{"id":1362,"date":"2020-04-10T13:19:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T11:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362"},"modified":"2020-04-10T13:19:07","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T11:19:07","slug":"how-to-manage-a-virtual-field-service-office-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362","title":{"rendered":"How to manage a virtual field service office during the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

The reality of managing and running your field service company <\/span>has dramatically changed<\/b> over the course of the last few weeks. The <\/span>COVID-19 pandemic<\/b> has turned the world upside down and altered the way we work and interact with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amidst the chaos, your field service company probably falls into the category of essential services. This means <\/span>you\u2019re allowed to work<\/b> even if your government has ruled a general lockdown for the country during the pandemic. But besides still providing service to your customers, you need to be taking precautions to <\/span>protect your team<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already given a few tips on how to confront the coronavirus pandemic from your field service business. Here\u2019s a few more to learn <\/span>how to virtualize your office<\/b>, and therefore reduce contagion risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Digital scheduling and dispatching<\/span><\/h2>\n

Are you still using <\/span>pen and paper<\/b> in your field service company? If so, you\u2019re probably forcing your workers to work in close proximity, which increases the chances to get infected. This pandemic may be ironically the best time to<\/span> take the step into digital business management<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most field service professionals are already using management software like <\/span>Synchroteam<\/span><\/a> – a system that enables you to schedule and dispatch teams, manage inventory and invoice customers, among other tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Field service software <\/span>digitizes most of your work<\/b>. This allows you to fill in, update and share paperwork without physical exposure – neither for your team nor your customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adopting a field service management tool has other <\/span>benefits<\/b>, which generally increase the efficiency and profitability of your business. So if you\u2019re ready for it, give Synchroteam a try with <\/span>our free demo<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Accessing computers remotely<\/span><\/h2>\n

Perhaps you already have most of your staff <\/span>working from home<\/b>. However, for many field service businesses, the central computer back at the office still holds important information. Job lists and schedules, customer service stories, invoices still to be sent\u2026 these and other <\/span>important documents may be difficult to access<\/b> during the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, <\/span>technology<\/b> is here to lend you a hand. There are a few software tools that enable to <\/span>remotely access the computers<\/b> back at the office. This means you can retrieve documents stored on them and edit them just as if you were sitting at the office – while you\u2019re actually at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most popular remote access tools is <\/span>Chrome Remote Desktop<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s free, it\u2019s easy to use and enables anyone with a Google account to access a remote computer from another device. Just bear in mind that is has to be <\/span>properly configured<\/b> in the remote system, so you\u2019ll need to make at least one trip to the office before staying at home during the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another well-known remote access software is <\/span>TeamViewer<\/span><\/a>, which is also offered for free for personal use. You can access remote devices (it supports even <\/span>mobile platforms<\/b> like iOS and Android) and work on them as if you were physically in front of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remote estimates and customer support<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now it\u2019s probably <\/span>not the best time to pay a visit <\/b>to your customers. Most people won\u2019t be happy with the idea of letting someone into their home, even if they have issues with power, pipes or the heating system that need attention. How should you act in these situations? Again, technology is the answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of revising the customer\u2019s installation in person, a good option for these pandemic times is having a <\/span>videocall with your customer<\/b>. They can show you where the issue is, and the technic can assess the need for intervention, and <\/span>generate a quote<\/b> if necessary. This estimate can be easily created with most field service software tools, like the <\/span>invoicing engine<\/span><\/a> included in Synchroteam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, there are <\/span>a bunch of free tools<\/b> you can use for these videocalls, many of which are so popular that most people already know how to use them: WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts…<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Digital invoicing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Last but not least, we shouldn\u2019t forget about the last step in any field service job: <\/span>collecting payment<\/b>. One of the recommendations to avoid virus spread in the pandemic is to use <\/span>credit cards<\/b> instead of cash. Fortunately, many field service management software tools like Synchroteam already have that covered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Credit cards are a great way to pay these days. You don\u2019t have to exchange them with anyone (unlike banknotes and coins) and you can swipe them <\/span>without getting too close<\/b> to another person.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, with the <\/span>payment processing module<\/span><\/a> included in Synchroteam, you can easily <\/span>collect the money<\/b> right from the job site. Once the payment is processed, the system will automatically email a confirmation message and a copy of the invoice to the customer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital scheduling, remote access, videocall-based quotes, online invoicing\u2026 all these tools will help you continue to <\/span>deliver a good-quality service<\/b> to your customers while <\/span>protecting your team<\/b> from the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image by <\/span>Dejan Krsmanovic<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The reality of managing and running your field service company has dramatically changed over the course of the last few weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and altered the way we work and interact with each other. Amidst the chaos, your field service company probably falls into the category of essential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[71],"tags":[83,41,27],"yoast_head":"\nManage a virtual field service office during the pandemic - Synchroteam<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to keep your field service business up and running during the coronavirus pandemic with the help of technology, apps and a few valuable tips!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Manage a virtual field service office during the pandemic - Synchroteam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to keep your field service business up and running during the coronavirus pandemic with the help of technology, apps and a few valuable tips!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Synchroteam.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-10T11:19:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/digital-office.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"801\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elena Santos\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elena Santos\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elena Santos\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c965522a3cdb2e2933df70a77962be04\"},\"headline\":\"How to manage a virtual field service office during the pandemic\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-10T11:19:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-10T11:19:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\"},\"wordCount\":840,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"digital\",\"technology\",\"tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Field Service Businesses\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.synchroteam.com\/blog\/?p=1362\",\"name\":\"Manage a virtual field service office during the pandemic - 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