ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘customer-satisfaction-and-expectations’ CATEGORY

Paul White, Director, Customer Engagement Solutions, IFS explains that even with all the data in the world - the most important step to improving the customer experience is understanding what the customer wants...

Look around you.

Today’s marketplace is entirely driven by the customer. Uber, Amazon, Deliveroo and others have all found enormous success developing businesses based on delivering beyond customer expectation.

This paramount shift in business practice, once a simple supply and demand problem, has made the concept of customer service increasingly complex. The customer landscape has steadily evolved over the past sixty years since the rise of modern call centers but it has only been recently, since the rapid surge of consumer technology, that customer expectation has been so hard to measure, and meet.

A 2016 research report done by Forrester states that 72% of businesses say that improving the customer experience is their top priority. It is an obvious imperative for businesses that want to stay relevant, competitive and not end up a laggard.

But the first step to improving the customer experience is understanding what the customer wants. Even with all the data in the world out there today (cookies, surveys, inbound marketing), it isn’t that easy. Providing the customer with an unrivaled experience should infiltrate every part of your business. So what does your customer in 2017 what?

 

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Want to know more? IFS have published an excellent white paper based on their Digital Change Survey which is available to Field Service News subscribers...

If you are a field service professional you can apply for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription and we will send you a copy of this white paper along instantly.

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Real-time interaction

A Salesforce report on the connected customer states that 65% of consumers expect companies to interact with them in real-time. Instant gratification is widely available and with companies competing primarily on customer service alone, response time is an increasingly important differentiator.

An unrivalled experience

According to a Walker study, by the year 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. Additionally, 86% of customers state they will spend more to get a better customer experience. This means a shifted focus from meeting customer demand to focusing on customer SUCCESS.

Fundamentally the ideals of servitization come into play here where you no longer sell a product or service, but rather the outcome of that product or service.

Mind reading

Ok, maybe not to that extreme. But consumers today want the businesses they interact with to know what they need. This can mean anything from proactive service (which removes the hassle of the customer having to escalate a problem) to intelligent upselling.

So you need a business that caters to the customer and provides them with an unparalleled experience. The connected customer drives the escalator of customer satisfaction and now demands input and acknowledgement throughout your sales and service lifecycle. This means you need processes and systems that support the customer as the bottom line.

What does that mean for the field service management systems that drive your service business and automate your operations?

For IFS it meant recognising the customer imperative service businesses cannot ignore. It meant understanding that empowering the service business to deliver a unique customer experience means delighting the connected customer. It meant recognising that the customer is the focal point of any service transaction.

So IFS made an acquisition that would enable them to provide the only complete connected field service management solution focused directly on customer interaction, from beginning to end.

mplsystems provides the omni-channel contact center and customer engagement support service businesses need to provide the optimum customer experience In fact, Aberdeen Group claims that companies with the strongest omni-channel customer engagement strategies retain an average of 89% of their customers.

What does the future of field service management look like?

As digital transformation and customer expectation collide, we can expect a world that manifests immediate personalised touch points. AI will help service businesses understand the customer journey today, while preparing for tomorrow. IoT is already driving the shift from reactive service models to predictive ones.

Servitization is delivering on customers’ new expectation that their success be taken into consideration, by providing outcome based service offerings.

The most forward thinking businesses will be able to leverage new technologies and existing systems to create a customer experience and offering that is rich, insightful, and innovative.

It starts with the customer and its ends with them, and field service management processes and service businesses alike must embrace this.

 

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Resource Type: Written Guide
Published by:  Cognito iQ
Title: Your Guide to Flawless Field Service - Perfecting Productivity

 

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Want to know more? Access to this resource is available to Field Service News subscribers only - but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription!

 

Field Service Professional? Click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the resource "Your Guide to Flawless Field Service - Perfecting Productivity" sent directly to your inbox now

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Synopsis:

Outside of the field service industry, the growth of big data and analytics is old news. The most advanced organisations have already gone beyond the hype and have developed strategies that are delivering exciting performance-enhancing results. For example, Leicester City’s surprise Premier League win was based on the club’s expert use of football data analytics. Stories such as this are why Gartner say “Data and analytics are taking centre stage as the single most powerful catalyst for change in the enterprise”.

However, field service companies have been slower to achieve similar levels of success from the use of advanced analytics. Whilst in many organisations there is plenty of data available, it can be hard to use effectively: the data may not be sufficiently accurate or timely, and service professionals may lack the skills and tools they need. But this is changing. Field service organisations are getting smarter with both the data they collect and how they use it.

