The dispatching office for a field service operation is where the job (work order) process starts. It is always critical for dispatchers to be highly organized, but with manual processes it can be difficult to maintain that organization. When dispatchers are disorganized it leads to missed appointments, double booked techs, lost paperwork, poor customer service and more. And when trying to fix these issues, missed opportunities for more jobs usually occurs. That is why we are here to help you put your dispatching processes in order.
One of the most efficient ways to clean up your dispatching process is by breaking out job schedules. Ensuring that a field techs day is broken up in the most effective way possible is the best way to ensure that tech can get to the right place at the right time. To properly break up a techs schedule you must do the following:
- Always make sure that each tech has the right experience for each job that he goes to.
- Check to make sure that you send your techs out on the job with the proper equipment to help break out their day. By ensuring that the right tech has the right inventory for each job will help eliminate the need to go back to a warehouse for more parts making for a more efficient schedule for that tech.
- Ensure that your techs always have the most efficient routes to get from job to job. By doing this you should only have one touch point per tech each day which is the outcome of peak organization within a dispatching office.
An organized dispatching office can lead to very high efficiency between all operations of the business. If a dispatcher is spending less time organizing a field technicians’ day, that frees up more time for them to take care of customers. By taking time to be with customers it will lead to better customer service which can bring happier customers who will recommend your services to their peers. Increased recommendations equate to more jobs scheduled which will skyrocket your bottom line.
So how can you ensure that your dispatchers have all the necessary tools to be as organized as possible? Start with the technology that they will be using day in and day out.
Dispatching software can bring peak organization to your field service operation. The points that we made above are easy to accomplish with the feature sets that are available via technology. All job and technician information will be available for you right at your fingertips. No more scouring through mountains of paperwork to ensure the right tech will be at the right job. All that’s needed is the simple click of a button and everything you need will be right in front of you. Great dispatching tools can also set reminders for your office about technician capabilities, schedules, and even inventory which will remind you about anything you need to schedule out jobs properly. By providing the right tools for your dispatchers, you are ensuring that they have enough free time to get the most out of a every customer interaction.
Organization within the dispatching office is critical for peak operational efficiency within a field service operation. Maintaining inventory, tech experience, and efficient route management can make the difference between getting a tech to a job within an optimal time frame or beyond what is acceptable to your company. Get a solution that will take your dispatching office to the next level.