If you run a field service small business, you’ll need a comprehensive way to manage all components of your organization easily. After all, one of your goals is to provide a top-notch customer experience, and that effort starts with your operations. Don’t assume that you need to get knee-deep in detailed instructions to lay out an operations plan. Instead, focus on developing a clear, simple roadmap that keeps your business humming.
Read this guide to learn how you can design an operations plan that works for your field service company.
Understand Your Workload Capacity
Realistically, how many jobs can your technicians tackle in a day? And how many techs will you need working on a given project? Your first step should be to map out your technician capacity. This means looking at the number of techs you have and how many hours they work per week. Look at their skill sets, too, as some may have the credentials and experience to take on more specialized jobs. From there, consider how long typical jobs will take, and factor in the mileage to get to and from a job location.
Also, consider what your busy season looks like versus other points in the year for your small business. You may have months where you’re constantly sending out technicians, while other months are slower. Create a chart where you outline each technician’s skill sets and general weekly schedule. Look at how many jobs you have and the complexity of those jobs. By creating a visual table, you’ll be able to allocate your resources more effectively. When in doubt, add a little buffer time to your weekly schedule to account for emergencies, sick days, and other unexpected challenges.
Determine How to Prioritize Bookings
Ultimately, when you get a call to schedule work, you’ll need to determine where it lands on your priority list. You’ll be more efficient as an organization, and stand a better chance of meeting financial goals stated in your business plan. A situation where there is a leak or outage could be considered an emergency, for instance, bumping it to the top of your list. You’d then dispatch technicians to tackle the job right away.
Beyond emergencies, you’ll want to rank scenarios according to value or urgency. Loyal customers or customers from large accounts may take priority over others. And if you’re booking an estimate or routine maintenance situation, those bookings could be considered a lower priority. Make sure to establish clear rules that all members of your team understand. And turn to software to streamline field service scheduling.
Focus on Clear Communication
As a field service business, you’ll want to be consistent with your communication. This means speaking to all customers respectfully and answering their questions clearly. You’ll also need to be diligent about gathering essential details from them, like contact information, specific concerns, and photos. Communicate project updates, as needed, and provide timelines for your work.
Offer clear instructions on payment collections, too. Set a clear deadline by which payments must be received. If possible, offer multiple ways to collect payments, too. Customers will appreciate the convenience of being able to pay online or via check, for example.
Use Efficient Routing Practices
When you’re efficient about routing, you’ll keep costs down and keep customers happier. You’ll also be able to take on more jobs. Make sure you outline a plan that gives technicians the best chance to reach their destinations quickly.
Provide a plan that helps technicians select routes and alerts them to issues, like construction zones or traffic problems. Help technicians know what areas to avoid at given points in the day, and indicate your policies regarding route detours. Ideally, you can have your technicians work in designated zones so they’ll be familiar with the roads.
Build a Better Operations Plan
A good operations plan can be clean and simple. When you outline technician responsibilities, routes, and skills, you’ll be able to distribute jobs more effectively. Further, plan on determining how to prioritize bookings and communicate regularly with your customers. When you pull all of these elements together, you’ll help foster a strong customer experience.
