How to create an Uber-like experience for your Field Service business

Uber has been a runaway success and the term ‘Uber-like’ is commonly used to describe an online and easy to use service. Field Service customers expectations are changing and offering an ‘Uber-like’ experience will be a great way to stand out.

What is an Uber-like experience?

An ‘Uber-like’ experience is a phrase people will use to describe ordering a service or monitoring it’s delivery via an app.

Around 18 million trips are made on Uber every day and between 2017 to 2019 nearly 4 billion trips were taken using the Uber App in the US and Canada. It’s a worldwide success, available in over 70 countries and it’s accessibility has been a key reason.

The popular taxi booking app Uber has become synonymous with providing complete visibility and use of a service via an app.

We are all becoming more familiar with on-demand services. We track our parcels and food deliveries through our phones, we book taxi rides and gym classes though our mobile apps.

Why Uber-like experiences are so popular

We’ve come to expect the ability to book a service, view expected delivery times and send messages via apps in our personal lives. This accessibility is crossing over into our businesses and the partners we work with.

The ease of use of these services are making them more prevalent. You don’t need to be a tech guru to understand to understand how to operate these apps and you don’t need sophisticated and experience equipment to set it up. Almost anyone with a smartphone can access any number of services via their mobile device and implantation is no more complicated than downloading an app.

What could field service businesses learn from Uber?

There are several reasons why Uber is a runaway success, having a great platform delivered to the public at just the right time was a key element in their success. 

There’s several other things that Uber do regularly that field service businesses can learn from, here’s a few lessons we could all learn from:

Remove Friction

No more waiting, no more mystery, no more phone calls.

Uber removed the need to wave a cab down from the street. They removed the worry that you might not get to your destination in time, or that you’ll be incorrectly charged for your journey.

The app simplified everything. You know when the taxi should arrive, who the driver will be and the costs are clear, up front and centre. You could offer the same service to your customers, by giving them access to details around their jobs and the costs associated with the service. 

Field Service Management Software allows you to provide this information and meets these lofty expectations.

Deliver Transparency

Before your Uber arrives you know who it will be and the number plate. This feature gives you, the app user reassurance and sets your mind at ease. You know this is a real person and Uber has made a promise that your taxi is on the way.

Uber learned very quickly that trust in their service will be make or break. Apps help establish customer expectations and give customers insight into delivery times and the completion status. 

Transparency builds trust. The ability to let your customer know who in your team will be arriving, when they will get there and the jobs they will be doing is achievable in Field Service too. 

Klipboard will send automated SMS and Email alerts when your team is on the way. These reminders keep everyone in the loop, they reduce wasted journeys and help build trust with your customer.

Encourage Feedback

How would you rate your ride? That’s something you’re asked every time you take an Uber. That’s by design, they make it easy for you to leave feedback, it’s a mandatory part of their experience because they understand in order to provide a safe and satisfying service they need to ask for Feedback.

Word of mouth and reviews play a big role in why a customer will pick you to manage their assets or planned maintenance schedules. 

You can use your invoices and customer reports to your advantage and encourage your customer to leave reviews. Putting a link to your Google Reviews page at the end of a report or invoice is a good way to direct them to review your service.

Timing can be important here, if you include the link in a well produced compliance or maintenance report, then you’re asking for feedback while sentiment with your service is at it’s highest. 

Human Connection

Uber understand that their service is about ‘Moving People’. 

That’s not just their mission statement its a culture they are trying to build. 

Technology can help simplify processes but it shouldn’t end there. Nothing will beat human connection and interaction with your client should be encouraged. Field Service Management Software enables you to spend more time with your customer. It’s not necessarily replacing contact with your customer, think of it more as reducing hours of admin each month which could be spent on better interactions with your customers.

How to create an Uber-like experience for your Field Service business

Using an ‘Uber-like’ service is simple. Creating your own software platform for Field Service jobs is significantly more complicated.

It’s that reason why a lot of Field Service businesses who recognise they need to provide a better experience for their customer, turn to Field Service Management Software. 

More specifically Field Service Management Software providers like Klipboard who have a cloud based Field Service platform with an intuitive, easy to use app and a Client Portal.

Here’s a few ways you can create an ‘Uber-like’ experience using Klipboard:

Give your clients a real-time overview

Our Client Portal is a fantastic feature to replicate some of the great benefits of using an ‘Uber-like’ app but for Field Service customers.

By giving your client a link to their own Client Portal, they will have a snap-shot of everything they need to know about your jobs, what services are due, when you’re next available and even outstanding invoices that need payment.

This streamlines communication allowing you to focus on your jobs and not your inbox. 

The self-service environment gives your customer the transparency they expect and will help you win more jobs via quote acceptance straight from the portal.

The Client Portal is how you can go above and beyond and impress more customers. Click here to learn more.

Improve your communication

Keep your customers up to date, fully informed and satisfied with SMS and Email communications through Klipboard.

Sending an automated ‘thank-you’ after a job well done or directing them to a review website is as easy as adding a link to an email. 

These automated communications are totally hands-free and provide an added touch to make your customers feels more appreciated. For more on automated field service communication click here. Learn more.

Create Asset Service Reminders

With Klipboard you can set up automated service reminders. Simply define the frequency of the services and Klipboard does the rest. This can be set up per customer asset, in fact each individual asset can have it’s own reminder schedule and it’s totally hands-free.

Never miss a service again.

You can set the messages you want to send for each customer and our Job Management Software will do the rest. 

Make your quote acceptance easier

Stop chasing quotes and let your customer accept them straight from their own Client Portal. 

Win further business with your customers by giving them easier assess to quotes for additional work. Remove the friction of emailing back and forth and allow your clients to clearly see all the work you’ve tendered for.

Quote acceptance is significantly faster with Klipboard. To see how easy it is to seamlessly link your field service jobs with your finances on Klipboard click here. Learn more.

Encourage Feedback

Your Google Reviews have an impact on your overall Google search ranking, encouraging your customers to complete reviews can have a positive impact on the number of new enquires you get for your Field Service business but getting them to leave you a review is challenging.

One way to get more reviews and feedback is including a link to your Google Reviews or Trust Pilot Review page on your automated follow up emails through Klipboard.

To see how easy it is to set this up and get more reviews for your business check out our quick guide to setting it up and why it’s important to get more reviews for your business. Learn more.

Get onboard the Future of Field Service

To meet the expectations of the modern field service customer, you need to appreciate they expect an on-demand service with complete clarity of what you’re offering.

Field Service Management Software will give you the tools and features you need to achieve this. You’ll need a software provider who can meet all the demands of your customer, with a platform that’s easy to use and simplified.

The way Uber simplified getting a taxi, Klipboard has simplified Field Service. Start a FREE Trial Today.