Field Service CRM: Software That’s Custom-Built for the Trades

Investing in a customer relationship management system can be transformative for field service businesses that have traditionally managed customer relationships through disparate spreadsheets, phone calls, emails, and paper documents. 

For example, a CRM software solution can solve common challenges such as:

• Workflow Inefficiencies: Time wasted on tracking down customer information (e.g. work orders, estimates, invoices), and entering and re-entering the same information into multiple apps, spreadsheets, etc.

• Poor Communication & Customer Experiences: Failing to correspond with customers in a timely manner, or lacking the ability to communicate with customers through their preferred channels (text, email, phone, etc.). 

• Lost Revenue Opportunities: Difficulty tracking sold and unsold estimates, and failing to follow up on and convert open opportunities. 

To help avoid these and other issues, field service companies are increasingly turning to field service management software (FSM) including our platform, ServiceTitan, which specializes in serving HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and select other trades.

In this post, we’re going to provide an in-depth walk-through of the features we offer to streamline customer relationship management for field service businesses to help you decide if ServiceTitan is the right solution for your CRM needs.

Specifically, we’ll cover:

• Call Booking and Customer Pages: Make better first impressions, streamline CSR workflows, and convert more calls into booked jobs

• Customer Experience: Meet the booking and communication expectations of modern customers

• Follow-Ups: Maximize revenue by increasing close rates on unsold estimates

• Customer Portal: Enable customers to view job histories, book appointments, and pay invoices online

• Marketing Pro: Drive more revenue with done-for-you email marketing campaigns

If you’d like to learn more about how ServiceTitan can help your field service business become more efficient and grow revenue through improved customer relationships, schedule a call today.

Call Booking and Customer Pages: Make Better First Impressions, Streamline CSR Workflows, and Convert More Calls Into Booked Jobs

ServiceTitan’s user-friendly platform begins to optimize customer service from the moment a call comes in. 

Before a customer service representative picks up the phone, they can see the customer’s name and number in real-time—regardless of whether the customer has previously called. This allows CSRs to make a good first impression by greeting every customer and prospect by name.

ServiceTitan also displays details about the caller’s property, such as the age and size of their home or commercial facility (e.g. office, school, government building, etc.), providing insight into potential sales and customer service opportunities. 

For example, if you run a plumbing business, your CSR might be able to see that the caller likely has an aged water heater that’s due for replacement—a potential high-ticket sale.

If the caller is an existing customer, CSRs can see their customer page, which displays their complete service history, including: 

• Customer details (such as their name, service location, and billing information)

• History of scheduled appointments and jobs

• Estimates, outstanding work orders, and invoices

• Maintenance agreement status

• And more

Whether the caller is a long-standing or new customer, all of their information is automatically logged and stored in our cloud-based platform—rather than in a disconnected system of spreadsheets, emails, notes, and file folders.

In addition, all customer calls are automatically recorded so that anyone on the service team (CSRs, dispatchers, field technicians, etc.) can reference those initial conversations and access the detailed context and information they need to provide the best possible customer satisfaction.

ServiceTitan seamlessly links this workflow to scheduling and dispatching, work order management, and more. 

Customer Experience: Meet the Booking & Communication Expectations of Modern Customers

Modern customers—people who use Uber, Netflix, and Amazon—have preferences and expectations about how they should be communicated with. They want seamless booking experiences, real-time updates about the status of their service, and transparent, accurate communication.

ServiceTitan offers a suite of tools for service businesses to provide exactly the type of customer experiences consumers are looking for—starting with online job booking. 

ServiceTitan users can add a Web Scheduler or Chat to Text widget to their website and give customers an easy way to schedule a job or start a text conversation online.

Then, contractors can set up automatic SMS text notifications to confirm appointments and/or remind homeowners of a scheduled service visit, according to their preferences: the day before, 12 hours before, an hour before, etc. 

In addition, users can schedule pre-arrival text notifications to introduce the assigned technician to the customer with a tech bio—providing customers with a greater sense of comfort and security, and allowing them to learn more about the person who will be working in their home. 

