Customer service, especially field service, helps companies outperform competitors and drive growth
In
economic
uncertainty,
it’s
natural
for
executives
to
explore
where
to
reduce
spending,
trim
the
fat,
so
to
speak,
and
cut
enterprising
investments
as
a
matter
of
caution.
In
economic
uncertainty,
it’s
natural
for
executives
to
explore
where
to
reduce
spending,
trim
the
fat,
so
to
speak,
and
cut
enterprising
investments
as
a
matter
of
caution.
But
this
thinking
is
also
counter-productive
for
all
the
reasons
that
make
uncertainty
so
predictable.
We
can
expect
that
every
company
is
going
to
react
this
way
in
times
of
uncertainty.
In
2023,
CIOs
are
guided
to
focus
on
enhancing
workforce
engagement,
customer
experience,
and
data
and
AI.
These
are
identified
as
key
areas
where
technology
can
drive
business
growth
and
increase
customer
satisfaction
in
the
process.
Yet,
it’s
not
uncommon
for
executives
to
cut
costs
in
areas
that
actually
improve
customer
experiences
and
also
double-down
on
investments
that
can
minimize
them.
Where
winning
companies
deviate
from
the
norm
is
that
they
look
for
opportunities
to
attract
and
retain
customers
by
making
experience
and
service
a
signature
competitive
advantage.
The
key
is
to
understand
where
investments
can
deliver
returns,
accelerated
time
to
value,
and
success
now.
The
importance
of
customer
experience
as
a
competitive
advantage
Customer
service
is
overdue
for
its
makeover,
shifting
its
role
in
the
organization
from
a
cost-center
to
a
growth
engine.
More
so,
making
service
something
the
customers
enjoy
and
appreciate,
instead
of
dreading
the
engagement.
Think
about
it
this
way,
if
94%
of
your
customers
said
that
the
service
you
provide
directly
influences
future
buying
decisions,
would
you
solely
focus
on
the
6%
who
are
seemingly
indifferent?
What
if
nearly
half
said
that
they’d
switch
brands
to
get
better
service?
Well,
in
the
last
year,
71%
said
that
they
had
done
just
that.
Research
shows
that
almost
nine-in-ten
(88%)
of
customers
say
that
the
experience
your
company
provides
is
as
important
as
your
products
and
services.
Best-in-class,
personalized
customer
service
is
more
important
than
ever
—
especially
when
it’s
in
someone’s
home
or
business.
For
those
companies
that
invest
in
customer
experiences
and
relationships,
the
economic
upside
is
already
there.
According
to
Gallup
research,
fully
engaged
customers
represent
a
23%
premium
in
share
of
wallet,
profitability,
revenue
and
relationship
growth
over
the
average
customer.
By
increasing
customer
engagement,
Gallup
also
promotes
increases
in
customer
service
metrics,
including:
-
66%
higher
sales
growth, -
10%
increase
in
net
profit, -
25%
increase
in
customer
loyalty,
and -
+20
percentile
point
increases
in
customer
confidence.
There’s
much
to
be
done.
Only
26%
of
U.S.
workers
believe
their
organization
delivers
on
the
promises
they
make
to
customers.
Field
service
is
a
sleeping
giant
waiting
to
deliver
business
value
When
I
say
the
words,
“field
service,”
what
comes
to
mind?
Working
with
service
and
sales
leaders
over
the
years,
I
can
honestly
say
that
it’s
usually
not
“innovation”
or
“groundbreaking”
or
“growth
driver.”
Yet,
field
service
is
literally
on
the
front
line
of
the
customer’s
experience.
And
CX
itself,
is
ranked
by
businesses
around
the
world
as
the
top
priority
emerging
from
2020
disruption.
Field
service
represents
the
front
line
of
live
customer
service,
a
true
human
touch
point.
It
also
represents
a
critical,
and
arguably
underestimated
or
even
undervalued,
customer
touch
point
that
can
increase
customer
satisfaction,
drive
sales,
and
lead
the
charge
for
overhauling
customer
service
as
a
growth
engine.
The
time
is
now.
In
its
State
of
Service
report,
Salesforce
research
learned
that
case
volumes
for
54%
of
service
teams
rose
between
2021
and
2022.
In
response,
organizations
strengthened
mobile
workforces
by
increasing
budgets
(62%)
and
headcount
(61%).
And,
the
field
service
management
market
is
expected
to
grow
to
an
estimated
$8.06
billion
by
2028
as
companies
work
to
meet
increasing
customer
demand
while
managing
costs.
