One of the biggest reasons to consider customer relationship management software is to improve organization and, as you might guess, customer relationships.
Many office managers and business owners of electrical companies realize a CRM software can positively impact so much more than just customer communications. CRM software can offer benefits to all employees, from field techs to dispatchers, and lead to more jobs and more revenue.
The tricky part is finding a CRM that can truly optimize workflow and not just serve as another “tool to help run your business.” Many CRMs, though helpful to a degree, don’t sync up with an answering service or other software (like QuickBooks), aren’t accessible to field techs, and have an out-dated or clunky interface. Not to mention, there are at least a dozen different CRM software for electrical contractors to read about and consider for a trial run.
That said, landing on the right electrical CRM by trial and error isn’t the best use of anybody’s time, and could even lead to hiccups with office staff trying to learn the ins and outs and adjust to each option.
That’s why we decided to put together this guide on the different benefits of upgrading to electrical CRM software (so you can decide if it’s truly right for you) and discuss how our ServiceTitan CRM offers a comprehensive solution for virtually all electrical businesses — small and large — to enhance relationships with customers and help your business evolve.
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Our guide talks about how electrical CRM software:
Allows upper management to better monitor metrics and hold employees accountable
Helps close more unsold estimates, builds credibility, and increases your overall bottom line
If you’d like to learn more about how ServiceTitan can optimize your business processes and help grow revenue through improved customer relationships, schedule a call today.
Electrical CRMs Do the Heavy Lifting to Free Up Time for In-Office Staff
Office managers and CSRs are responsible for a lot when it comes to managing customers and making sure business runs smoothly — taking customer calls, writing down job info and dispatching field technicians, updating the customer on technician status, keeping track of follow-ups, and processing payments for jobs are just a few of their tasks.
Without a CRM system, the best way to do all of this is with pen and paper, spreadsheets, and filing cabinets, which we all know can be tedious to deal with.
Small things like sloppy notes, misheard information, or lost paperwork can cause headaches, but they can even cause bigger problems and lead to unhappy customers. Let’s run through a few pains CSRs experience without a CRM, and explain how ServiceTitan’s software helps.
Pain: Disorganized Scheduling, Solution: Caller ID & Detailed Customer Notes
When a customer calls in, the typical process for scheduling looks like this: take customer info, pull customer chart from filing cabinet, read through the chart for any information that may be pertinent for this service job, call the customer back, finish taking information, and finally, schedule a technician and service date.
This process is time-consuming and creates the need for multiple phone calls. When phones are ringing off the hook, or you’re busy catching up on other tasks, the extra time spent making multiple phone calls for one job adds up quickly.
With ServiceTitan, you have the advantage of seeing who’s calling before you even pick up the phone. Then, you can store all customer info, contact information, and detailed notes about every customer communication, all in one place so it can be quickly accessed by anybody, from business owners to field technicians to office staff.
In the Job Booking tab, office staff can view incoming calls, chats, and online job bookings all in one place. This convenience also prevents the stress of missing calls because you’re stuck on the line — CSRs can view incoming calls as they come in, put customers on hold, and make timely callbacks so jobs are never missed.
Once CSRs answer the call or receive a booking request, they can instantly search the customer and find their job history and past notes (or create a new account for them within the software).
With the job history at hand, CSRs can view customer location, tech availability, and even technician skill levels; this makes it easier to book techs for jobs in similar service areas or with specific skills.
Pain: Addressing Backlog of Calls from Weekend, Solution: Mobile Functionality
Many electrical companies don’t have CSRs in the office on Saturdays and Sundays, and catching up on weekend work orders every Monday is tough without a job management solution.
ServiceTitan’s electrical contractor software makes Mondays easier by allowing field techs the ability to update customer notes from weekend service calls and do the legwork for CSRs. Since everybody can access ServiceTitan’s CRM through the mobile app (available on ioS and Android), there’s no need for calls to go unanswered or information to pile up.
Pain: Sending Appointment Reminders and Updating Customers on Tech ETA, Solution: Automatic Text Updates
Updating customers about their service appointments and keeping them posted day-of on the arrival time of their electrician are two other time-consuming tasks put on CSRs.
ServiceTitan’s CRM software eliminates that headache by sending customers automated text messages the day before and the day of their appointment. And since ServiceTitan’s electrical CRM is mobile, customers are able to GPS track their technician and stay updated on their location in real-time.
ServiceTitan’s CRM also lets CSRs send info on the technician, including their picture and some fun facts, to the customer before they arrive; this offers customers some peace of mind knowing who will be knocking on their door.
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Pain: Organizing and Sending Post-Job Follow-Ups, Solution: Automatic Texts
On that same note, following up with customers to see how their service went can eat up a lot of time. And, if you don’t get the customer on the phone or hear back via email, you can miss out on potential feedback and positive reviews.
ServiceTitan helps with both of those problems by sending automatic “satisfaction survey” texts to customers the day after their appointments. This makes it easier for customers to give feedback and saves CSRs time calling to check-in.
Pain: Processing Payments and Sending Invoices, Solution: Email Invoices and Online Payments
Many electrical contractors send customers paper invoices after their service or at the end of the month to bill them for their charges. Sometimes, technicians take payment information during the job (or CSRs do over the phone), but this can get disorganized if notes are hard to read. (Plus, it’s not the most secure way to take credit card information.)
ServiceTitan’s CRM for electrical contractors makes payment easier and more secure by allowing CSRs to send polished invoices via email where customers can pay their bills online.
Even more convenient? ServiceTitan’s CRM software solution syncs with QuickBooks, so there’s no need to re-enter payment info from one app to the next, everything stays up-to-date and organized for you.