Over this series of three special guides, Cognito iQ demonstrate how simple analytics can make a significant difference to three key components of field service excellence:

• Customer Satisfaction
• Employee Engagement
• Productivity (the subject of this first instalment)

 

Overview:

Topics covered and addressed in this white paper include:

Expectations of field service have never been higher

Customers are used to the speed of delivery and quality of service that they get from consumer companies such as Amazon; this has raised the bar for all service companies. Customers want a service appointment quickly, they want smaller appointment windows and they expect your field worker to have the right information as well as the skills, knowledge and parts to resolve their issue first time.

So how do field service organisations provide a better service to their customers, with fewer resources?

So how do you improve productivity?

To answer that question, you have to know what productivity means to your business. All businesses will have a different definition and an individual approach. For example, would you be happy to drive up the number of visits per day your field workers attend if that meant fewer first time fixes, or reduced customer satisfaction scores?

The old adage is that you can’t manage what you can’t measure but, these days, companies know that it is a bit more complicated than that – measurement for its own sake or using the wrong metrics to set targets can be counter-productive.

 

It is vital to know how to measure success: which metrics are useful and which aren’t, which can be accurately determined and which can’t, how metrics interact and how setting goals and targets will affect how employees go about their jobs.

Perfecting productivity

Continual improvement is a well-established practice that seeks to increase customer value, reduce waste and optimise resources via incremental change, feedback and analysis. These techniques originated in manufacturing; on a production line, it is relatively simple to measure variables such as number of defects, as you can easily see how the work is being done and you can observe the impact when you make changes to the process.

But as continual improvement methodologies have developed, they have been profitably applied in many other industries, so why not field service operations?

With the right data, it is possible to adopt a proactive, systematic approach, breaking down the processes within the operation.

 

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Want to know more? Access to this resource is available to Field Service News subscribers only - but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription!

Field Service Professional? Click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the white paper "Your Guide to Flawless Field Service - Perfecting Productivity" sent directly to your inbox now

 

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Please note that by applying for subscription via the above links you consent to our Terms and Conditions as listed here.

Not one for a load of legalese? Neither are we - that's why we put together a jargon-free version of our T&Cs on our subscription page which you'll find here

 

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ServicePower Inc. a market leader in field service management solutions, has recently released a new Customer Experience service solution that combines its patented Artificial Intelligence engine with its new Gantt, maps, dashboards, improved technician mobile enablement features, and a new integrated registration, diagnostic, self-scheduling and point-of-sale enabled Customer Portal.

This integrated solution is new to the industry, being the first solution to help field service organisations drive a faster, smarter end-customer experience, while also improving the effectiveness of field technicians and operations teams.

“Customer experience is key. This product release uses the latest in artificial intelligence, real-time engagement and mobility tools to deliver a better, and more digitised experience,” said Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower. “Customers and technicians care about great service, which ServicePower now can deliver it in a differentiated way.  Our suite of solutions eliminate many of the frustrations customers experience when requesting installations, maintenance or service.”

ServicePower drives faster service for the end customer. 

The Customer Experience release empowers end-customer users to instantly book appointments through an integrated self-service portal, on any device, utilizing the patented AI technology. Relying on ServicePower to seamlessly book employed and credentialed contracted field technicians using its smart brokering technology, field service organisations can delight customers with faster response times and a consistent, branded service experience, while providing greater call center efficiencies at the same time. The new release also improves visibility for customers through real-time job status notifications and technician location information, enables customers to upload diagnostic and triage information, and engage with their technician as a trusted advisor. Customers gain improved control over their own experience, uploading and viewing job related information and configuring notifications from the platform.

ServicePower drives a smarter service experience for the mobile field technician.  

With the Customer Experience release the field service team gains a market leading set of capabilities, enabling predictive maintenance, higher repair success rates, and delivery of a more personalised service experience to end-customers. Technicians have access to a more complete customer data set, including all relevant job, customer, asset and part information to deliver higher first time fix rates, while being able to push data downstream, improving manufacturing and long-term product viability for customers.  Extensive product catalogs and pricing capabilities enable technicians to deliver parts, accessories and service offers in person, adding value to each customer interaction.

ServicePower drives a unified experience for service operations. 

