Whether a customer needs a repair on an essential piece of residential or commercial equipment, a scheduled preventative maintenance service, or a new HVAC installation, time is always of the essence. In order to deliver the highest level of quality and service to your customers, earning trust and repeat business, it’s imperative your technicians work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
At XOi, we’re always looking for ways to make sure field service professionals understand and overcome the complexities and challenges of on site work. While no two jobs are the same, we took a look at the top five most common time wasters in field service and how workflow automation tools like XOi’s Vision app can help save you, your techs, and your customers valuable time on the job.
1. Manual tasks and data entry
Manual processes are one of the biggest time sucks for technicians in the field. Whether it’s manually entering the make, model, and serial number of an HVAC unit, or writing out a descriptive summary to communicate the scope of work to a client, these tedious tasks extend a technician’s time on site. Technology solutions that arm techs with automated workflows and optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities streamline the service process and eliminate the need to manual data entry.
2. Googling support materials on the job
For the Greenhorns that are new to the field service industry, there’s a lot to be learned that can only come with experience. Unfortunately, green technicians don’t always have all the answers. Before calling for backup when stuck on the job, a technician may try to find a solution on their own and turn to Google or YouTube as a resource. Sifting through various search results and videos wastes precious time on the job. We suggest avoiding unverified resources and potentially inaccurate resources in the field. Instead, technician enablement tools empower teams in the field by putting thousands of hours of earned experience, trusted resources, and collective wisdom right at their fingertips.
3. Calling for help and second truck rolls
When working on a complex repair or intricate piece of equipment, it’s not uncommon for the technician onsite to call in for a second opinion, feedback, or additional support to get the job done. Instead of wasting time and money on a second truck roll, investing in technician training tools that enable live, interactive video support will save your technicians and customers valuable time. It’s a simple, quick solution for complicated jobs.
4. Inventory and extended lead times on parts and materials
With 94% of companies on the Fortune 1000 list seeing supply chain disruptions, the service industry is now facing equipment and parts shortages on top of the growing labor shortage. With lead times for receiving specific parts and materials at an all time high, one of the best ways to save time and complete a job faster is to perform remote diagnostics before a technician makes a trip on site. Utilizing a remote video communication tool can help counteract extended lead times by allowing you to survey a site ahead of time, diagnose the problem, and order the necessary part(s) and equipment sooner.
5. Lack of customer understanding and the decision making process
In field service, most customers aren’t trained to know and understand the technical details of their HVAC, plumbing, or mechanical equipment. This lack of understanding can lead to a lengthy decision making process if there’s a lack of transparency into the work a technician may be recommending. Today’s tech-savvy customers expect more than just words when facing a high-cost repair or replacement, they need to see visual evidence—the laboring compressor that is wheezing away or the water dripping below the unit. Utilizing technologies that provide customers a complete, visual overview of the state of their equipment and quoted or performed work is one of the fastest ways to educate them. This level of transparency ultimately builds trust, which can help expedite the decision making process.
Are these challenges costing your team valuable time and money? We’ve been there, and we understand your pain. To learn more about how XOi can help you solve these common challenges, schedule a demo with one of our dedicated and knowledgeable team members: xoi.io/contact
