Published in GPS Insights
While a field service management solution can help you improve internal operations and communication, it misses one key element: customer data.
This is where a field service CRM (customer relationship management) system comes into play.
Using a CRM system with an FSM (field service management) system, you’ll have a 360-degree view of both your customer and your workforce. With just a few clicks, all information is easily accessible to technicians, managers, and everyone else in your company.
Here are just a few of the key benefits of using CRM and FSM systems together.
Personalized Service
With the emergence of servitization and a customer-centric approach, it’s more important than ever to provide personalized service.
Therefore, the first benefit of a CRM and FSM system working together is improved personalization. A CRM system can create and manage customer profiles, and with just a few clicks, a field technician can pull up past jobs, log comments, track updates and easily find invoices.
This enables them to instantly access reliable information on previous issues that may be relevant to the current job. Not only will customers appreciate a self-sufficient field technician, but comprehensive data makes it easy for technicians to speak to customers as though they know them personally.
For example, a technician will know how long a customer has been with your company and specific issues the client experienced in the past.
Another CRM benefit is that individual customer profiles provide technicians quick access to preferred contact methods. For example, if a customer prefers to be reached via text, the technician will know not to call.
A CRM can also track both individual customers and company customers with multiple points of contact. This prevents field technicians from reaching out to irrelevant people within a company and improves the customer experience.
Improve Operational Efficiency
While an improved customer experience is a major benefit of a CRM for field service, it can also improve internal operations.
For example, you can log comments into customer profiles with chronological notes and updates.
This enables field technicians to better understand critical issues with a system and chronologically sort through the client’s history with your company.
In addition, all customer-related files such as photos and invoice PDFs are conveniently stored in the customer profile for quick referencing. This makes a field technician’s job much easier, and it is also useful for headquarters. For example, if a customer dispute arises, account managers have easy access to proof of the service and can better resolve complaints.
Improve Invoicing Accuracy
Finally, a CRM paired with an FSM system makes invoicing easy and accurate. For example, while plenty of apps exist to help with invoicing, a CRM and FSM system working together provides the accounting department and field technicians with a complete view of all jobs, estimates, and invoices. This helps prevent inaccurate invoicing and better track accounts receivable.
In addition, most of the data is auto-populated, making it faster and easier than ever to complete invoices and reduce errors.
Your Turn
If you’re looking for an easy way to automate operations and improve customer relationships, a CRM system paired with an FSM system might be the best solution. While it’s essential for larger companies, it’s also a great way for smaller companies to increase operational efficiency and maximize the bottom line.
# # #
About TimeLinx
TimeLinx delivers innovative project & service management software as a complete solution that perfects the sell-track-manage-support-bill cycle that services organizations must have to delight their customers; TimeLinx brings the cycle together in a single application that offers less frustration, better project management, complete reporting, and improved profitability – all specially designed for Infor and Sage.
