Joyce TamField service organizations need to be more efficient, develop better time-saving approaches and fix a problem on the first visit to meet customer expectations, and a new study released this month confirms this priority.
The study, conducted by OnePoll, an independent worldwide research agency, surveyed 2,000 adults in the U.S., and found that fixing the problem on the first visit was the leading factor in determining their satisfaction. Yet, amazingly, nearly one in four participants reported that a return visit was required, with 49 percent attributing it to a lack of appropriate tools or parts and 42 percent saying the technician didn’t have the skills to finish the job.
Clearly, operating a skilled and efficient mobile workforce is critical to meeting customer expectations. To achieve that, field service organizations must have real-time access to information about the performance of their workers in the field.
Obviously technology is available that provides technicians with the visibility they need to get to the right place at the right time with the information they need to do their job correctly the first time. Customer expectations are only going to increase, so having the infrastructure in place to meet and exceed these expectations is critical to keeping customers happy and ensuring field service organizations stay on top of the competition.
The study also reported that respondents were not happy with the long wait times. More than 50 percent considered 1-2 hours an acceptable appointment window, yet an astounding 73 percent said their wait times exceeded 4 hours and in some cases exceeded 12 hours.
Field service organizations must do everything they can — and that includes implementing the proper tools and technology — so they meet consumer demands and better ensure that every customer is a happy customer.
For a summary of the report, visit here.
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