As
mobile
representatives
serving
on
a
company’s
front
lines,
field
service
teams
have
a
unique
opportunity
to
manage
these
expectations
and
grow
customer
relationships
through
interactions
that
drive
repeat
revenue.
Field
service
drives
revenue
and
cost
savings
If
you
think
about
luxury
goods
and
retail,
many
employ
a
strategic
service
offering
called
“clienteling.”
Clienteling
is
a
personalized
approach
–
cater
to
high
value
customers
in
stores.
As
its
evolved,
data,
insights,
mobile
tech,
AI
help
service
professionals
deliver
real-time
personalization,
promote
satisfaction,
and
increase
customer
lifetime
value
(CLV).
In
field
service,
mobile
workers
are
gaining
the
ability
to
deliver
clienteling-like
experiences
for
every
customer.
By
delivering
enhanced
customer
experiences,
field
service
can
significantly
contribute
to
growth.
New
Salesforce
research
found
that
86%
of
decision
makers
at
companies
with
field
service
teams
believe
these
teams
are
critical
to
growing
the
business.
Fifty-two
percent
of
high-performing
field
service
workers
say
that
their
company’s
management
views
customer
service
as
a
revenue
generator.
Specifically,
69%
of
high-performing
mobile
workers
say
their
organization
tracks
revenue
generated
by
customer
service.
And
82%
of
strategic
organizations
depend
on
mobile
workers
to
upsell
products
and
services.
With
product
expertise
and
knowledge
of
customer
purchases,
service
history,
and
usage
data
in
hand,
field
service
teams
can
tailor
recommendations
to
every
customers’
unique
needs.
As
a
result,
those
mobile
workers
who
convert
meaningful
engagement
into
upselling
or
cross-selling
opportunities
realize
an
average
success
rate
of
65%.
Field
service
management,
powered
by
AI
and
automation,
enhance
productivity
and
employee
experiences
For
93%
of
mobile
workers,
there
is
a
direct
link
between
employee
experience
and
the
customer
experience.
After
all,
mobile
workers
are
brand
ambassadors,
and
they
are
the
face
of
your
company.
Salesforce
research
found
that
65%
of
field
service
representatives
feel
the
weight
of
customer
expectations,
more
than
any
other
type
of
service
worker.
As
such,
in
addition
to
customer
experience,
employee
experience
is
also
key.
An
overwhelming
majority
(94%)
of
service
professionals
in
high-performing
organizations
cite
productivity
as
a
major
or
moderate
benefit
of
field
service
management.
This
should
serve
as
an
important
consideration
as
executives
look
for
ways
to
cut
operational
costs
without
compromising
customer
satisfaction.
To
better
support
their
field
service
teams,
organizations
are
improving
operational
efficiency
and
customer
satisfaction
with
field
service
management
tools.
Of
the
96%
of
high-performing
field
service
organizations
that
use
field
service
management,
90%
report
increased
agility,
55%
report
higher
productivity,
and
53%
report
improved
job
satisfaction.
More
so,
98%
of
mobile
workers
credit
it
with
productivity
benefits.
Automation
and
AI
are
also
further
unlocking
efficiency
and
productivity
opportunities.
Research
shows
that
78%
of
high-performing
field
service
organizations
use
AI,
and
83%
use
workflow
automation.
For
example,
with
AI-powered
tools,
like
thoughtfully
designed
chatbots,
mobile
workers
can
efficiently
schedule
appointments,
get
real-time
updates,
and
quickly
find
answers
to
questions.
With
conversational
AI,
service
agents
can
transcribe
conversations
in
real-time,
gain
insights,
personalize
engagement,
save
time,
and
the
need
for
customers
to
repeat
themselves.
Additionally,
automation-enabled
workflows
simplify
the
ability
for
mobile
workers
to
create
new
accounts,
place
equipment
orders,
schedule
appointments,
and
automate
time-consuming,
mundane
tasks
out
of
their
day-to-day
routines.
Added
up,
agents
get
time
back
to
be
more
creative,
spend
time
engaging
customers,
and
cultivate
customer
relationships.
More
so,
AI
reduces
response
times
and
accelerates
first
time
fix
rates,
enabling
mobile
workers
to
serve
more
customers
faster
while
boosting
customer
satisfaction.
In
summary
Research
makes
a
compelling
case
for
businesses
to
invest
in
the
areas
that
can
drive
business
growth,
improve
employee
experiences,
and
foster
more
loyal
customers.
As
such,
field
service,
and
customer
service,
are
no
longer
cost
centers,
but
instead
strategic
areas
for
investment,
to
deliver
a
new
kind
of
ROI
for
these
times,
return
on
innovation.
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