Expect (And Prepare For) The Unexpected In The Field

By Aly Pinder, Jr., sr. research analyst for service management, Aberdeen Group, www.aberdeen.com

Can you ever be truly prepared for an unexpected situation?

My goal isn’t to challenge you with a difficult question as you go through your busy day. But this question came up as a result of a recent research field service project I conducted that looked at some of the top challenges facing service organizations today. And one of the top three issues was the need to respond faster to unexpected events in the field.

Each and every situation a field technician walks into is an opportunity to deliver the level of service your customers now demand. But what makes these situations and work orders even more critical is that if resolution is not delivered, your customers have the choice to go and find a service provider that can and will deliver. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that service organizations are prepared for what is often the unknown on a service call.