How to boost your field service team's productivity in 6 simple steps

Connect your team using a mobile app

When your team are out in the field completing jobs, it’s essential to keep track of them. Choose a CRM for your business that you can use across desktop and mobile app. One which allows you to create a user account for each team member. By doing so, you’re able to connect with your team effectively when they’re in the field - wherever they are. 

What’s more, you’re also able to connect with your team wherever you are too. It’s amazing how much more you can achieve when you’re not tied to the office. Whether you’re at home, in transit, or even out on a job yourself - the flexibility to manage your business on the go is a total gamechanger.

So create a user account for each team member in your CRM now, you’ll never look back! Next step -

Create calendar events for each job

Now it’s time to get organised. When your jobs come through, create calendar events for them and assign them to individuals in your team. When you do, your team’s calendars will update in real-time. So even if you assign a job to someone in your team who’s already out on one, they’ll be able to pick it up when they’ve finished and head straight there.

What’s more, you can even attach the quotes, invoices and notes for each job inside the calendar event. So even if someone in your team picks up a job last minute, they’ll be able to easily see all the relevant info for it and turn up prepared.

Create customer quotes and invoices on the move

This is a masterstroke. It’s no secret that the quicker you quote a job, the more likely you are to win it. So how about creating and sending your quote there and then with the customer? Right after you’ve quoted it in person. It doesn’t get more professional than that and leaves a first great impression.

“But that’ll take ages”, you’re thinking.

Wrong.

You can send detailed quotes in under a minute if you use the right CRM for your service business. Just add your products and services into your CRM before you quote a job. Spice them up with images and descriptions for each one. Now, when you’re with the customer, you’ll be able to add these items into your interactive quotes in just a few clicks.

Not only will this impress your customers to no end - you’ll finish the day admin free and get more quotes accepted! What a feeling.

Paperless forms

We’ve talked about sending interactive quotes via email already - it’s time to ditch paper forms too. Not only is it more sustainable, it’s quicker and easier (for you and your customer). The last-minute runarounds for a printer (or ink) are over.

From CP12 gas safety certificates to subtractor forms and customer feedback surveys - keep all the forms you need on your business CRM. Less paper to carry around, and guess what - it’s quicker to fill out. Many questions can be turned into drop-down boxes. And when you send it, you’ll each have a clear copy of everything in your email. Easy.

Push notifications

Gone are the days of trying to get through to your team. Waiting on hold. Refreshing that inbox to see if they’ve replied. With push notifications, you can update each team member’s calendar instantly and make sure they get the message. It’s a much more effective way of running your field team.

No need to wait for their response. Adjust the job time/day in real-time. Or cancel it altogether. Attach a quote or invoice. Add a product or service. Amend an existing one. Make whatever changes you need, send a push notification and move on to whatever’s next on your to-do list. Much better.

Analyse your job data

All successful businesses are doing this and it’s worth the effort. If you really want to boost your productivity, measure your key stats. How long does each type of job take to complete? How many staff are needed for each job? How satisfied are your customers with each job? What’s your profit per hour for each type of service you provide?

Working out your key stats helps you measure success and make data-driven improvements to your business. It will allow you to plan your job calendar much more effectively going forward, get the most out of every working day and set your business up to grow.

Is your current CRM holding you back?

You can boost your service business productivity with all 6 steps using Payaca. A simple, effective CRM that’s perfect for field service businesses - whatever your industry.‍

Try Payaca for free and see how businesses are boosting their revenues by 28-32% in just one month.