AI improves field service quality and customer experience

Ninety-four percent of customers say service influences repeat buying decisions. 

Today, 88% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services, and 94% say service influences repeat buying decisions.

High performing service organizations use field service management to drive innovation and reduce costs. 

Research shows that 80% of high performing field service organizations use artificial intelligence (AI). 

Also: One bad experience is all it takes to lose a customer

Here are three important field service trends based on Salesforce State of Service research: 

1. Field service is a key revenue channel. Businesses across industries view field service as an emerging revenue channel. Eighty-six percent of decision makers at companies with field service believe it’s critical to growing the business.
2. Field service innovations drive operational efficiency and cost savings. It isn’t enough to simply offer field service — high-performing organizations increase productivity and save on costs when they equip teams with the right technology. Ninety-eight percent of field service management software users credit it with productivity benefits.
3. Through innovation, field service organizations deliver better customer outcomes. Mobile workers are your brand ambassadors and often the only human face your customers see. Sixty-five percent of mobile workers feel the weight of customer expectations, more than any other type of service worker.

Here are 5 key takeaways regarding high performing filed service organizations: 

1. Businesses see the value of strong field service as a source of new revenue. Research shows that 86% of decision makers consider field service teams critical to growing the business, and 52% of high performing mobile workers say management views customer service as a revenue generator. In fact, 69% of high performing organizations track revenue generated by field service. 
2. Virtual service enables cost savings, higher customer satisfaction, and sustainability. The report found that 40% of service volume is now virtual, avoiding one million truck rolls per year. The research highlighted specific customer cases where a 30% of all service cases were managed virtually. 
3. Field service management tools are key to productivity success. Research shows that 98% of mobile workers who use field service management credit it with productivity benefits. 
4. High performing field service teams use AI. Nearly 8 out of 10 high performing field service teams use AI, as compared to 62% for underperforming teams. High performing field service teams also use chatbots (78%), process workflow automation (83%), and automated digital transcription of phone conversations (80%). Technology is driving improved field service satisfaction — 93% of mobile workers in high performing organizations say job satisfaction is a major benefit of field service management — productivity, schedule optimization, job satisfaction, and management of unexpected situations. 
5. Workflow automation delivers substantial productivity gains. The research found that time savings (95%), ability to focus on individual customer (94%), time to take on new projects (94%), connection with other departments (93%), and reduction of errors (92%) were key benefits of work flow automation.

The field service management market is expected to grow to an estimated $8.06 billion by 2028. In a hyperconnected, knowledge sharing economy, where customers and businesses are adopting a digit-first engagement strategy, field service professionals must adopt a mobile, intelligent, personalized, and fast path to resolution playbook. 

Also: How overworked tech pros can make more time for the customer

The toolbox for excellent field service must also include AI-powered applications that enable field services organizations to deliver value at the speed of need. Businesses that utilize AI powered field service delivery capabilities are most likely to win the battle — the battle for customer retention, customer love and advocacy, and the battle to earn future business. A customer company is a company that delivers the best customer care. And the best customer care in today’s economy is powered by real-time intelligence and personalization at scale.