The Customer Experience release enables field service operators to streamline field service operations, from entitlement and claims management to scheduling, labor and parts forecasting, reporting and analytics. ServicePower’s modern interfaces and patented AI-scheduling algorithm improves customer processes such as appointment booking, with employed or contracted field personnel, while driving productivity up and costs down.  Responsive, collaborative dashboards improve visibility of operations, driving improvements for both the customer and the technician.

Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower said “This latest Fall 2017 product release is all about changing the service paradigm to incorporate the latest in AI technology, digitisation, and a great user experience to empower the technician to deliver great service and the end-customer to manage their own engagement with service organisations, when and where they want, with clear visibility of technicians’ visits, so they know what’s going on. Technicians enjoy providing faster, smarter service, so they can delight the customer and provide more value. Our focus is about streamlining operations on a unified platform to provide a better experience for all, continuing to innovate with new features targeted across the entire service ecosystem.”

 

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ServicePower recently hosted an excellent webinar the discussed the Customer Experience release on which you can access here

 

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Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower describes what field service management professionals should expect from their solution providers and offers some excellent intel on how to pick a partner that is right for your business...

Customer service, customer satisfaction, customer experience. Those are more than buzz word, more than trends in field service.

Field service organisations have recognised that to achieve the highest levels of retention and overall growth in consumers, they must focus on providing the highest levels of service. High service levels may mean faster service, less break-downs, higher first time fix in the field depending on the given industry and customer expectations, but regardless, the focus needs to be on what the customer wants.

We frequently find that the account management or sales organisations which hold the customer relationship budget, aren’t engaging as effectively as they could be with the service side of the organisation to put existing or new technology to use. Customer experience is about more than the CRM!

Using the latest in technology and mobile workforce management software, field service organisations are able to create a sales to service experience that is game changing and seamless.

Using robust integrations or other sorts of data inputs to take customer information in, utilise intelligent online portals which customers can use to engage, schedule, communicate, track service appointments and even purchase additional services makes service events a walk in the park versus a departure down the crevasse. Artificial intelligence, IoT and schedule optimisation software can improve the service experience through proactive services, real time appointment booking, higher schedule adherence and increased first time fix rates.

 

They can also facilitate scheduling your most important or more profitable customers first. Mobile software can enable field techs with the data, access and processes to delight each and every customer on every service call that mobile techs are truly enabled to be experts for every customer and asset by technology, not just their memory.

The question is, why should a field service organisation expect less than the best ‘customer experience’ itself from its FSM vendor?

Solution deployment

Field service management solutions are used by a wide range of organisations across many different verticals. The best FSM software should be configurable enough to support standard service processes, while also supporting processes unique to particular business requirement- without unexpected development.

And though business in general has become more accepting of cloud deployments, due to improved security, increased power of distributed computing and reduced costs related to hosted infrastructure, there remain industries, particularly in insurance, healthcare and finance, which cannot and will not migrate to a cloud-based deployment. The most versatile FSM vendors will not force migration to a newly built cloud platform simply to comply with its own roadmap, nor sunset functionality without providing similar, better options.

Look for vendors which can support your business today and in the future, based your requirements, not theirs.

Support

I find it ironic that with so much focus on improving the end-customer experience that so many FSM vendors in fact provide poor customer service to the field service organisation which they support.

Customer satisfaction isn’t solely focused on the end user. It starts with the sales process and moves through deployment, validation and recurring process improvement. The best FSM vendors define a solid picture of the desired end state for a deployment and then build a robust SOW around the deployment such that the intended outcome is achieved and improved upon without unanticipated cost or time overruns.

Evolving business requirements and changing consumer expectations dictate a continuously improved mobile workforce solution. To expect less than the incorporation of emerging technologies, new features and improved deployment options is ridiculous. Expect more. Rely on your FSM partner to proactively provide a better solution to support you and your customers, for the long term.

Value add

Deploying a software solution and walking away shouldn’t be the business norm. Nor is simply providing annual software upgrades the only ‘value added service’ you should expect. After all, you’re probably paying for support and maintenance. That’s what the fees are for!

Value added services are what increases your ability to provide the best customer experience to your customer, and in our mind, are really what define the best customer experience for your organisation.

The best FSM vendors can provide not only software solutions which improve your ability to execute the best service experience, but also your utilisation of the software, your labour strategy and possibly your labour capacity.

 

ServicePower’s team of experts excels at post sale value add.

Our teams, with an annual tenure of 15+ years working in software and field service management, work with your field service and IT teams to fine tune your deployment, prove your business case, improve performance, and plan for the evolution of your business and upgrades.

