Study Shows Communications Solutions Are Vital To Field Service Companies

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

A field service study from TechnologyAdvice Research explores customers’ opinions toward service visits and found that while field service technicians are performing fairly well, opportunities still exist for solutions providers to help their clients increase brand loyalty.

The new research demonstrates that, despite the bad rap that some service companies get for providing poor customer service, clients are content with their current providers because of field technicians’ abilities to address customer needs. About four-fifths of respondents who had an in-home service visit said their technician was early or on time, and almost 80 percent reported their field service agent addressed their needs in a single visit.

The study highlights opportunities to improve communication between providers and consumers. Of survey respondents who had to pay for a service visit, 23 percent were not told the amount during the visit, and while 55 percent of said the service visit had a positive effect on their opinion of the company, 45 percent were left indifferent or with a negative opinion.

“A directly negative impact on customer opinion is objectionable for obvious reasons, but having no impact is also problematic,” Aleks Peterson, technology analyst at Technology Advice and the study’s author says. “Since it means the technician missed an opportunity to strengthen the relationship by building loyalty, advocacy, offering additional products and services, and so on.Implementing the right software is an easy way to bring your team closer to field service excellence.”

Peterson adds, “The current bar is high for new field service organizations (FSOs) entering the market. Customers will expect punctuality, transparency, and a first-time fix. Companies that fail to deliver to this standard will quickly disappoint and drop behind their competitors.”