Don't Treat Your Field Service Teams Like Drones

By Deirdre Mahon, CMO at Zinc

The work your field service teams do isn’t easy. Consider the time pressure to complete a job. Not to mention the logistics of getting from one customer to the next, which brings more challenges one has little control over. 

Working alone in the field is not for everyone. You need to be self-sufficient and focused on fixing problems. When new issues come up, working alone makes this even harder, especially when servicing a demanding customer who may become irate if not resolved. A technician needs all the help they can get to complete the task and move on to the next. 

The need for a virtual “support team”

When an install or fix becomes complex and can’t be solved, the virtual “support team” must be readily available and moreover, knowledgeable. Having a team of experts immediately available to answer questions and collaborate with is the recipe for success. 

But what happens when you can’t get hold of the right person with that specific expertise? You might have to wait on hold or kill time waiting for an email response. Frustration mounts and it can quickly escalate to the point where you need to contact a supervisor or regional manager.