And, among other things, our GPS tracking feature allows home and business owners to track their tech’s arrival in real-time. This gives customers pinpoint accuracy about when their tech will arrive, freeing them up to plan their day while enhancing their overall customer experience.

Combined, this suite of tools allows service businesses to create happy, loyal, repeat customers who share about their experiences on and offline, generating the word of mouth that is invaluable for service businesses.

Follow-Ups: Maximize Revenue by Increasing Close Rates on Unsold Estimates

A huge challenge and missed opportunity for many contractors and field service businesses is tracking, following up, and closing more unsold estimates. Business owners often leave a lot of money on the table by simply lacking the right systems to facilitate this process.

ServiceTitan provides a suite of automation tools for managing follow-ups, closing more of these deals, and ultimately increasing profitability.  

For example, when a customer opens an email containing an estimate or proposal, our software sends an automatic notification to the contractor and/or their staff, prompting them to reach out to the home or business owner at that crucial moment to answer questions and close the sale. 

In the event that an email wasn’t opened or bounces back, our Follow-Up features also offer notifications and reminders to fix these issues and follow up accordingly.

In addition, Follow-Ups help with managing other essential business processes. For example, it enables service providers to send customers automated text and email reminders about upcoming preventative maintenance events, expiring memberships, expiring credit cards, and more. 

Combined, ServiceTitan Follow-Ups save CSRs time, improve workflow efficiency, and help contractors maintain a steady, essential flow of revenue throughout the year.

Customer Portal: Enable Customers to View Job Histories, Book Appointments, and Pay Invoices Online

ServiceTitan offers an array of features to help users get the most out of their customer relationships remotely and on-demand through our Customer Portal. 

Many of our users like to encourage their clients to make use of the customer portal by providing a link on their invoices. Once they’ve signed up, customers can use it to view and download invoices, upload credit card information, make payments, and view work and billing history. 

Through the portal, customers can also view maintenance agreements details and check on appointment times for upcoming visits. Businesses can set up their portal to allow existing customers to submit requests for new appointments as well—offering another scheduling option that suits modern customer needs and doesn’t require any time from your CSRs.  

Marketing Pro: Drive More Revenue with Done-For-You Email Marketing Campaigns

Getting the attention of customers in today’s fast-paced environment requires a dynamic, multi-channel approach. Beyond phone calls and text communication, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach the right customers at the right time with tailored messages to drive more business.

With ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro add-on, service businesses have the ability to quickly and easily generate professional, targeted, and timely email marketing campaigns (leveraging a continually evolving library of templates developed by our in-house service industry marketing and copywriting experts). 

Email campaigns can be created for any purpose, but some of the most popular options include unsold estimate follow-ups, membership agreement renewals, and equipment replacement (for big ticket items like HVAC system replacements).

Businesses can quickly and easily build tailored target audiences based on conditions such as: Memberships Expiring within 30 Days, Unsold Estimates within 5 Days, or Air Conditioning Systems Turning 10 within 6 Months.

Then, they can choose from (and customize!) our prebuilt templates that correspond to their campaign type—such as seasonal equipment service calls or expiring membership updates.

Once they’ve selected a corresponding template, users can choose to send a one-time message or set up their campaign as a recurring series, defining the terms under which a campaign will continue or stop. 

For example, they might have it stop when an email has been opened, or only after a customer has renewed their membership, booked a job, or inquired about a quote.  

Altogether, Marketing Pro features have boosted users’ membership renewal rates by 15%. Subscribers have also seen a 10% increase in conversions for unsold estimates and 12% growth in year-over-year revenue. 

Transform Customer Relationship Management and Field Service Operations with ServiceTitan

In addition to the CRM features and functionality we’ve outlined in this post, ServiceTitan can help field service businesses with much more, including: 

• Unique features to automate scheduling and dispatching

• An intuitive field service mobile app 

• Customizable reporting dashboards

• Customer financing

• Built-in warranty and inventory management systems

• Accounting integrations with Intacct, QuickBooks, and Viewpoint Vista

• And more

If you’d like to learn more about ServiceTitan pricing and how we can help your field service business become more efficient and grow revenue through improved customer relationships, schedule a free demo today.