Consider that 88% of American consumers expect a firm to have a customer portal if you’re debating if your field service management (FSM) system should include one. People like how simple it is to navigate their accounts and purchase status information. However, corporations also have advantages. In our experience, implementing a field service portal has resulted in at least 7 beneficial results.

1. Reduce Service Costs by Automatically Updating Customers

We like reviewing an order’s status after placing it. In fact, even when automation was still a novelty and getting information required punching buttons on a phone, status monitoring was one of the earliest self-service capabilities that businesses offered. A field service portal in your field service management today offers 24/7 insight into the requests, requests history, and progress of work orders from clients. They can always get the information they want there, day or night—it’s a “one-stop shop.” Not only is it practical, but the transparency of the site also fosters client confidence in your business. Even when your staff is extremely busy and can’t quickly answer calls or emails, customers never feel abandoned or forgotten.

Users adore the portal, and it also helps you save money. Simple inquiries are handled more quickly by employees. They may put more effort into handling difficult problems and concentrate on work that is more fruitful. Customers receive additional, individualized attention as needed, and your staff is able to provide white glove services without putting a strain on the wallet.

2. Keep Everyone within the same Field Service Portal to Reduce Errors

It’s simple to create mistakes that lead to misunderstandings, uncertainty, and discontent when you’re exchanging email and copying data from one platform to another without having clients access your FSM portal. Everyone will be upset if a technician arrives when consumers anticipate them at 8 am but the technician was mistakenly informed it was 9 am. Even after unintentional errors, clients could leave with a negative opinion that cost you money and time to repair.

The field service management system streamlines communication between consumers, technicians, salesmen, and office employees. Since everyone is concentrating on the same information, nothing is lost in translation.

3. Being simple to work with will increase customer engagement.

Because they have just as busy days as you do, your clients could wait until the evening to place work orders. Or perhaps they have to finish it before the sun comes up. Your business is available to them when they require you thanks to the customer portal. Even if they are not in the office, they may log in directly to the portal or make requests via an integrated form on your site whenever it is most convenient. After the consumer submits their request, you may assign a technician and, with the press of a button, turn it into a job order in the system. Because you can regulate which documents users may view and because each user does have a password to assist prevent fraud, the field management service portal effectively safeguards the information of your clients. The portal makes it simple and safe to work with your business by providing 24/7 secured, mobile access, which raises customer happiness, loyalty, and engagement.

4. Helping customers work more efficiently will save them money.

Customers may use a mobile phone to access the field service portal and instantly view the repair and maintenance history if their equipment fails while they are on the shop floor. They have all the information they require to decide whether to file a work order right away. They no longer need to call you, return to the office, or search up their own files in order to take action. They can complete more tasks more quickly thanks to mobile access, which ultimately helps them save time and money.

5. Increase Customer Value by Providing Proactive Service

When a client interacts with the system through a field service portal, your crew is alerted. Each request will be visible to you immediately away, and you may respond promptly if necessary. For high-value clients, you can follow up with a personalized phone call, answer any queries about the work order, propose further work that might be completed concurrently, or provide additional field management that goes beyond the original request. You can instantly determine how to best service each consumer by having access to this data. You expand your business as a consequence by providing greater value at a time when clients need it the most.

6. Share Insightful Data to Position Your Organization as a Strategic Partner

You may provide information to customers that helps them manage their businesses more successfully using the field service portal. They may generate reports on their job order, previous machine repair, and maintenance schedule to spot patterns, evaluate the effectiveness of various machines or systems, and make sure their continuing work is correctly budgeted for. By keeping this information accessible, your business goes beyond simply providing a service; you assist clients in optimizing their operations, and they begin to view you as a partner in their accomplishment.