Choosing the Best Field Service Business Tools
December 19, 2017 | Read: 7 minutes
When it comes to choosing the right tools for your field service business, cheaper isn’t necessarily the sensible option.
You might be eager to bring in more customers and try to cut costs as a way to boost profits, and so going for the cheapest parts makes sense, right?
At first you might feel like a real winner who’s outsmarted the system… until those parts start to break down, the software has more bugs than you can count, and no one’s around when you call to get these problems fixed…
Congratulations: You’ve just had your first encounter with false economy.
This is when you take an action that saves money at the beginning, but ends up wasting money in the long run. Even worse, when you refuse to invest in the kind of equipment and services that let you do your best work, you end up failing both yourself and your customers.
We’ll take a look at some of the common supplies and services field service businesses typically invest in, show you why cheaper isn’t better, and offer advice on how to get the best of what you need without going broke:
Computers & Office Equipment
Your office staff need computers with the power and capabilities to let them do their jobs quickly and efficiently.
Cut corners on this purchase, and your whole business can slow to a crawl as your employees struggle with sticky keyboards and trackpads, low battery life, low memory, and sub-par speakers, according to the article ‘Cheap Laptops: Good Deal or Waste of Money?’ on the MakeUseOfWebsite.
To break out of the ‘cheaper is better’ mindset, think of the cost of computers and other office equipment in terms of cost per hour of use, not cost per item.
Here’s an example we provided in a recent article:
That doesn’t mean you have to strain your bank account to purchase the most high-end computers and office equipment.
Later in this article, we’ll talk about how to strike a balance between high quality and low price.
Parts, Inventory, and Suppliers
If you’re always on the hunt for cheap tools for field service, stop right now. Low-quality tools and parts lead to low-quality installations and repairs—and those, in turn, lead to upset customers.
“In the same way that people quickly forget a high price if you deliver high quality, they’ll also forget the low price if you deliver low quality”
So says Peter Crocker in his article False economy: Beware the lure of the Quickie.
Not only that, if you’re not careful, the cheap parts you buy will not only break faster than quality parts—they can also be unsafe.
Fraying electrical cords and faulty power tools are a hazard for your field service engineers and everyone around them.
Software Solutions
Whether you’re looking for accounting software or the best service management software, it can be tempting to go cheap (or even free).
In the end, though, this can end up costing you way more time and hassle than the few pounds you saved.
If you purchase cheap software on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace, it’s most likely counterfeit. And even if it’s not, some software companies won’t officially recognise you as an owner of their software, and won’t offer support for the products you buy on these sites.
Not to mention, oftentimes free and cheap software is harder to set up and maintain, is more difficult to use, doesn’t do the job well, and comes with little or no customer support.
Just take a look at the reviews of many free field service management apps and you’ll run across tidbits like: “I lose so much work, I have to write everything down and then enter it into the programme after the phone call is over” or “This would be a great tool… if it worked!”.
Kind of pointless to spend time setting up free software if it doesn’t actually do the job, right?
Hardware & Physical Devices
Why pay for pricy high-end tablets or phones for your field service engineers when you can score these necessities for as little as £50?
There’s actually a good reason behind tablet prices, according to CNET’s 2017 tablet buying guide.
“Amazon can offer its affordable Fire tablet because it has a bare-bones design, skimps on any extra features and has a very limited app store”, CNET says.
“And despite the fact that the iPad Pro has no native HDMI or storage expansion support, Apple can justify its lofty starting price thanks to its premium design, fast performance, incredible app support, refined interface and robust ecosystem”.
CNET also notes that smaller tablets are cheaper, but also underpowered when compared with larger ones.
As for smartphones, HowToGeek reports that many affordable phones have either low-end hardware, or high-end hardware that’s a few years old.
“This is one of the most effective ways to keep costs down, but that always means performance takes a hit”, says writer Cameron Summerson.
Not only that, but the screen displays aren’t as sharp and the cameras are generally of lower quality, which can be a problem when your engineers need to take photos of repairs or installations.
Balancing Cost & Value
There are good bargains to be had out there, as long as you aren’t obsessed with scoring the very lowest price on everything you purchase for your business.
Here’s how to make it happen:
Look at all sides
When you buy parts, office equipment, software, or service, you’re paying for more than just that item. You’re also paying for everything that goes into creating the thing, as well as all the benefits that come along with it.
When you buy a computer, you’re also paying for the employees that man the computer company’s helpdesk. When you purchase a part online, you’re also paying for the speed of delivery, the quality of the manuals, and the attentiveness of the supplier’s customer service staff.
These all impact your business—and how your customers view your business—so be sure to evaluate all aspects of the product or service you’re buying, and not just the thing itself.
Check out reviews
The company you’re evaluating might have the best sales copy ever, but you can get the real deal by reading customer reviews.
Again, look for reviews that critique not just the item itself but also the customer service and other key features of the purchase.
Also note how the company responds to negative reviews to get a good idea of their customer service skills.
Ask around
If you’re friends with other business owners, ask for their suggestions on affordable-yet-quality products and services, and for their opinions on parts, supplies, or software you’re thinking of buying. No field service friends? Ask in an online industry forum instead.
Look for lists
Search for ‘best budget laptops’ (or ‘best budget smartphones’ or whatever you’re looking for), and you’ll find that many experts and websites have helpfully compiled lists of their top picks just for you.
Don’t Buy Cheap
Finally, just as you don’t want to automatically jump at the lowest-priced parts, services, software, or supplies, you also don’t want to be the low-price leader in your area.
In his article The 7 Biggest Mistakes That HVAC Contractors Make, HVAC expert Allison Bailes lists ‘Trying to be a low bidder’ as one of the biggest blunders.
“The race to the bottom results in everyone being a loser,” he says. “The ones who don’t get the contract lose.
The one who gets the contract can’t do the work properly because they have to scrimp on labour and materials. And the homeowner loses because, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.”
There’s always a better way…
Commusoft’s Job management solution will help transform your business. It’s as simple as that.
You can explore all our Features, as well as our new Sales CRM. We design everything with Field Services in mind, helping you, keep track of your communications, send follow-ups, book jobs, manage pipelines, communicate with customers and…. well, lots more!
(And, yes, we get great reviews!)
Hard to believe?
Discover Commusoft for yourself:
