We are Fully Digitalized
To provide an excellent client experience, a lot of information is needed, which in turn means a lot of paperwork. When we first started, we had a generic carbon copy estimate purchased at Staples. As we started to get better at business, the paperwork became insane! We had forms for everything, and had office admins working all day to input this data into multiple software, calendars and hard copies. We will admit that we made it work, but it was ugly and inefficient. It often took over a half hour just to enter a new client into all four areas we needed to store their data (CRM, Google Calendar, a hard copy and a sales tracker). We found that clients were waiting days to receive quotes, and installation dates, because we had to wait for paperwork to make its way back to the office. We saw that this method was still ahead of our competition, but not at all at the level of excellence we were striving for.
This system was hindering our workflow hugely and because of this, we began to make the switch to digital. Initially we were only partially digitalized, incorporating iPad’s and photos into our estimation process, but these documents all lived in separate places. Many companies today are also digitalized but struggle with this same problem of attachments and documents all living somewhere separately.
We wanted everything to be in one place and this process to be as easy for the client as possible, so we teamed up with a company to become fully digitalized. Now, when the Call Center schedules an appointment (they answer calls and schedule for every division) it is automatically sent directly to the Solutionists© iPad. From here on out everything happens in real time. As soon as the Solutionist© completes the estimate the Contact Center and local division can see everything from the scope to the pictures and the amount deposited – no need for paperwork or driving back to the office. This carries on throughout the scheduling and installation process right up to the final invoice. Having all this information consolidated and accessible in the field has not only improved our workflow and level of organization, but has also created a better, all around client experience.
Crew & Sales Tracking
We are not paranoid, but knowing where our crews and salesteam are when they are out on the job helps us tremendously. This eliminates the need to interrupt crews by asking where they are or how much time is left on a current job. From a dispatch board we can see where the trucks are and what jobs are in progress. On the board, they change colors to indicate their status and how long jobs have been in progress. This helps to keep jobs on schedule and keep track of what’s going on in the field. If a crew completes a job early, we can send another job in the area to them, immediately. This feature is great for our sales team too. We can see their estimates completed in real time enabling us to add appointments (as the calls come in) to the schedule of our Solutionist© that has an opening or is closest to the job.