How ServiceTitan CRM Software Keeps Field Techs in the Loop
Many of the features that make CSRs’ lives more convenient also help field techs.
For starters, ServiceTitan’s CRM eliminates virtually all phone calls between techs and CSRs and puts all customer information right at the technician’s fingertips.
Technicians can also store all of their job notes in ServiceTitan’s CRM, too; so they don’t have to keep notepads in their truck or call the office staff from the job site to keep them in the loop.
One of the most convenient features for technicians, however, is the ability to listen back on phone calls to make sure all relevant info is recorded in the job notes and every detail is accurate.
Right within the customer notes, technicians can find and listen to all recorded phone calls between the CSRs and the customer. Even though notes are helpful, having this feature makes it easier for techs to get the full scope of what’s required to complete the job and guarantee they’re prepared for what the customer needs.
Techs can also store all pricing information within ServiceTitan’s electrical CRM and generate invoices right then and there.
If your team finds it easier to have technicians handle payments on the date of service rather than having CSRs send invoices after the fact, your team has that option within ServiceTitan’s “Invoice” tab.
Electrical CRM Software Improves Customer Experience
As we mentioned earlier, one of the big reasons to invest in a CRM is to improve customer satisfaction and maintain loyal clients.
Our customer experience software makes it possible to better organize your book of clients, and with that, customers are happier for a few reasons:
Fewer phone calls means less time the customer spends on the phone.
Online booking lets customers send appointment requests whenever, wherever, without the need for a call.
Text message appointment reminders are easy for customers to reference (and also eliminate the need for a call).
GPS tracking lets customers track technician locations in real-time so they aren’t stuck waiting around on service appointment days.
Email invoicing and online bill pay save paper and streamline the payment process.
Follow up text messages with links to surveys makes it simple and convenient for customers to give feedback.
Most importantly, an organized office staff means customers are never forgotten, and technicians who have access to all the details are much more equipped to handle customer requests in one visit.
Staying on top of customers’ needs keeps them happy, and happy customers lead to more positive reviews and a bigger book of business.
Upper Management Can Better Monitor Business Performance with CRM Software
CRM software not only keeps customer support teams more organized, but it also holds individual CSR reps more accountable. Saving recorded calls benefits technicians on job sites just as much as it helps business owners and office managers conduct quality control checks.
Plus, ServiceTitan’s CRM takes CSR stats one step further by providing actual scorecards for every rep.
On the “Dashboard” tab, OMs and business owners can review reports of overall team metrics, such as calls answered and unbooked calls, as well as a breakdown of the CSR team members.
From there, users can select team members and view their scorecard.
Scorecards show a breakdown of calls answered and an overall booking rate to easily monitor CSR performance. If calls are continuously going unbooked, it only takes a few clicks to listen back on calls to pinpoint training opportunities.
Another perk: management can check in on job history and review weekend service calls to double-check all emergency calls are being answered and technicians aren’t blowing off leads. Lastly, ServiceTitan’s CRM manages time tracking and keeps timesheets organized, too.
CRM Software Helps You Gain New Business and Extra Revenue
Two ways electrical contracting businesses can increase their bottom line is by offering electrical service contracts and following up on unbooked leads, but these can be hard to keep track of if you don’t have a project management solution.
Fortunately, ServiceTitan’s CRM is more than just a standard customer relationship management software, it’s a full-fledged field service management software; meaning, it organizes everything from dispatching to invoicing to inventory, and it even has automated reports to manage recurring services and open opportunities.
The “Follow-Up” tab contains six convenient features: Opportunities, Sold Estimates, Surveys, Recurring Service Events, Expiring Memberships, and Expiring Credit Cards.
By selecting “Opportunities”, CSRs can easily find a list of unsold leads to call back and close. These leads can be generated from missed calls, unbooked online appointments, and more, so every avenue for potential business is covered and leads are organized in one list.
The two tabs below let CSRs review booked jobs and read customer reviews.
This insight can be helpful in improving business and finding creative ways to close unsold jobs.
Below those tabs is the “Recurring Service Events” report, and this is how electrical service businesses can organize their service agreements.
In this report, recurring services are listed all on one page so CSRs can see who’s up for an appointment and schedule technicians accordingly. That way, appointments are never missed and customers are never left feeling forgotten about or unhappy.
CSRs can also better manage service agreements with the “Expiring Memberships” and “Expiring Credit Cards” tabs, since these features allow you to simplify membership renewal and automatically update payment information.
As a result, you never miss out on business and maintain organization even if/when you decide to grow your customer base.
Conclusion
There are countless conveniences of upgrading to a customer relationship management software (and even more conveniences when upgrading to one that syncs with all of your other business management tools). But conveniences aren’t the only thing to think about — there are actual implications of going without a CRM, the biggest one being missed revenue.
Without a CRM, it’s hard for office staff to make efficient use of their time; techs are left out of the loop when it comes to details on service jobs; both CSRs and techs are bogged down with phone calls back and forth; customers can end up dissatisfied; you miss out on chances to receive customer feedback and online reviews; and ultimately, you can appear disorganized and unprofessional.
So while, yes, CRMs are useful in improving customer relationships, they’re also just good for business in general, and they offer benefits for employees, too. It’s just important to find the right one.
ServiceTitan’s CRM is a comprehensive solution for business owners needing a field service management software to completely enhance their internal processes — it makes CSRs’ tasks simpler, gets technicians more involved with customer communications, and allows management to peek in at day-to-day performance and find ways to improve business.
If you’d like to learn more about how ServiceTitan’s various tools and features can facilitate better customer relationships and grow your business, schedule a call today.
ServiceTitan Software
ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially elevate the trajectory of their business. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, garage door, and chimney sweep shops across the country—and has increased their revenue by an average of 25% in just their first year with us.
