[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.1″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>
If you\u2019re wondering whether your field service management (FSM) software should include a customer portal, consider that <\/span>88% of consumers in the United States expect a company to offer a customer portal<\/span><\/a>. People like the convenience of easy access to their accounts and order status. But businesses realize benefits as well. In our experience, we\u2019ve seen at least 7 positive outcomes from deploying field service portals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Once we place an order, we like to check its status. In fact, status checking was one of the first self-service features that companies offered decades ago when automation was a new thing and you had to get your information by pressing keys on a phone.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Today, a <\/span>field service portal<\/span><\/a> in your FSM provides 24\/7 visibility into customers\u2019 work order status, requests, and history. It\u2019s a \u201cone-stop shop\u201d where they can always find the information they need, day or night. It\u2019s not only convenient; the portal\u2019s transparency builds trust in your company and improves customer experience. Customers never feel ignored or overlooked, even when your team is incredibly busy and doesn\u2019t have time to respond to phone calls or emails immediately.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> While users love the portal, it saves you money, too. Employees spend less time handling basic requests. They can focus on more productive work and devote energy to handling complex issues. As a result, customers get extra, personal attention when they need it, and your team can offer white glove service without stressing the budget.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> If you don\u2019t have customers using your FSM portal and you\u2019re trading emails and copying information from one system to another, it\u2019s easy to introduce errors that cause misunderstandings, confusion, and dissatisfaction. If customers expect a technician at 8 am, but the technician was accidentally told 9 am, everyone is going to be unhappy. Even after innocent mistakes, customers may come away with a bad impression that costs you time and money to recover from.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Having customers, technicians, salespeople, and office staff communicate through one <\/span>field service customer management system<\/span><\/a> reduces mistakes. Nothing gets lost in the translation, because everyone is looking at the same details.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Your customers\u2019 days are packed just as full as yours, and they may not have time to submit work orders until late in the evening. Or they may need to get it done before the sun rises. With the customer portal, your company is there for them when they need you. <\/span>They can either login to the portal directly or submit requests via an embedded form on your website<\/span> whenever its most convenient, even if they\u2019re not in the office.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Once the customer has submitted their request<\/span>, you translate it into a work order in the system with a click of a button and assign a technician at the same time. The service portal also keeps your customers\u2019 data protected because you have control over who can access which documents and each user has a password to help prevent fraud. By offering 24\/7 secure, mobile access, the portal makes your company easy and safe to work with, which increases customer satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> If a customer is on the shop floor and equipment is failing, they can access the field service portal on a mobile phone and quickly see the maintenance and repair history. They instantly have the information they need to make a decision about whether to submit a work order or not. They no longer have to go back to the office, look up their own records, or place a call to you before they can act. The mobile access allows them to get more done faster, which saves time and money in the long run.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> With a field service portal, your team is notified whenever a customer interacts with the system. You\u2019ll see each request right away, and if needed, you can reach out to provide proactive service. You can follow up with a personal phone call for high-value customers, confirm any questions about the work order, suggest additional work that could be done at the same time, or offer other services that complement the request.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Having this data gives you real-time information about how best to serve each customer at any point. As a result, you grow your business by offering more value when customers need it most.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> With the field service portal, you can offer information that helps customers run their businesses more efficiently. They can run reports on their work orders, past equipment repairs, and maintenance schedule so they can identify trends, compare the performance of different machinery or systems, and ensure they\u2019re budgeting properly for ongoing work. By making this information easy to access, your company acts as more than a service provider; you\u2019re helping customers improve operations, and they start to see you as a partner in their success.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Having a customer portal lowers the amount of work needed to onboard and service new customers. You can manage contracts in the portal and new customers will have the ability to submit orders and check status without adding work for your office staff.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be able to bring on more business and scale faster without stressing your team, which in turn keeps everyone happy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> BlueFolder FSM software was built from the ground up with the user in mind. Our customer portal offers an intuitive interface, simple controls, and minimal clicks. Your customers get set up fast, and they can access all the features and data with ease. They\u2019ll love it from the beginning. And you\u2019ll start seeing cost and time savings right away.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> You can also customize the portal for your needs with configurable options, user management controls, and permission settings for security. Even add a custom logo to present a consistent, professional look and feel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> And if your customers love the portal, you\u2019ll love all the features of our FSM because we\u2019ve brought the same attention to detail, usability, and flexibility to our entire offering.