makers cite enhanced or expanded mobile service offerings and operations as a top priority. On top of that, 80% of service decision makers say mobile service drives significant revenue, and 79% say it provides new revenue streams.
The greater part of service leadership with field operations are making substantial investments in their mobile workers. For example, via enhanced training or technology. More than half (54%) expect to increase their mobile worker headcount over the coming year. Top teams, however, have an increased advantage on these investments. High-performing organizations are 2.3x more likely than underperformers to have hired more mobile workers last year.
Executives’ Perceptions Don’t Match Reality
Approximately 90 percent of service decision makers agree that the experience a customer has with a mobile worker reflects their brand. As well, 80 percent of decision makers claim to provide mobile workers with all the technology and resources they need to do their job well.
However, leaders’ perceptions of their mobile workforces’ technological competencies may not match the reality. Just about half (49%) of mobile workers – including 66% of underperformers – switch through a multitude of screens just to complete their tasks. Almost half (45%) – including 57% of underperformers – have lost considerable time because of imprecise or outdated job information.
A Capabilities Gap Divides Top Field Service Teams from the Rest
Mobile workers lacking the proper tools and information will not only hinder themselves, but also frustrate their customers. As businesses turn to mobile service for brand differentiation and new revenue streams, making sure their mobile staff has the same capabilities as their office colleagues is crucial for both the customer experience and employee experience.
Leading mobile workers are separating themselves from the underachieving competition in terms of the quality of service they can offer. In some cases, this amounts to abilities that largely extend the office to a mobile worker’s smartphone or tablet, such as offline access to vital information. In other cases, the impact on the customer experience is more evident, like being able to comprehend the issue prior to walking onsite or updating customers on delays.
See entire research brief here.
The FIELDBOSS mobile solution uses the Resco Mobile CRM app. Running on any smartphone and tablet, it connects natively to Dynamics 365 and seamlessly to our contractor management solution. It will boost productivity, improve data quality, increase communication, and help make sure that being out of the office doesn’t mean being out of the loop.
Contact us today for a free demo. FIELDBOSS stays current on industry trends to keep you informed on what’s happening in the field service world. Read our blog and sign up for our newsletter for all the latest news.