Technology and the Customer Experience. Trends Impacting Field Service Management

The other week we held a webinar discussing emerging field services trends and how field service companies can respond to take advantage of what could be perceived as challenges. We plan on writing a few posts on some of the content and conversation and as always welcome your thoughts on field service management and the opportunities (or challenges…depending on how you look at it.)

The core point was technology and efficiencies are being introduced that will impact the customer’s experience in the future when their water pipe breaks or they need landscaping complete. As mentioned in previous posts, Amazon and Google’s entrance into the field service management space will accelerate these changes as they deliver a consistent and high quality experience to the customer.

Where will we see this evolution in the customer experience? Regardless if you are a HVAC specialist, computer repair shop, plumber, electrician, contractor or other business, your customers still go through the same basic process outlined below.

And it is interesting to find that research shows customers experience more frustration with the parts of the field service experience outside of the actual service or job that you do. Its reaching you to schedule and receive an estimate, scheduling the job and waiting, or having the service representative show up late or cancel last minute. It continues on into finding information, communicating, managing expectations and more.

Interesting to note, when surveyed, improvement of service is lower down the list.

In the following posts we’ll address how Amazon and Google are taking notice and looking to improve the experience outside of the actual service provided – and how this will further empower the customer through the discovery, decision and the job experience.