How many times have you had to tell a service customer that they'll need to wait while you get a component supplier to help with fixing a problem? If you answered anything other than zero, then there's a problem. The quicker you can serve your customers the better. Happy, satisfied service customers help in a plethora of ways, and Remote Support is a great way to create these kinds of customers. Remote support is on the rise due to the recent pandemic, and if you're working in plant engineering, then keep reading. The industry is changing, and you don't want to fall behind by leaving Remote Support on the table.
This comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know about Remote Support, including how you can save thousands of dollars each month.
Think About This
When customers call because of machine problems, the first thing you do is get a service expert in touch with them. With Remote Support, the service expert can invite the customer to a remote session that they can join with a smartphone, tablet, or our Smart Glasses.
In most cases, service experts are able to walk customers through the problem and find a solution. If the problem is due to a defective or special machine part, then a service expert might not be able to help the customer immediately.
Here's where the problem sets in. Typically, you'll need to contact the component supplier, which means the customer is stuck waiting with faulty machinery. The good news is that Remote Support has the ability to add component suppliers into the remote session. This leads to a happier customer, which can create repeat clients and affect your cost-per-customer and the marketability of your products.
Advantages of Remote Support to Plant Engineering
Remote service offers immediate solutions for your customers, and that should always be the goal. If you have a customer on the phone looking for a product, then you wouldn't hang up on them without finding what they need. Your service customers need this same kind of dedication. On top of that, you'll make your own company stand out more than other companies—what customer is going to choose to go with a company that takes days to answer a problem when another company can solve it all in one call?
Remote Support also means that there's no travel time for your service expert, which is financially beneficial for you and makes your employees happier.
This also takes a lot of stress off of your service experts. Traveling is one form of stress, but oftentimes, even if an expert can't solve the problem, trying to explain to an upset customer that they'll have to wait even longer is stressful. Being able to bring in a component supplier right then and there is the perfect way to get rid of that stress. Getting a machine up and running as soon as possible is the entire goal, and remote setup streamlines that process. Part of the reason for wanting to get the machine up quickly is because it costs your company more money the longer it takes to fix.
With a quicker fix time, you'll be cutting downtime costs. You'll also be able to offer better turnaround times and have more time slots available to help customers through the year. With errors quickly fixed, you also free up time for your service engineers, meaning your turnaround time for helping your customers becomes shorter. Your service engineers will be able to devote more time and more mental energy to a broader range of customers.
Long-Term Advantages of Remote Support
Remote Support can be recorded and analyzed after a situation has been resolved. This means that you're going to be able to see if there is anything you can learn from difficult situations.
This is incredibly useful if there is a common problem in a piece of machinery that you sell. When it comes to recalls, a mistake during the factory process, or any other special issue, you'll be able to remember and learn how to make these fixes.
Even though Remote Support streamlines the process when you're getting component suppliers involved, it's still going to take longer than it would if your service engineer could fix the problem from the start. The more you learn, the better your service engineers are going to get, which again leads to happier service customers.
You'll begin standing out to customers as the all-powerful word of mouth marketing technique gets around. When new customers are considering buying machinery, your reputation as a great customer service tool will shine. No one likes to buy a product with a company only to be tossed to the side when problems arise.
Case Study
Here's an example of a robotics company that's sending out service experts and having to bring in component suppliers even 10% of the time. Let's say that there are 10 service engineers who are traveling once a month for five days at a time to make repairs.
Every month, one component supplier is going to be brought out for the same duration of time in difficult situations
In 2020, the average round-trip flight cost is $336 ( Bureau of Transportation Statistics).
On top of that, hotels average around $100 a night (Because of the recent pandemic, these numbers are much lower than they typically would be).
For 10 engineers plus one component supplier at $336 a flight for 12 months a year, it's going to costs $44,352 per year.
Hotel costs of $100 a night for 10 engineers and one component supplier for 12 months a year is going to cost $66,000 per year.
Altogether, you're going to be paying $110,352 a year just for servicing the products that you've already sold. Covering these costs may mean raising the price of your products.
With Remote Support, you're basically cutting those costs completely. If each of your service engineers had Smart Glasses (costing around $5,000 a piece), then you'd make your money back after five and a half months. This is huge when it comes to cutting down internal costs and making your products more marketable.
What Does This All Mean?
Implementing a Remote Support option for your processes is easy, and these outcomes make it all worth it:
- 70% faster troubleshooting
- 60% cut in travel costs
- 60% less time machines are down
Together, these statistics are going to create a better customer experience while saving you thousands month after month.
Additionally, you'll be training your team even better by analyzing common problems and common solutions. The smarter and more knowledgeable your service engineers, the quicker machinery gets fixed.
Being able to be present, quick, and knowledgeable for your customers is key, and Remote Support gives you a way to do just that.
What Else Can Remote Support Do for Plant and Mechanical Engineering?
ADTANCE offers a variety of additional modules that can be used to expand the horizons with Remote Support, especially if you're using the Smart Glasses.
If you're looking for a solution to your multiple incoming service sources, then ADTANCE Ticketing could be right for you. This helps your employees get to your service customers quicker and more efficiently. ADTANCE Workflow is the perfect tool for creating and distributing protocols, checklists, and work instructions to all your employees at the push of a button. This is extremely helpful for your service engineers as they try to troubleshoot problems. If you're looking to get even more integrated together, then try the ADTANCE DMS module—this document managing system will keep all your files and information stored in one location.
All of these modules, including Remote Support, are a part of the ADTANCE Smart Service platform. Each program is specifically designed to help your company acquire all the tools necessary to create and maintain a great sales process.
If you have any questions about what ADTANCE offers or what the best solutions for you are, please contact us at any time!
The Advantages of Remote Support
The recent pandemic has brought about a ton of changes that all industries, including plant engineering, have had to adapt to. With everything going on, it's essential to prepare your company and your customers, and remote support is the perfect way to do that.
With restrictions to travel and contact with other people, sending service engineers and component suppliers out to troubleshoot problems is near impossible. The world has changed, and we don't know when "normal" is coming back. The time for making changes has come.
When you think of all the benefits remote support offers, it makes sense to make the switch now. It's difficult to implement change, but difficult times (such as the pandemic) call for difficult measures. ADTANCE makes it easy for you!
This customer-centric approach builds customer relations while creating happier employees.
Also, who can forget the significant reductions in travel costs? This kind of change is going to eventually take over the industry, and the sooner you hop on board, the easier it will be.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all—we're happy to help.