Do you know that your customers are much more likely to raise a complaint about poor service than they are to praise a delightful experience? According to the book Strategic Customer Service by John A. Goodman, the disparity between sharing positive and negative service experience online is even more. It's estimated that your mobile and online consumers are 4 times more likely to report their service problems during any issue than they are their service satisfaction if everything goes according to plan.
This growing trend of modern users demanding flawless service has forced businesses to shift focus. Gone are the days when having a successful product was primary and the service component was a hasteful after-sale add-on. Now, there are dedicated service teams and service agents ready-on-the-go 24/7/365 to provide seamless service. Tracking these service delivery teams to turn up efficiency has also led to the advent and mass adoption of field service management (FSM) software.
A robust FSM automation software can provide you with many benefits like improved first-time fix rates, faster response times, lower travel and over-time costs, real-time communication with on-field agents, and much more. However, opting for the wrong tool and an incompetent implementation partner can have its adverse effects. Below, we list 4 ways the wrong field service management software can hurt your business.
1) Insufficient Feature List
Many customers complain about a lack of features within their software to carry out all the tasks they want to accomplish. However, surveys have found that most businesses use only 10-15% of the actual capabilities of a software.
The solution? Ask for a demo of the product before teaming with a vendor. This will help you decide whether the software is the right one for you, and how much training you would need to utilize it to its full potential.
2) Misleading Pricing
Do you hate it when you go the supermarket and see an offer labeled “free” and only during checkout does someone at the counter inform you to read the minuscule fine print? You find out it’s not actually free, and you must buy something else to make it so.
That happens in the enterprise software arena too. An unreliable vendor might give you one price for the initial roll-out and then add-on various prices for setup, additional users, support, upgrades, etc. that can increase the base price by double or more. Be smart with your investment, ask your vendor to provide an all-inclusive pricing and features list before signing on.
3) Confusing “Configuration” and “Customization”
The land of enterprise IT is filled with jargon. I think we can all agree on that. But, some jargon are more confusing than others. One such example that is often distracting is deciphering the difference between when your vendor says they will help with “configuration” and when they say they will help with “customization” of your FSM software.
“Configuration” is the process by which you can tailor the functionality, list of features, and list of processes to your specific needs. It doesn’t require any imminent coding knowledge, but can be done by simply selecting few options from a drop-down menu, much like configuring your social media profiles for an online account.
“Customization” on the other hand, refers to the process of changing the actual code of your software to meet your requirements. Typically, this is more cost-intensive and requires expert coding knowledge. Customizations need to be repeated after upgrades too, as they are not part of the original software package.
To relieve yourself of the conundrum, you should partner with a vendor that knows the difference and can guide you through what you need.
4) Unsatisfactory Implementation
Simply buying your software license is not enough. Its success or failure depends on your implementation success. A successful implementation involves installation, configuration, and training for your new software. Draft up a detailed SLA with your vendor requesting all that you need and the timeline you need it by before partnering up.
ProV is a global managed service provider that helps clients implement, deploy, and support field service management (FSM) software across businesses in Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Utilities, Offshore Oil & Gas, Engineering, and many more. We are strategic partners with IFS, and deliver high quality IFS Applications configured to meet your specific needs and quickly adapt to change. Complete our FREE survey to determine whether your business is field service optimized. For anything else, drop a comment below or contact us today.
