The new normal unleashed by COVID-19 places emphasis on contactless services and online delivery. But servicing or repairing equipment requires physical contact. Asking a customer to wait for long can lead to major losses in your field service business. This situation calls for innovative and enterprising solutions.
Here are 5 ways by which field service operators can reduce physical contacts and still deliver efficient fixes.
Read more: COVID-19: Tips for Field Service Teams to Work Safely
In the new normal of COVID-19, a technician may visit a customer’s site only to resolve advanced issues. For basic issues, maintenance providers can offer self-service options through websites and mobile apps.
Success depends on curating effective self-service content. Offer simple instructions that can be understood even by a non-professional. Break down complex technical jargon to simple terms.
Field service businesses need to offer remote diagnostics wherever possible, to avoid site visits.
Some repairs involve changing parts. Here, the technician can conduct a visual session from the service van, after handing over the part to the user. The technician remaining close at hand improves response and overcomes the tech barrier better.
Either way, the success of remote diagnostics depends on the following considerations:
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Prevention is better than cure. Equipment users who make timely interventions to rectify anomalies better avoid technicians visiting them.
Develop predictive maintenance models using historical and IoT sensor data. Such models give early warning signs of trouble. For instance, low fluid alerts, or a warning when a critical parameter deviates outside a range can enable prompt remedial actions. It is far easier to service functioning machines than to fix failures or repair breakdowns.
Self-service or remote resolution is not always the best of workarounds. When site visits become inevitable, always strive for “the first-contact resolution”.
Salesforce reports that more than three out of every four consumers express dissatisfaction if a field service engineer does not resolve the issue at the first visit. This is even without the COVID-19 pandemic concerns.
Read more: Five Ways to Ensure Field Service Technicians’ Punctuality and Promptness
A field service management suite streamlines field operations. It enables many innovations to cut contact and make site visits the least disruptive to customers.
Read more: How AI Will Simplify and Automate Service Appointments in Field Service Management
Many service organizations underestimate the importance of efficient inventory management. A lack of right parts can delay service resolution, and force revisits. An automated inventory management system, synced to scheduling, eliminates hold-ups.
Minimizing contact and reducing site visits make a sound business proposition during COVID-19 times. It makes good business sense even beyond the current pandemic times, considering the efficiencies and cost savings involved.
Get in touch with us to understand how ReachOut can help restrict your technicians’ site visits and still serve your customers better!
Ashmitha aspires to enhance the efficiency of service technicians. With a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within field service management, Ashmitha frequently shares her knowledge through industry blogs, articles and workshops.
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