ServicePower also uniquely provides workforce strategy planning and outsourced managed services both in North America and EMEA.

Our client success teams have been on the ground, managing employed technicians and contractors for some of the biggest field service organisations in the world. We can lend that expertise to your teams in terms of evaluating your workforce, optimising your resources and executing a plan to integrate a contracted workforce element to maintain and improve your service levels.

We also offer a fully managed network of 3rd party service providers to enable rapid and high-quality on-demand “spill-over” servicing at peak times and in hard-to-reach locations across North America and the Europe.

ServicePower considers its clients partners, not ‘contracts’. We enter into relationships with the expectation that we’ll be our client partners trusted advisors, trusted providers of the best possible customer experience for themselves and their end customers.

 

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Emily Hackman, Global Director of Marketing, Astea, looks at how the modern phenomenon of the connected customer is driving heightened service expectations that field service companies must meet...

In the last few years we have gone through a true revolution when it comes to digital connectivity.

The widespread adoption of tools that offer ever-greater connectivity amongst the general populace is increasing at ever-faster speeds. The end result of this increase in connectivity for businesses is a rising need for meeting rapidly heightening customer expectations when it comes to service quality.

Indeed, this is truly the era of the connected customer—consumers have become accustomed to having an unprecedented access to the knowledge and insight offered by the Internet right at their fingertips. And in a world were smart phones are virtually omnipresent, that access is 24/7/365, no matter where they happen to be.

 

Today’s consumers can instantly interact with friends and associates via text or social media, they can quickly summon a ride, make restaurant reservations, or order a gift with just a few clicks and swipes on their phone. Looking back even just a decade we would never have imagined the sheer pervasiveness of connectivity that we enjoy today and the huge impact it would have on our lives.

Yet for field service business, such increased levels of connectivity can be a double-edged sword offering both challenges and opportunities in equal measure.

Rising Expectations of the Connected Customer

Thanks in no small way to the companies like Uber and Amazon - who have embraced technology to not only disrupt the markets they exist within but also in many respects establish entirely new markets, the Connected Customer is intimately aware of the capabilities mobile computing bring to service operations.

Thanks to advances in mobility, their local florist or Pizza Delivery company can provide them with updates on their orders in real time. So why shouldn’t they expect field service technicians to be able to access those same or even more advanced mobile capabilities?

When it comes to service, connected customers now expect as standard:

• Real-time alerts when technicians are on their way to the job site/residence
• Technicians that will arrive armed with their individual customer histories and preferences
• A service organisation that can respond quickly to emergency calls
• The ability to receive real-time updates on the status of their service, both online and via their mobile phones
• Technicians that have full access to the repair information and parts that they need to complete the job

In fact, whilst just a few years ago mobile technology in and of itself offered a competitive advantage, mobility is now basic table stakes when it comes to field service.

And today, by harnessing the technology, service organisations are able to satisfy the needs of their customers. This can hugely effect how they refine and improve the customer experience, enhance their reputation, and reduce both employee and customer churn

Leveraging Customer Connectivity

In the world of enterprise, companies are rapidly embracing mobility.

According to data from Frost & Sullivan, 47% of North American businesses have at least 11 different mobile worker apps deployed, and 88% plan on introducing at least one new employee-facing app within the year.

According to the same data, companies have found that key mobility benefits include:

 

• More efficient business processes (49% of respondents),
• More productive employees (46%),
• Improved collaboration (46%),
• Cost savings (45%)
• More satisfied employees (44%),
• Enhanced customer engagement (43%),
• Competitive advantage (42%)

Of course, having a mobile solution in place does not automatically enable a service organisation to effectively serve the connected customer.

Focusing on reducing costs, whilst simultaneously improving productivity and efficiency is no longer the end game when it comes to mobility.

This is largely because whilst reducing costs and completing more jobs per day is good for the bottom line, they don’t necessarily assist in improving customer satisfaction and are not always in line with value creation in the long-term  and how quickly you can get them back up and running.

 

The brutally honest fact is that your customers don’t particularly care when you save money on fuel or can bill more jobs per month, they solely care about whether you’ve met your SLAUltimately, service customers simply want reliability and visibility. Did the service organisation get their technician to the job site quickly, armed with the right parts and repair knowledge? Were they able to complete the repair in one visit?

