Embrace the Change: Steering Your Team with ServiceTitan’s Release Notes

Do you get busy and find yourself overlooking ServiceTitan’s release notes for software updates? Create a process to stay on top of release notes to prepare your team for success, says Renee Lenox, Business Operations Manager at Service Specialties Inc. in Virginia.

“It’s very easy to get behind if you’re not paying attention to the release notes,” Lenox says. “The last thing you want to do is set your team up for failure.”

Live from Pantheon 2024, Lenox shares on the Mastering ServiceTitan podcast how to master ServiceTitan release notes. She breaks down why staying on top of release notes keeps your business one step ahead and how a well-organized approach prevents chaos during major updates.

With her insider expertise, Lenox shares tips about: 

• The importance of keeping ServiceTitan updated

• Handling major changes in ServiceTitan

• How to make change more comfortable for your team

“No one likes change, but being prepared for change helps your team be more successful,” Lenox says.

>>Listen to the full podcast on steering your team with ServiceTitan release notes on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

What are ServiceTitan Release Notes?

ServiceTitan regularly updates its software and sends customers release notes, a document that reviews upcoming changes.

“ServiceTitan is always evolving the product,” Lenox says. “Release notes go over all of the nitty-gritty things in the updates, whether it’s a big update or small tweaks. It just keeps you informed of what’s coming out so you can be ready.”

Those who fail to read release notes may find themselves caught off guard.

“If the release comes out and they haven’t even seen what it’s going to look like, they might log on in the morning and it’s a completely different look,” Lenox explains. “People are going to log into their mobile device and say, ‘What is this?’ There’s a new button and you’re going to have those phone calls come in.”

Businesses that follow a process to communicate release notes with employees stay ahead and pave the way for a smooth transition during updates.

“ServiceTitan does a really good job of providing us with the tools to be able to make the change easier for our teams,” Lenox says. “But you have to utilize the resources you have.”

Effective Change Management

Lenox suggests following these steps to establish effective change management.

Step One: Identify a Point Person

To create or refine your preparation process for updates, first identify a point person for release notes.

For Service Specialties Inc., that’s Lenox.

“You want someone who knows the majority of your business,” Lenox says. “You want to have that accountability of one person going through the release notes and saying, ‘This piece our accountant needs to know. This piece our CSRs need to know. This piece our operations manager needs to know.’” 

Once you’ve assigned release notes to a point person, the next step is disseminating the information.

Step Two: Communicate Release Notes

After your point person reads release notes and identifies which new features apply to your business, they need to share the upcoming changes with the appropriate people.

“It’s making sure the information is in the right people’s hands and holding them accountable to it,” Lenox says.

At Service Specialities Inc., Lenox gauges whether items in the ServiceTitan release notes are a big change or a small change, and adjusts her mode of communication accordingly. For instance, she may send an employee an email with a screenshot so they’re aware of a small change in an upcoming update.

“My job is to make the uncomfortable more comfortable,” Lenox says. “You have to be the advocate in your business to help people through the change. And you do that by preparing them.”

Step Three: Train Your Team

To effectively train your team, you’ll need to understand the changes yourself.

ServiceTitan provides a valuable resource in ServiceTitan Next, a sandbox environment that allows users to view new changes and practice using upcoming new features.

“I’m in charge of the call center, so if anything applies to the call center, I’m going into ServiceTitan Next to look at it myself,” Lenox says. “I need to understand it to train my team on what’s coming.”

Understanding how new features function ultimately improves efficiency and performance.

“Even if I don’t have to use it every day, I still want to know that it exists,” Lenox says. “If the person who should use it every day isn’t using it, I can kind of give them that gentle nudge, ‘Hey, don’t forget this new feature came out – this might solve this pain point.’”

Release Notes Resources

If you’re in the middle of a busy season, ServiceTitan provides several resources to catch up on release notes and stay in the know.

Resources to help you understand and leverage upcoming updates include:

• Blue Collar Nerd: High-level videos review details of upcoming releases and help businesses automate operations and maximize profits.

• ServiceTitan Community: An online community for ServiceTitan users providing product information, answers to questions, upcoming event announcements, and training.

• Titan Advisor: An automated best-practice guide provides personalized feature recommendations to ensure your business uses the right features.

• LadyTitans: Lenox is president of the group LadyTitans, which empowers and unites women in the trades through education, advocacy, and mentorship. The LadyTitans Facebook group hosts two virtual meetings every month.

When it comes to change, the right mindset and preparation is key to success.

“You have to embrace change or you’re going to fall behind quickly,” Lenox says. “Nobody likes change, but the more prepared you are, the better. The more comfortable you can get people before that change happens, it’s going to be better for your business.”

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Mastering ServiceTitan on Apple, Spotify, or our website. 

Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Mastering ServiceTitan in your favorite podcast player.