Simple Ways for your Dispatch Software to Work More Effectively

The small business demand for field service management software grows as the customer demand for easy appointments and automation grows.

Dispatchers are learning that making the most of field service management software makes their lives easier. That is, it makes things easier as long as the software they’re using has the capabilities to:

• Better handle all incoming jobs, including emergencies
• Simplify finding the right technician for the right job
• Eliminate paperwork, including receipts and signatures
• Streamline communication between the customer and technician

| RELATED ARTICLE: Can Dispatch Software Replace a Service Dispatcher?

Use Dispatch Application Features to Handle Daily Surprises

Life can seem like one surprise after another. No matter how well we plan and structure our workday in the front office, all good plans can fly out the window before lunch.

These disruptions no longer just come via phone. People contact businesses through text, email, and online forms. They want appointments, follow-ups, immediate emergency service, and general information—and sometimes fellow small businesses even want affiliate relationships.

There’s a lot going on and only one you. Surprise cancellations or emergency calls can take your beautifully organized schedule and turn it into a bad game of Jenga.

A Dynamic Dispatch Software Solution

Dispatch software helps dispatchers streamline all appointment requests and give big-picture visibility, even when someone throws in a scheduling curveball. For example, if a call comes in for an emergency HVAC service, the dispatcher can immediately see who is where, who is available, when they can get there, and even directly connect the technician with the customer to facilitate the exchange of details.

With the right dispatch software, dispatchers have easy visibility into estimates and invoices so they can quickly answer any customer questions that pop up. And with field service management software, a dispatcher can do their job from anywhere—in the office or at home. No matter where they are, dispatchers can send job information to techs through call or text, all from within the dispatch software.

Emergency Jobs Can Bring Opportunities

When someone needs emergency service, handling the call well can mean you get a new customer for life. If it’s an existing customer, you’ll get a boost in the form of more word-of-mouth referrals and reviews. Additionally, dispatch software can help you handle emergencies without interfering with scheduled service jobs. With this type of convenience and service, everyone wins.

Find the Right Technician for the Right Job with Skill Set Search

Even if you have only five or fewer technicians, it can be a challenge to keep track of everyone’s expertise. If a customer calls with a specific request, do you have to ask about certifications or specializations?

Dispatch software should include a skill set search to help you instantly narrow down the technicians to find the right person for the right job. Then, the same dispatch software should give you a view of technician schedules while showing you where they are on a real-time map, making it much easier to find the most qualified and closest tech.

With this type of information at their fingertips, dispatchers can make better decisions for the customer, which leads to better results for everyone down the road—think of all the scheduling fires you’ll avoid putting out.

Tired of juggling between delivering exceptional customer experience and making sure everything runs smoothly? Check out our guide to dispatching software.

Eliminate Field Service Management Paperwork with Automation

If you have dispatch software and you’re still spending manual hours on paperwork, you either got the wrong dispatch software, or you aren’t making the most of it.

SaaS for Recordkeeping and Customer Relationships

Software as a service (SaaS) solutions can eliminate filing and reconciling paper files by keeping everything safe and secure in the cloud. This means no more:

• Paper mailing
• Paper filing (in triplicate)
• Sending reminders on letterhead

One major way dispatch software separates you from manual paper tasks is automation. Once the appointment is scheduled, the software will automatically send appointment reminders and any other important information customers need to know. Customers will have visibility into their estimate and what to expect during their service call. This frees up dispatchers to solve bigger problems and develop even more streamlined processes to improve their business.

Dispatch Software and Billing

It’s important to make sure your field service management software integrates with your billing solution, otherwise you’ll still have to deal with paper billing. Automated, paperless billing means you can do away with mailing paper bills, follow ups, and collections. All of this can be automated within your dispatch software—so billing software integration is crucial.

Better Communication from the Office to the Tech to the Customer

Many people find that the best thing dispatch software does is consolidate all of the different pieces of information a dispatcher needs to know so they can communicate accurate information to the entire team—and to the customer.

With the right dispatch software, you can:

• Easily communicate update service call times to everyone who needs to know
• Let the customer know when the tech will arrive, narrowing the dreaded service-call window
• Let the technician know when and where the customer is expecting them
• Communicate any special circumstances, for example, if there’s a dog gate to close

Field management software makes communication among everyone some much easier. It cuts down on questions—phone, email, or text—about when and where things are going to happen. Although someone outside of the dispatching world may think this sounds minor, they don’t understand how all of those 30-second phone calls add up and truly disrupt your schedule. Making the front office easier to run keeps everyone, especially customers, informed and happy.

What Are You Waiting For? Enjoy Your Dispatch Software!

From initial dispatch to the close of the job, field service management dispatch software can make your life easier and your business more efficient. You can run your business from anywhere with field service management software built for small businesses—but with enterprise features.

Feeling like your dispatch software doesn’t do enough? Or maybe you don’t have dispatch software? We can help—schedule a demo.