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> Find out how BlueFolder advances your cash flow, streamlines technician work, and delights your customers with a <\/span>free trial today<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019re wondering whether your field service management (FSM) software should include a customer portal, consider that 88% of consumers in the United States expect a company to offer a customer portal. People like the convenience of easy access to their accounts and order status. But businesses realize benefits as well. In our experience, we\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\r\n Managing multiple field service technicians and equipment while keeping your business organized and accurate is quite the chore, especially without the right software. There are a few different options to consider when it comes to\u00a0properly managing your teams and equipment efficiently<\/a>. Writing everything down by hand just isn't going to cut it anymore. To grow as a company you have to put systems in place that help you achieve your full potential. That means using software that can assist you with everything from customer management to\u00a0work order management<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most companies use either a field service software (or field service management software) or a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). However, many people don't know the difference between the two or how each one can benefit their companies. While they share similar features and capabilities, a CMMS and an FSM solution both serve different purposes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To determine which one is right for your company, let's take a look at what both a CMMS and an FSM solution can offer your company and the key differences between them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A\u00a0computerized maintenance management system<\/a>\u00a0(CMMS) is a software program used to manage information about the maintenance operations of a company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It also allows companies to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS comes with benefits that can help your company be much more proactive and efficient about its maintenance operations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS can benefit your company in multiple ways, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The features of some of the top CMMS software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Field service management<\/a>\u00a0(FSM) software is similar to CMMS software in that includes work order management and the ability to track and schedule equipment maintenance. But FSM software also helps collect field data and track client requests and personnel status, as well as improve operations visibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n FSM software can help improve\u00a0work order management<\/a>\u00a0and service delivery while enhancing customer service. It will improve your team's overall efficiency by streamlining work orders between the fieldworker and the company office while making it easier for teams to communicate. FSM software also makes it easy to optimize maintenance routes and check your company's key metrics and analytics anytime. But more than that, it helps with:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n An FSM allows for smart scheduling and for self-service (which makes your company more efficient and attractive to customers). FSM also increases mobility by bridging the gap between technicians in the field and employees in the office. Your teams can utilize messaging and notifications to stay in sync on open jobs and status.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The best features of FSM software help make life easier for you and your employees. For instance, some of these features allow you to manage customer records, set up recurring jobs, track work orders, assign work orders to your technicians, manage service contracts, and more. With customization options, you can tailor your FSM to meet your needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some of the other top features of FSM software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some FSM software programs also have digital signature capture, branded templates and PDFs, voice and search commands, and phone system integrations. Others offer features like intelligent scheduling at the point of booking, open API, a supplier database, and real-time suggestions optimization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While they share similarities, there are key differences between field service software vs CMMS software.\u00a0FSM software is primarily focused on serving external customers and includes tools to help you document and accelerate your service billings, get paid faster, and grow your business. CMMS solutions are typically more geared towards organizations that are performing asset and equipment maintenance for internal customers and don't require robust customer management tools or billing features.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Save Service Costs by Keeping Customers Up to Date Automatically\u00a0<\/h2>
Reduce Mistakes by Keeping Everyone on the Same Field Service Portal\u00a0<\/h2>
Encourage Customer Engagement by Being Easy to Work With\u00a0<\/h2>
Save Customers Money by Helping Them Work Smarter\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Increase Your Value to Customers With Proactive Service\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Position Your Company as a Business Partner by Sharing Insightful Data\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Scale Your Business With Fewer Growing Pains\u00a0<\/h2>
BlueFolder Helps You Keep Customers Loyal and Satisfied\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Field Service Software VS CMMS Software<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is CMMS Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of a CMMS<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of CMMS Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is Field Service Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of Field Service Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of FSM Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What are the Key Differences?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n