A recent survey by field service management and communication platform Workiz revealed that in order to attract and retain customers, field service businesses need to have an easy-to-use online scheduling system as well as digital payment options.
The trend toward online scheduling and bookings in the field service sector can be linked to the on-demand and seamless tech preferences of millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z). With 63% of millennials beginning their customer service interactions online and 50% of Gen Z using digital wallets monthly, the importance of smooth online customer service and digital payments is more important than ever.
The survey revealed that these tech preferences not only relate to commonplace on-demand services like food delivery and ride-hailing, but also to the hiring of a field service technician. Nearly 40% of consumers cite ease of scheduling as a main factor for choosing a field service business. Moreover, 44% of respondents prefer to schedule an appointment online, and almost 35% prefer to pay for that field service digitally. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they would leave a positive online review of the home service provider if the scheduling system was easy-to-use.
The survey also shows the importance of field service businesses facilitating smooth communication with clients, with 63% citing great real-time communication as the No. 1 factor for leaving a positive review. The significance of positive reviews cannot be underestimated, as Workiz found that nearly 40% of respondents would trust a small business if they read positive online reviews for them. In addition, 30% of consumers would be willing to pay more for a home service provider if they see they have a positive online presence.
Other key findings from the survey include:
● 51% of respondents cited timeliness of the technician as a main factor to becoming a repeat customer of that provider.
● 47% of respondents would pay more for a home service provider if they had immediate availability.
● 43% of respondents are more likely to support a small business because they like to support their local community.
● 35% of respondents cited it would be easier for them to support small businesses if they had an easy-to-use website or mobile app.
● 30% of consumers find home service providers through reading online reviews.
● 25% of respondents would leave a positive review for a home service if their website was user-friendly.
The survey, conducted in March 2020, was jointly carried out with Google Consumer Surveys based on a representative sample of more than 1,050 respondents from the United States, aged 18-65+.
Source: Workiz
