field service management software

5 Features Field Service Management Software Solutions Must Have

Businesses that operate with most employees and inventory out in the field have different needs when it comes to management software. Field service management software solutions have been hard to come by for a company who needs to track everything without access to it.

Field service businesses rely heavily on self reporting to track their employees. This is often where many excess costs and resources go. When employees aren’t at the office or nearby any other employees, morale is more likely to slip and managers will never know.

Tracking parts of the business is the most effective way to manage it from a distance. CRM systems designed as field service management software solutions are masters at tracking everything from employees to customer communications.

Purpose of CRM for field staff

The purpose of a CRM for a business with field staff should be more than just tracking client communications and automating sales emails. A CRM that was made to help a business with managing field staff and service calls needs to serve multiple purposes.

With an online CRM system field staff can access their schedules, updated client requests and communication from management at the click of a button. Filling out reports at the end of a repair or installation is another one of the purposes a CRM for field staff serves.

An effective field service management software functions like a CRM.

Without the tracking features that are offered by the best CRM systems online, field service management software falls short of what the industry needs. Managers of field staff have a long list of things to track. Worrying about progress on a project or the location of an employee takes up a large amount of time for managers that aren’t using a field service management software that acts like a CRM.

While each service based business is different, a company that is largely comprised of field based service needs to be able to track employees, customer interactions and invoicing all at once. The best CRM systems of 2019 include features that are designed with field service and job sites in mind.

5 features a field service CRM should have

Field service CRM software should easily integrate into the daily routine of technicians and installers. Often they are already too busy to fill out paperwork and remember to check in so the right CRM system keeps that in mind. Making the focus of a field service CRM the employees who use it results in an increase in both profits and customer satisfaction.

1: Field service scheduling software that tracks employees, inventory and fleet.

When most of your team is driving to service calls and job sites making sure that everyone knows where they are going and what they are doing is a time consuming job. Often it takes the help of all the of the office staff to keep up with who is supposed to be where. A CRM with a field service scheduling software built in helps automate the communication and updates about scheduling and job expectations. The best CRM systems have GPS and inventory tracking software built in as well. This way everyone has access to who is where, in what fleet vehicle and what they have on board to complete a service call. With this kind of tracking a quick glance and the push of the button takes the place of finding paperwork and making phone calls.

2: Mobile field service software must be accessible from anywhere

Without a CRM that has mobile field service software integrated, staff that works in the field will almost never be connected to the system at the office. When the software that tracks work orders, progress, and customer requests is accessible from a mobile app, field staff have more knowledge and feel more confident doing their jobs.

Without mobile field service software, technicians and field staff are out of the loop and often that shows in the way they engage with customers. Lack of communication isn’t a worry with a CRM system that tracks information and makes it accessible from any device that can get online.

3: Field service management software should track customer interactions

Customers are the bread and butter of the business. Keeping their trust turns them into word of mouth referrals and long term buyers. Service technicians that arrive late without notifying customers and field staff that seem to be unaware what the customer told the person on the phone are the most common reasons customers say they lose confidence in a company.

When the field service management software solves those problems automatically both technicians and managers see a decrease in time spent trying to figure out what they are doing and for which customer. Tracking customer communication puts everyone in the business on the same page and that kind of awareness makes customers feel important and valued.

4: Field service reporting software should allow for customizable reports

When staff is out in the field knowing how they spent their day and what kind of quality they are producing is a challenge for managers. A CRM with a customizable field service reporting software is essential to managing progress and quality with field staff. Creating reports that update managers on what they need to know helps hold employees accountable.

Managers can keep track of which projects are on track and which staff members are achieving success. With reports designed specifically for the managers eye, finding out what is going on with the business is barely more than a glance at the screen. Accurate reporting from a field service reporting software helps managers make accurate decisions about staffing and deadlines.

5: Field service accounting software integration and easy to create cost estimates

A CRM system that allows field staff to accurately and quickly provide estimates help customers feel more at ease that your company will do the job right. Invoicing and payments are a challenge without a field service accounting software that integrates with payment processors. Collecting payments is easier for field staff it all happens in one place.

Businesses providing services in the field should consider an online CRM software that meets their needs. Tracking employees, inventory, fleet and customer interaction are among some of the many features that CRM Runner has to offer for field based businesses. To learn more about how the features of CRM Runner are a field service management software solution, click here to sign up for a free trial.

Pest control is a part of life few residents or small business owners can avoid. The hiring process to accommodate the insistent needs of customers who want pests out of their homes and offices is challenging enough without also attempting to maintain management oversight of where employees travel, products used, etc.

Employees in the field are essential to managing a pest control business and the field staff required to perform extermination procedures fluctuates. Using up your own time to provide oversight of employees, inventory, managing schedules, etc. can sound impossible without hiring a manager to shadow every single employee.

Using CRM Runner, an online CRM system, to manage field staff addresses the major challenges of running a pest control operation.

The best CRM online system makes field service management during the peak pest control season easier.

The height of pest control season is summertime. An increase in numbers of pests during the warmer months results in a spike of scheduling issues. Extermination businesses often need more people in more places during this time of year. Likewise, in winter, when there are fewer work orders for pest control and field technicians, forming an updated schedule to address the needs of the company comes with unique, fluctuating challenges.

Making it easier to maintain clear communication with staff when it comes to job scheduling changes during the height and the low of pest control seasons is invaluable to extermination businesses. CRM Runner makes it possible to keep both your customers and your staff informed of appointments and changing requirements throughout the day any time of year.

With a CRM field management system, tracking supplies and pest control equipment in addition to field staff is simple.

Clearing a customer’s home or business from unwanted critters requires a great deal of manpower, equipment and supplies. While keeping track of the location and schedule-keeping of employees, managers also need to track the chemicals and hardware used when addressing their customers’ problems.

CRM Runner’s field management software maintains oversight on business inventory across all relevant locales as well as the usage rate of supplies and service vehicles of each employee. The online CRM tracks the inventory at the office or warehouse, when it leaves to the job site, and the return to the company. This reporting occurs in real time enabling supervisors to halt or adjust job progress as required with a quick review of the CRM report.

The real time feature of the CRM system includes instant communication with pest control employees and their assigned clients.

Short of traveling with your staff to every location, a challenge faced by any business with field technicians is knowing what was completed on any given day by any particular employee. The option of traveling with even one employee is costly and unsustainable.

For field service management purposes, supervisors greatly benefit from the ability to view and track multiple employees and locations along with the accompanying ongoing operations. CRM Runner is an all-in-one system making it possible to keep tabs on the day’s progress at the click of button or a glance at the mobile app version of the CRM system. The CRM utilizes GPS tracking to report on the whereabouts of people and equipment. The system includes day-end reporting where technicians upload data and images from each site for manager verification. Additionally, managers will have the advantage of a time tracking system to get a clear view of how much time is spent per job.

Pest control is a highly saturated field; optimizing your business’ efficiencies will leave less room for error and more opportunity to increase revenue.

Evaluating staff requires oversight which cannot be provided from the office. A business run on the skills and time management of field technicians thrives on happy customers telling their friends about the excellent service of their exterminator. Set your pest control business apart from competitors with optimal efficiency; have your staff where they need to be when they need to be there to meet your customers’ needs. An all-inclusive CRM management system will make a huge difference in identifying your top performers, products, and most needed services to keep your customers coming back to your company. CRM Runner will save you money and resources on low quality performers, supplies, and lost clientele due to inefficient service.

To learn more about CRM Runner and how your business will grow through increased efficiencies, sign up for a 30-day free trial here.

Tag: field service management software