ServicePower recently published predictions for the trends that will dominate the field service industry in 2025. Using workforce tools to help overcome labor shortages is likely to remain a major trend for field service organizations.
The shortage of skilled talent will remain one of the top issues for service organizations, as it has been for over a decade. The surge of technicians reaching retirement age, the rise of the gig economy post-COVID, and recent graduates turning away from blue-collar jobs are among the reasons for the continuing shortage. There is no change within sight, and organizations need to adapt if they are going to meet market demand and fulfill customer expectations for a positive experience.
Technology can help in many ways
- Positive job experience. When recruiting new workers, having easy-to-use tools in place will help demonstrate that you support the workforce and invest in tools to help technicians do their job with greater ease, less stress, and more fulfillment. Providing modern software tools also helps retain workers. Smart solutions remove the frustrations and hassles that come with manual systems, improving job satisfaction and loyalty to the employer.
- Expertise. Playing the role of trusted advisor helps generate job fulfilment for technicians. A rewarding job experience helps retain workers. To fulfill this role and generate credibility with the customer, the technician needs access to critical information about the product, parts availability, service history, and warranty or service agreement status. Remote access and the ability to look up account and service history are essential.
- Access to information. A knowledge bank can provide valuable information about common product shortfalls and ways to resolve the issue. Access to information also helps the technician make well-informed decisions, such as recommending a replacement of the entire unit or a single part.
- Resolution rates. The ability to complete a sale on site or order a replacement part and schedule the return trip also helps the technician feel the satisfaction of the seeing the job to its close. This helps please customers and reinforces a positive experience for the technician.
- Less drive-time. Eliminating tedious tasks and streamlining the entire service call also helps retain valuable workers. Reducing time spent in front of a windshield is important. Modern technology, with tools to optimize scheduling, considers the technician’s location, the customer’s location, routes, and traffic patterns when producing a schedule and updating it as needed through the day. Plus, smart scheduling helps technicians typically complete one or two more jobs per day, adding to job satisfaction.
- Collaboration. Easy-to-use tools help technicians connect with colleagues and take advantage of collected tribal knowledge to expedite repairs.
- Online customer portal. A portal for connecting with customers helps remove common frustrations such as last-minute cancelations or arriving at a location and discovering the customer isn’t home. A portal helps technicians and customers communicate in real-time, ending confusion about arrival windows or proactively rescheduling if needed.
- Parts ordering. Trying to find necessary parts to complete a service request can be tedious and frustrating. Frustrating job experiences can lead to technician turnover, exacerbating the workforce shortage issue. No one want to spend excessive time hunting for the right part. Online tools make this task faster and easier, matching a photo of the existing part with its source and expediting order placement. Removing frustrations help retain skilled workers.
- Blended workforce. Some organizations will leverage contract employees as well as their own staff of service technicians to keep pace with customer demand for service. Contractors can be called in for short-term spikes in service requests or can be part of an on-going staffing tactic. The blended workforce is highly flexible, able to be expanded or contracted as needed.
- Contractors. Some organizations use only third-party contractors as their service staff, outsourcing all service requests. Many technicians enjoy the flexibility of working as contractors. To successfully engage with contractors, you’ll need tools to help aid dispatch and reimbursement. Solutions purpose-built for working with field contractors help match the right contractor to the job and expedite processing of the contractor’s invoice in a timely fashion. These tools will encourage the best of the best contractors to agree to take on more jobs.
By leveraging modern service management solutions, such as ServicePower offers, you can put these workforce tools in action and overcome workforce shortages. You can improve the job experience, remove typical frustrations, and help create a rewarding career for talented individuals. As technicians are your front-line representation to customers, you want to be sure they are positive, professional, and effective in their roles.
To learn more about other trends in field service, read the entire report.
ServicePower : February 23, 2023
ServicePower