At the peak of the global pandemic, field services organizations had to adapt significantly to remain in business. Many companies in field service began transitioning to remote services to support their customers. Even as organizations return to in-person operations, companies increasingly integrate remote services into their workflows to deliver high-quality customer service.
Technology has paved the way for field service teams to provide top-notch remote services with faster response times and quicker resolutions. Below we describe how companies are shifting toward remote solutions while continuing to provide exceptional customer support.
Leveraging Technology to Facilitate Remote Services
Field service businesses that are finding success with remote services are managing all of their operations under one comprehensive technology suite, such as Gomocha’s Field Service Platform. Overseeing processes from scheduling work orders to dispatching technicians to monitoring parts inventory with the same technology platform allows technicians to facilitate day-to-day operations easily.
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are also essential in providing excellent remote service. These devices can connect to assets at customer sites, enabling technicians to read data from them in real-time without visiting the location. According to a recent study conducted by Field Service News and Salesforce, 65% of respondents said that IoT or remote diagnostics were among the tools they use to provide remote solutions to customers.
Relying on Little Effort from the Customer and More Sophistication from the Organization
Remote service doesn’t need to be overly complicated on the customer’s end. For example, the Field Service News and Salesforce study found that 83% of field service companies incorporate the phone into their remote service delivery. When field service organizations develop a clear and easy-to-understand remote service process that requires little effort from the customer, they can provide a more seamless solution.
On the other hand, the organization must use a more sophisticated system in the background to support the remote service that is effortless for the customer.
For example, some companies use a set of questions they ask customers based on historical information. While machine learning works behind the scenes, customers only see the questions.
Further, field service companies are leveraging virtual assistant tools that customers can use to get the support they need. The sophistication is happening in the backend, managed by the organization.
Focusing on Providing Faster Response Times and Resolutions
In today’s on-demand culture, customers want a resolution immediately. One of the most significant benefits of remote service is quicker response times and resolution speed. The ability to address and solve customers’ issues remotely enables teams to provide the prompt and efficient solutions customers demand.
For example, suppose a light is flashing on a customer’s washing machine. This issue can be fixed remotely within minutes — or even seconds — during a phone or video call with the customer, eliminating the need for a technician to travel on-site.
Fast remote service is especially pertinent in industrial sectors where slow production can result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.
Field service organizations are still navigating the move to remote services and finding a balance between remote and in-person solutions to provide high-quality customer support. Managing all of their operations and assets with technology and creating a remote service process that requires little effort from the customer is facilitating this transition smoothly. Further, field service organizations are using remote services to provide faster response times and resolutions to meet the needs of their customers. As technology and customer demands evolve, teams must continue fine-tuning their remote service strategies to remain competitive.
Resource:
Beyond the Data: Virtual Field Service and the New Paradigm of Service Delivery, Field Service News, Salesforce, research.fieldservicenews.com.