Customer Journeys: “Adapting to” or “Adjusting the” Customers’ Expectations

Customer Journeys: “Adapting to” or “Adjusting the” Customers’ Expectations (Workshop, Hosted by Scription)

Adapting to Customer Expectations: Insights from the Scription Workshop

In a recent workshop hosted by Scription, industry experts gathered to discuss the evolving landscape of customer expectations and the need for adaptive field service training solutions in service industries. The conversation highlighted the training challenge​s and innovations in meeting the demands of today’s fragmented and rapidly evolving markets.

The Fragmentation Challenge

One key point raised was the extreme fragmentation within the service industry, particularly in the restaurant sector. With thousands of small, local service companies, it’s a Herculean task for equipment manufacturers to provide adequate field service management training and support. Despite efforts to offer classroom training, these initiatives only reach a fraction of the technicians out there. This leaves many service professionals struggling to keep up with increasingly sophisticated equipment.

As one speaker noted, “We’re constantly rolling out new equipment, and the capabilities of service techs are not improving at the pace needed.” This gap in field service technician training and support translates into inefficiencies, higher costs, and lower quality for restaurant operators, further compounding the problem.

The Role of Technology in Service Training

Technology, particularly augmented reality (AR), is emerging as a crucial tool in addressing these training challenges. Augmented reality field service training offers the potential to accelerate the onboarding process for service techs, making complex tasks more manageable and reducing the field service training time from months to mere weeks. This is particularly valuable in industries like food service, where there’s a shortage of skilled technicians and high turnover rates.

One speaker shared their experience with AR, saying, “We’ve seen incredible benefits from AR in terms of reducing training time and improving the efficiency of our service techs.” However, the implementation of such field service management technology is not without its challenges. The fragmented nature of the industry makes it difficult to deploy augmented reality field service training solutions uniformly across all service providers.

Innovative Training Solutions

In response to these training challenge​s, some companies are exploring innovative approaches to field service technician training. For example, embedding engineers on-site at customer locations has proven effective. One company decided to place full-time engineers within their clients’ service centers, eliminating the need for constant travel and providing dedicated support. This approach not only improved service quality but also offered a better work-life balance for the engineers.

Another strategy discussed was the integration of IoT (Internet of Things) technology to monitor equipment performance and provide real-time data. This allows for more proactive maintenance and reduces the reliance on reactive service calls. By consolidating data from various equipment into a single platform, companies can make informed decisions and improve operational efficiency.

The Impact of IoT and Data Integration

IoT technology has had a profound impact on the industry. One company reported saving over $40 million in labor costs and $30 million in energy consumption through IoT-enabled monitoring. By analyzing data on equipment performance and energy use, they were able to implement more efficient practices and significantly reduce operational costs.

However, the integration of field service IoT also comes with its integration challenges​. Managing data from multiple sources and ensuring it is actionable can be overwhelming. A key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of having a unified platform to manage data from various manufacturers and applications. This streamlines the process and ensures that valuable insights are not lost in a sea of disparate information.

Customer Expectations vs. Internal Pressures

The workshop also touched on the balance between meeting customer demands and addressing internal pressures. While some customers are pushing for advanced training and support, others are more focused on internal improvements. Companies need to navigate these different expectations and find field service management solutions that offer value to both their clients and their own operations.

In conclusion, the workshop underscored the need for adaptability in meeting customer expectations. As industries become more fragmented and technology evolves, companies must find innovative ways to support their service techs and improve efficiency. By leveraging new field service technologies and adopting flexible field service training solutions, businesses can better align with customer needs and enhance their overall service offerings.

For those looking to stay ahead in this rapidly changing landscape, focusing on technology integration and innovative training methods will be key to achieving long-term success.