by Ian Stewart | Sep 28, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
Today’s maintenance technician requires a lot more than an ability to turn a wrench — like an electrical-engineering degree, for starters, and the willingness to sell and streamline. Problem is, there aren’t a lot of those people running around, says Mike...
by Derek Korte | Sep 27, 2012 | Customer Experience
The “social enterprise” may still be a nascent concept for many companies, but not for those attending Dreamforce, the annual Salesforce.com conference held for 80,000 people in San Francisco last week. This year’s theme: how the social revolution is...
by Tiffany Kaiser | Sep 26, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
Nobody likes paperwork, but contracts are the backbone of any service organization: They lock in customer relationships beyond the point of sale and drive consistent revenue. How do you craft agreements that maximize return and minimize the fine print? Here’s a...
by Ian Stewart | Sep 25, 2012 | Mobile & Tech
Are smartphones and tablets tough enough for down-and-dirty field service work? The answer is no — at least according to a new white paper, “New Roles, New Rules: Are Your Smart Phones Tough Enough for Work?” from rugged device manufacturer Intermec. Yes,...
by Field Technologies Online | Sep 25, 2012 | Mobile & Tech
The following post first appeared on Field Technologies Online, and is excerpted here with permission. The Shredders is a Southern California document shredding/destruction company that offers highly secure document services to its clients. In addition to shredding...
by Ian Stewart | Sep 24, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
Finding that perfect field service technician who’s capable of making a quick fix, friendly with customers, and great at sales is only half the battle — keeping him on the team is the other challenge. Here are three top articles on retaining your best...
by Ian Stewart | Sep 21, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
Field service operations these days are increasingly expected to help drive profits, not just operate as cost centers. What’s been the biggest struggle in making the shift? We asked field service managers this week at Maximize 2012, an industry user and...
by Tiffany Kaiser | Sep 20, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
Cloud storage, virtualized automation, and a little creative thinking were all it took for McKinley Equipment, a company that specializes in elevator and hydraulic lift installation and repair, to save its customers potentially hundreds of dollars a month. The...
by Ian Stewart | Sep 19, 2012 | Strategy & Leadership
Say you’re a technology manufacturer selling computers, monitors, printers, and server equipment. Price competition on hardware is already fierce, and third-party support and service providers threaten your ability to lock in lucrative maintenance and repair...
by Sean Lyden | Sep 18, 2012 | Customer Experience
So, you have the tools, you have the technician — now what about the van? Yes it’s tempting to pimp your ride, especially when you consider it as the billboard-on-wheels that it is. But field service managers, alas, must consider functionality, too. How do you...
by Ian Stewart | Sep 17, 2012 | Strategy & Leadership
Effectively evaluating employees’ performance is no easy task, but its value is immeasurable. Without a periodic dive into the numbers and a face-to-face chat about successes and failures, technicians’ best work goes unrecognized and their worst tendencies...
by Marisa Wong | Sep 13, 2012 | Field Service Spotlight
What single word describes the biggest challenge facing field service today? That was the question posed in LinkedIn’s Field Service Society group recently. Not surprisingly, it solicited a range of response. Among the replies: Travel, gas, technology,...