Every decision the service organisation makes should be weighed against a backdrop of the overall impact to the customer. The fact that customers are now highly connected makes it easier for service organisations to meet their needs, provided that they have their own robust mobility solution in place. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

By leveraging analytics, the input your connected customers provide can help you understand consumption patterns and deliver a personalized solution—and potentially do so at a premium, creating new pricing models and differentiated service models, and establishing new revenue streams in the process.

 

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Want to know more - there is a white paper on this subject available for Field Service News subscribers - and FSN subscription is complimentary for industry practitioners.

Click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the white paper "Preparing for the Connected Customer" sent directly to your inbox now

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Whilst some were heading out to the desert to watch the likes of Radiohead and Lady Gaga at Coachella 2017 early this year, others were in Palm Springs for perhaps the lesser known but equally fantastic Field Service USA.

Field Service News sent Michael Blumberg along to talk to the USAs largest collection of Field Service professionals in one place, find to out what were the biggest challenges being faced by the industry at large and how we can overcome them...

In April this year I attended WBR’s Field Service 2017 in Palm Springs, California. While I was at the conference, I spoke to several Field Service leaders about their biggest challenges and the strategies they will pursing to overcome them.

I was expecting to receive a myriad of different answers when I first thought about asking conference attendees about these issues. After all, business executives often think their problems and challenges are unique to their specific situation. However, I was surprised to learn of the common thread that ran through my conversations with field service leaders.

 

Basically, four different themes emerged from my conversations. Rather than keep you in further suspense, let me share what I learned from my discussions:

Key challenge #1 - Keeping up with advances in technology:

Field Service leaders understand that their customers expect the same experience they do with using consumer electronic products. In other words, they expect an always on, always connected, always available service experience.

Strategy to overcome challenge - Develop & Implement an IoT Strategy:

Field Service leaders recognise that that IoT improves the customer experience in very much the same way it does with consumer electronics.

While field service leaders I spoke to agree that conceptually IoT is the right technology to achieve this outcome, they also admit that the real challenges lie in competing for capital resources to implement service led, IoT solutions and prioritizing where these investments should be made.

Key Challenge #2 - Determining which technologies enable an improved service experience:

Field Service leaders are faced with a myriad of choices when it comes to selecting and implementing technology to improve the customer experience.

For example, there’s various categories (e.g., AR, IoT, mobility, etc.) of technology to choose from as well several different vendors in each category segment.

It can be an overwhelming and taunting task to learn about every technology on the market.

Strategy to overcome challenge - Due Diligence and Planning:

Field Service leaders understand that they must adopt an objective approach to identifying, evaluating, and prioritising investments in technologies as well as vetting and selecting vendors. This means they must find the intellectual bandwidth and manpower to complete this strategic work of their organisation.

Key Challenge #3 - Keeping up with the skills gaps

Let’s face it, millennials are not lining up in droves to accept field service positions. In addition, the baby boomer generation in retiring from the workforce as a rapid rate.

As a result, Field Service leaders are under pressure to implement creative strategies to overcome the current and growing shortage of skilled technicians.

Strategy to overcome challenge - Implement Augment Reality (AR)

Many Field Service leaders perceive that AR solutions provide an effective solution for dealing with the shortage of skilled labor. By utilising this technology, field service organisations can do more with less. Basically, they can leverage the expertise of a limited number of skilled Field Engineers and distribute this knowledge remotely to a broad number of people.

Key Challenge #4 - Becoming a customer centric organisation:

Field Service leaders understand that if service business is going to thrive and grow then their organisations must become more customer centric. Unfortunately, some companies still have a product focused orientation.

They are more concerned about feature on the feature functionality of their products then the quality of service and its impact on the customer experience.

 

As a result, they are not making the necessary investments or resource allocations for the field service organisation to remain profitable and competitive.

Strategy to overcome challenge - Influence senior management on the value of service

Basically, Field Service leaders realise they must exert greater effort in influencing senior management on the benefits of becoming a customer centric organisation.

This means they need to build a strong business case as to why their companies should invest in technologies that make their companies more customer centric such as IoT, AR, FSM software, mobility, etc.

The business case must consider the impact of technology investments and process improvements on customer satisfaction, product sales, and the overall financial performance of the company.

Interestingly, the comments that I received were very consistent with the overall themes of the conference. Obviously, WBR has a good pulse on the industry.

Nevertheless, it is always great to speak to people one on one at industry conferences. I find these conversations provide so much more insight and context then sitting through a “canned” presentation.

