With an increasing number of people working from home and relying on critical appliances and home services, there is a growing need for timely appliance scheduling and repair. Field service organizations (FSO) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) looking for digital transformation realize the importance of appliance repair scheduling software in order to provide the best service possible, attract and retain customers, and maximize time to ROI.
FSOs and OEMs looking to deploy appliance repair scheduling software need to perform due diligence before selecting the best solution. In this post, we’ll cover what unique pain points this software addresses, provide an overview of key features to look for, and review service metrics that matter when evaluating appliance repair scheduling software. Armed with these insights, you’ll be better positioned to choose the best appliance repair software to manage your workforce, meet customers at critical touchpoints, and remain digitally competitive.
What is appliance repair scheduling software?
Appliance repair scheduling software is a type of field service management software that is specifically designed for scheduling and dispatching field technicians for appliance repair jobs. This software enables your FSO or OEM to schedule appliance repairs with your field technician workforce. Due to the nature of today’s mobile workforce, the best appliance repair scheduling software has an advanced mobile technology component.
Ideally, this software will have a customer portal (online or mobile) for them to request a repair/maintenance appointment, communicate with the business or field technician, invoicing and payment and other key features.
Top 5 Pain Points That Appliance Repair Scheduling Software Addresses
In today’s digital and mobile device world, FSOs and OEMs need to differentiate their businesses and brands from their competitors. Deploying appliance repair scheduling software can fuel this necessary digital transformation while addressing the top 5 industry-specific pain points.
- Removing outdated paper-based approaches: OEMs and FSOs know too well the volume and velocity of paper. Appliance repair scheduling software eliminates the need for paper-based approaches.
- Improve efficiencies: Scheduling software increases the overall scheduling workflow process – from first customer contact, managing the field tech availability, to dispatching. And, depending on the software deployed, invoicing and payment functionalities may also exist and improve efficiencies.
- Real-time scheduling: The ideal appliance repair scheduling software delivers insights on real-time scheduling to all stakeholders: the business, field technician, and customer. With mobile app technology, messages or alerts can augment and communicate all the necessary information (i.e. type of repair/appliance, customer history, location, update on repair tech arrival time, the status of the work order, etc.).
- Higher control and visibility: Whether you’re an FSO with a blended workforce or an OEM with various technicians in the field, innovative appliance repair software provides increased visibility on the where, what, and how field technicians are performing. You’ll have critical insights on the status of the work order to ensure the best service is carried out.
- Brand building and customer retention: The best appliance repair scheduling software should help businesses build a strong reputation with customers. Were the scheduling, appointment, and repair done in the most efficient and positive manner? A positive customer experience increases customer retention and loyalty.
Download the Case Study: How LG Electronics increased their NPS by 27% after implementing ServicePower's Dispatch, Claims, and Managed Services solutions.
Key Features of Appliance Repair Scheduling Software
Not all appliance repair scheduling software solutions are built the same. Here are the key considerations when evaluating the various marketplace vendors.
- Mobile field service capabilities: Field technicians, by the nature of their role, are typically mobile and on the go. Select an appliance repair scheduling software that is mobile-enabled so you empower your technicians with all the relevant job information. This includes work orders, information on equipment, warranties, service contracts, parts inventory, equipment history, forms, customer location and history, and more.
- Integrated field service management solution: Look for appliance repair scheduling software that is part of an integrated field service management solution. There will be times when the scheduling software has to interface with other management solution components so you want to make sure that it’s set up for integration success. Avoid just selecting a standalone solution as it may not integrate with existing technology investments and processes.
- Contractor management: Many FSOs and some OEMs work with a blended workforce. Therefore, you need to make sure the software you select helps you manage all workforces – employed, contractors, or blended. A few areas to consider:
- The software works with major appliance brands: The best appliance scheduling software needs to work with major appliance brands to ensure fast repair times with appliance repair technicians knowledgeable about the specific appliances. Does the software interface with other software that provides real-time information on parts inventory, appliance manuals, specific nuances of the major brand appliance, etc?
- Warranty claim processing: Select appliance repair scheduling software that integrates with warranty management claims and processing management. Some technology providers may feature warranty claim processing automation to ensure speed, accuracy, and help reduce claim costs.
- Customer portal: Customers have high expectations of the technology they use. The best appliance repair scheduling software needs to impress your customer base. Look for software that includes a customer portal for self-service engagement. Features to look for include ease of use, real-time job status updates, repair tech locations, and communication components. Empowering the customer with this modicum of visibility and control can help you improve customer satisfaction and retention.
- Easy deployment and adoption: The software you deploy needs to be intuitive for all the stakeholders involved: leadership, field technicians, and customers. Choose only appliance repair scheduling software that is made specifically for this industry and not generic scheduling software. Ask the vendor: How fast can the software be up and running? What training is necessary? How is technical structured? Advanced and innovative technology should not equal complex technology. The more intuitive the software is to deploy and adopt, the easier it is for the end-user to consistently use the technology.
Choose Appliance Repair Software That Improves Key Service Metrics
The appliance repair scheduling software you deploy and adopt should indicate measurable results. When considering the various solutions, be sure to see how the software improves key service metrics, including:
- First-time fix rate - First-time fix rate is the percentage of time a field technician is able to fix a service issue during the first field service appointment.
- Mean time to service (MMTS) - Mean time to service measures the ability of a field service organization to have service technicians arrive at the customer's appointment on time. MMTS also measures the ability of businesses to schedule field service jobs quickly and efficiently.
- Mean time to repair -Mean time to repair is the average time required to repair failed equipment. This important metric is directly tied to improving the customer experience.
Demo the best appliance repair scheduling software
Selecting the ideal appliance repair scheduling software doesn’t have to be so challenging. ServicePower’s field service management software improves your appliance customers’ service experience and exceeds the essential evaluation criteria covered. Today’s customers and your workforce have high expectations of the technology they use, so it’s critical you deploy appliance repair scheduling software that is powerful, intuitive, and part of an integrated, holistic service management software solution. By improving the metrics that matter, you can also illustrate that your investment in new technology is making a difference in improving efficiencies, attracting and retaining customers and employees, and increasing revenue.
Request a ServicePower demo today!
ServicePower : December 13, 2018
ServicePower