Internal Communication for Better Field Service

As the representatives of your business,  your field staff is an essential part of your company’s growth. That in mind, creating an effective and seamless internal communication process for them is needed to deliver the best field service.

Remote Team Communication

 

The main problem that lies with the communication process is the distance—the field service team is out in the field while the management is in the office. While you’ve ensured that they have been briefed on all the details, there will still be times where communications between the two bases are needed. Essentially, they will need to update work orders, relay customer concerns, and transmit the next steps needed for your management team in a timely manner.

 

But why? Why can’t the field service team just wait until they are back at base to deliver information? The answer is that at times, it is critical that the problem is immediately addressed, and oftentimes than not, only FSM software can solve the problem.

 

With that in mind, here are a couple of instances where you, as a business owner, may rely on FSM software in order to ensure an efficient internal communication process.

Real Time Estimate Updates

Obviously, the management in the office takes care of the job when it comes to handling estimates and quotes of a work order, while the field service team takes care of the work order. What if the service changes while the team is en route? Or worse, when they already at the site?

 

For example, a lawn care service expert has been dispatched and the customer has told the office that the area to be taken care of is around 1,000 square feet. When the field team gets there, it’s around 1,500. The field service team doesn’t have the necessary tools needed to get a proper estimate. Will you have to cut the losses and charge the same? What if the area is smaller, won’t the customer feel they are being overcharged?

 

Here’s where a streamlined internal communication process can come into play. When the quotes, prices, or estimates for the job change, both the management and the customer need to be aware of this. The customer wouldn’t want to see hidden charges, so there must be something done prior to it.

Recurring Service

 

It’s not always the case that the first visit is the last. There are different circumstances where your team would need to come back for the job. Perhaps a rainstorm prevented them from finishing the job or perhaps they need more time or a new part—nevertheless, this type of information needs to be relayed.

 

The field service team cannot promise a certain time or date when they can come back, only the management team in the office has a say in this, as they handle the administrative work. In these cases, it is important to make sure there is a good process in place for the dispatch team to relay the needed information to the management team.

Breaks and damages

 

Damages are inevitable in any business, but you need to take extra precaution in the field service business in order to avoid these. As they are unavoidable, there must still be a way to ensure that you and your team maintain professionalism. For example, if your team is working on a service and something breaks, it is very likely that the customer would be infuriated.

 

In such case, if the customer needs the work done during the same day, the field team can request some back up team which carries the essential tools, assets, and resources needed to finish the job.

Building an efficient internal communication process

 

First order of business in building an efficient internal communication process is to identify what type of information needs to be communicated to and from the office. Once these are identified, you can then decide how it is done.

 

Take NetDispatcher’s key features, for example. The latest version offers a myriad of features that are suitable for the types of situation mentioned above. In terms of remote estimates, you can easily edit the ‘Estimate’ form for every work order.

There is also another feature which allows you to edit the needed details for the job, such as how big the area is, how many materials are needed for the job, and so on.

But how does it relay communication to your field team? NetDispatcher allows your team to go mobile! This means both teams can access information and make necessary changes in real time. Simply access the FSM software via internet – no installation needed!

With all that in mind, an effective strategy and an FSM feature with the needed features is all you need.

 

If you are using a software (like NetDispatcher) you can remove the manual work needed from the field to office automation. There is no need to call or jot down notes. Plus, your employees have the opportunity to add other assets to work orders such as adjust materials needed and schedule follow-up visits.

No matter what your process is, remember that if you want to be effective in delivering a great field service to your customers, an efficient internal communication is a must.

If you’re currently not using an FSM software to handle your internal communication process give us a call! The NetDispatcher team would love to hear from you at (713) 955-5437. Or email us at info@huskyintelligence.com.