The common thread between all these issues is that they involve the use of technology to optimise and improve field service delivery. This makes perfect sense as field service is a technology intensive business.

However, it is important that field service leaders do not fall into the trap of viewing technology as panacea for all aliments facing their organisation. The best technology is of little value without solid management, effective planning, and strong leadership behind it.

 

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Worldwide Business Research (WBR) held its Field Service 2017 conference at the end of April with over 450 service leaders from top manufacturing and service companies in attendance.

With so many service leaders in one place what better opportunity to find out what five key areas field service companies are focussing on? Michael Blumberg, was on hand to find out...

 

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1. Leveraging IoT to drive service efficiency:

There has been a lot of buzz lately in the media and among industry analysts about the value of IoT in improving the efficiency of field service operations. No wonder it was one of the key themes of Field Service 2017!

IoT offers several benefits to field service organisations (FSOs) including the ability to remotely monitor machine performance, make proactive adjustments to improve machine life, predict when a machine is about to fail and provide proactive service, and remotely diagnose problems when the do occur.

As a result, FSOs can gain better control over costs and resources. While IoT holds great promise, many conference participants have not fully implemented end to end IoT solutions. Field Service 2017 provided them with an opportunity to gain new perspectives from Field Service leaders who have already achieved these outcome.

 

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2.  Embracing digital transformation to create a “Uber” like service model:

Today, many Field Service leaders are asking themselves if their service businesses are ready for uberization?

This question stems from the growing trend of companies to offer services through an always on, always connected, always visible, and always available business model. Technologies such GPS, mobility, optimisation software and innovative approaches to sourcing labour (think - gig economy jobs, crowdsourcing, contingent labour) have helped to facilitate these models.

Given that these technologies and labour models are also available to FSOs combined with the fact that consumers have grown to expect an “uber”-like experiences in general, Field Service leaders believe it is only a matter of time before they need to implement similar business models.

 

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3. Creating and finding a new workforce:

A common challenge facing the field service industry, regardless of the technology supported, is the shortage of skilled field service engineers (FSEs).  Let’s face it, the younger generation does not view field service as a “sexy” profession.  Given other career paths, why would anyone want to fix broken products when they can be building the next “big-thing”. 

On the other hand, there are a ton of good people out there who can perform field service jobs.

The problem is they either prefer to work freelance and/or lack the appropriate level of training or experience.

Field Service 2017 provided attendees with the opportunity to learn how Crowd-sourcing applications and Freelance Management Systems can provide access to a broader labour pool, and how Augment Reality tools can help less experience FSEs overcome any knowledge gaps they possess.

 

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4. Optimising service parts management:

Managing service parts is the costliest aspect of field service management after managing labour.

Not only do customers expect their FSEs to arrive in a timely manner, they also expect them to resolve their issues right the first time. Having the right spare parts available at the right time is critical.

However, FSOs can’t afford to have too many parts sitting in many locations for too long as it causes a drain on profits. Optimization of spare parts, in other words, making sure you have just the right amount of parts at just the right number of locations is critical. Although this seems like an age-old problem facing FSOs, it is nice to see the topic on the agenda at Field Service 2017 since Field Service leaders need to continually refresh their knowledge of this subject.

 

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5. Nurturing an environment of customer first:

This topic is also a long-standing issue facing Field Service leaders. It has gained renewed attention as companies place greater and greater focus on improving the customer experience.

However, there are still a great deal of high-tech companies who remain focused on putting their products first, customers second, and service third.

Competitive trends, technological developments, and market requirements are continually forcing companies to rethink this paradigm.

If Field Service leaders are serious about creating at customer first environment and want their service organisations to play a more key role in this shift, they must be able to influence their management teams to invest in the strategies, tactics, and tools that make this transition possible.

Learning about best practices and similar experiences from peers at Field Service 2017 helps facilitate this outcome.

 

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The way that customers interact with businesses is far different than it used to be, largely due to rising competition. If people aren’t happy with the way that you speak to them or handle their queries, then they have absolutely no qualms about taking their money elsewhere.

To help you out, Gemma Harding, Head of Corporate Services at virtual receptionist provider CALLCARE brings you her top four predictions for what the future of customer service holds:

The working day is changing and will continue to do so

Over the two years at CALLCARE, we have gathered data that shows a dramatic change in the way that people interact with customer service departments during their normal working day.

