How Many Hats Does Your Field Tech Wear?

There was a time when a field tech just needed to show up with a wrench and fix the plumbing. Today, consumer expectations and competition in the service industry space require a field employee to be much more than a technical expert. Your field employee should be ready to fill many roles, including the following five:

Technical Expert. Fixing it right and, if possible, on the first call, is still the top priority. Whatever your line of business – computer repair, lawn care, electrical or something else, your brand and your reputation are on the line. Hire for skills and experience, institute a mentoring program, and provide field staff with access to an online knowledge base and live support.

Sales rep. The field tech/sales rep needs the knowledge and empowerment to bring in new business. The business might be an appropriate upsell, a referral account or scheduled maintenance calls. Your field employee needs access – from the job site – to customer records, a parts data base and technical support.

Bookkeeper. The days when field techs returned and dropped a stack of crumpled work orders on your desk are over. Customers expect to see invoices in real time, including billable hours, parts and trip charges. With the right mobile software, job site invoicing is a breeze.

Customer service specialist. You know who that person is – unfailingly pleasant in the face of frustration and ready to answer any question or to find the person who can. Your field employee needs access to customer records and a way to add notes and documents to the file.

Public relations manager. This person is an enthusiastic promoter who leaves dirty laundry at home in the closet, carries brochures to answer common questions, puts booties over shoes before walking into the home, and proudly hands out business cards. Make sure your techs leave the office armed with an elevator pitch, literature and business cards.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on preparing your field employees to multi-task? Share your thoughts – add a comment below.