When rented equipment goes down, your operations team is already behind the 8 ball. Successfully resolving the situation while keeping customers happy and costs low is tough. Your field service team needs to be fast, productive, and on point. That’s no easy task considering the challenges of organizing a packed, chaotic schedule and executing effective communication throughout the process.
Field Service Toolkits
Our team just released new field service functionality for RentalMan that cuts straight through the complexities of field service, helping your team be at it’s best. However, if you don’t have the right RentalMan solutions (Service Solution & Logistics Solution) yet, we still wanted to lend a helping hand. That’s why we’re releasing a set of Field Service Toolkits. Each is aimed at helping you master vital parts of the field service process. Today, we’re sharing tips on collecting feedback from customers.
Why customer experience feedback is important in field service
When rental equipment goes down in the field, customers likely aren’t going to be happy with their experience. However, equipment breaks sometimes. It’s part of life, especially in the rental industry.
The best thing you can do to keep them as a customer in the future is find them a fast, painless solution to the breakdown. Speedy and genuine customer service can go a long way in brining someone back to rent from your company again in the future.
One of the best way’s to gauge and improve customer experiences is through feedback channels such as surveys. It helps customers know that they are heard while also providing your team with valuable information to improve field service operations in the future.
4 quick tips on survey best practices
- Keep it brief – You’ve already taken a chunk of time out of your customer’s day(s) with the inconvenience of broken rental equipment. Try not to take too much more with a long survey. Aim for 5-10 questions max.
- Use clear language – If your customers can’t understand the wording, this can effect the quality of feedback you get. Cut out any jargon and have other people review the survey with attention to clarity.
- Make it easy to answer – There are many different question formats to choose from such as multiple choice, scaling, and open-ended questions. Mix it up but remember to keep it brief.
- Test it – Try out the survey for yourself and get outside perspectives as well. Grammar and phrasing can effect how others view the questions. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and imagine what they might be thinking.
What to include in your field service feedback survey
Here are a set of questions to consider for your field service customer surveys.
Overall Satisfaction
- Overall, how satisfied were you with our field service technician’s performance? (Use a rating scale of 1-5 or 1-10)
- How likely are you to recommend our field service team to a friend or colleague? (Use a Net Promoter Score scale of 0-10)
Specific Aspects of Service
- How satisfied were you with the technician’s knowledge and expertise?
- How satisfied were you with the technician’s professionalism and communication skills?
- How satisfied were you with the timeliness of the service call?
- How satisfied were you with the quality of the repairs or maintenance performed?
- How satisfied were you with the condition of the equipment provided?
Problem Resolution
- Was the issue resolved to your satisfaction?
- If not, what could have been done better to resolve the issue?
Additional Services
- Were you offered any additional services or products?
- If so, were you satisfied with the recommendations?
Feedback and Suggestions
- Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience?
- What could we improve to provide even better service in the future?
Demographic Information (Optional)
- How long have you been a customer of our company?
- What type of equipment do you typically rent?
Implementing the field service survey into your operations
In the first toolkit we shared, we talked about implementing service request forms. Many of the same points we mentioned about there apply here as well. The form applications we mentioned in that toolkit can be used for the post-service survey purposes mentioned in this toolkit too. Here are a few more tips to consider:
Timing
Timing is key. Send the survey out as soon as the interaction ends. This ensures fresh, near real-time feedback from the customer.
Distribution methods
Think about how customers receive the survey. Text, email, qr code, or the old school, in-person paper method are just a few options. Don’t shy away from sending it out via multiple channels either.
While it might be tough at times, it’s important to get the survey in the right person’s hands. In fact, it might be multiple people in some scenarios. Ensure that survey is sent to everyone involved throughout the field service process.
Analyze results
Make a point to analyze the data your team is gathering on a regular cadence that makes sense based on the amount of field service calls that happen. Show the data to the team, discuss ways to improve, and celebrate successes.