7am has now become the new 8am; people are starting their days earlier. Customer service centres have reportedly been seeing an increase in the number of calls from 7 in the morning onwards; undoubtedly as people attempt to get their admin out of the way before getting to the office.

People are taking their lunches earlier and are spending less time away from their desks dealing with phone calls. Whereas previously the most popular lunch time calls were made between 1pm and 2:30pm, they are now taking place from 12:45pm and 1:30pm.

 

Once the working day is over, it appears that people are using that free time to organise themselves, as there has been a 45% increase in the number of calls made between 6pm and 8pm from 2014 to 2016. Customer service calls aren’t dropping off till 8 in the evening.

Artificial intelligence will grow

Speaking to a robot over the phone isn’t everyone’s favourite part of calling a customer service centre. In fact, one in 10 people from our survey stated that their biggest customer service frustration was having to deal with too many options in order to be directed to the correct department. Having to press a dozen different buttons just to be able to speak to a real person is a real life pain point that businesses shouldn’t ignore.

But this could actually be the path to a more efficient and cost-effective future, with just a few amendments to the way the system works.

However, here at CALLCARE we believe that too heavy of a reliance on artificial intelligence would start to detract from the effectiveness of customer service. What we would like to see moving forwards is support from this level of advanced technology that works hand-in-hand with humans on the other end of the phone.

Data-driven customer service

Some companies may not realise it, but they actually have a tremendous amount of information at their fingertips. All the data they collect, sometimes without being aware of it, from their existing customers can help provide all sorts of insights into improvements that they can be making.

Don’t be afraid to start digging into the data that you have at your disposal. Everything from the times that your calls spike to the most popular queries tells you something different about how you can improve your service. And certainly don’t be afraid of sharing; it isn’t just your direct customer service advisers who can use it to their advantage.

Saturday will become the sixth weekday

For most people, the weekends are made for relaxing, but CALLCARE’s data appear to show that Saturday has become an extension of the working week. Compared to 2014, we have seen a 60% increase in the number of customer care calls being made on a Saturday between the hours of 9am and 6pm. This makes it almost as busy as a standard working day.

For most people, the weekends are made for relaxing, but CALLCARE’s data appear to show that Saturday has become an extension of the working week. Compared to 2014, CALLCARE has seen a 60% increase in the number of customer care calls being made on a Saturday between the hours of 9am and 6pm. This makes it almost as busy as a standard working day.

 

Again, this is all down to convenience. Companies should be making their customers work hard to get in touch with them; it should be as quick, easy and painless as possible.

The weekend isn’t treated the same as it used to be, just the same as Bank Holidays and evenings, so businesses should be doing whatever it takes to ensure that their customers’ requirements are catered for.

 

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Resource Type: White Paper
Published by:  Astea
Title: Preparing for the Connected Customer

 

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Field Service Professional? Click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the white paper "Preparing for the Connected Customer" sent directly to your inbox now

 

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Synopsis:

This is the era of the connected customer—consumers who are used to having the entire Internet at their fingertips, who can instantly interact with friends and associates via text or social media, and who can quickly summon a ride, make restaurant reservations, or order a gift with a few clicks and swipes on their phones.

Connected customers present both challenges and opportunities for field service organisations. Their expectations have increased based on their experiences interacting with other types of service providers such as Amazon.com, Uber, FedEx, and Zipcar.

These customers want more information, along with faster, better service, and more control over their experience.

This white paper asks if your organisation is ready to meet their increasing demands...

Overview:

Supported by research by Frost & Sullivan,  this white paper covers three key areas:

Rising Expectations of the Connected Customer

Connected customers are intimately familiar with the capabilities of mobile computing technology in a way that they were not 10 years ago. They expect field service technicians to be able to access those same or even more advanced mobile capabilities.

Leveraging Customer Connectivity

Enterprises are rapidly embracing mobility. According to data from Frost & Sullivan, 47% of North American businesses have at least 11 different mobile worker apps deployed, and 88% plan on introducing at least one new employee-facing app within the year.

Meeting the Challenge of the Connected Customer

Engaging effectively with connected customers requires an investment in field service management (FSM) and mobile technology that can keep pace with the technology in which your customers already have access. There are a number of challenges involved in that process, including:

• Navigating a fragmented and confusing market
• Predicting customer needs
• Determining the best technologies to deploy

 

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Want to know more? If you're a Field Service Professional then click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the white paper "Preparing for the Connected Customer" sent directly to your inbox now

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