-by Rachael Pritz, RB Pool & Spa

To make the most of your seasonal service business, you don’t want your staff stuck in traffic or to be on a call for which they are over or under-qualified. You want to promote efficiency.  The goal is to figure out the best way to perform the most jobs in the least amount of time, to generate the most revenue in every hour of the service tech’s day. The most efficient, profitable service companies in the country do this in two ways: they are master planners and they use the latest in pool software technology.

Successful swimming pool and spa service companies never forget that “prior planning prevents poor performance.”  Following a few basic steps can help improve the efficiency of your service team and ultimately generate greater profits.  Here are some tips on planning service routes.

Optimize pool tech abilities: Pairing up particular techs with one another often leads to greater efficiencies. Sometimes two techs will get eight jobs done together, where splitting up that team could result in only six jobs completed.  Be sure to team up your crews with complementary skills to optimize efficiency.  As a rule of thumb, it’s best to put the most senior techs on pools with water-features, infinity pools etc. Look at historical data to help determine the effectiveness of teams. Ensure the right techs are scheduled for the right jobs – meaning, their skills are up to the task and, if not, give them thorough training and a good mentor to walk them through the job.

Minimize driving time: Rush hour is a big factor in most parts of the country, so it’s important to find ways to avoid having valuable technicians sit in traffic. Many service companies find it helpful to give their service techs local jobs near the office from 7am-9am, and then send each truck out to the farthest point from the office as the second stop after the morning rush hour. This way, they get to the job in 30 minutes rather than one to two hours.  Then, the techs move ‘back’ toward the office/local area to finish their service calls. This planning tip has the added benefit of bringing techs ‘back together’ at the end of the day, which can be helpful if a wrench is thrown into the mix; it allows techs to more easily swap with one another for emergency calls or other unexpected tasks.

Group ‘type’ of calls together for a particular truck: Be sure that each truck is stocked with all the items needed for the same type of service call (pool opening, repair, etc).  This might require that the service manager provide checklists to technicians to stock their trucks before leaving for the day. Techs that are adequately stocked with the right materials and tools to complete their scheduled jobs are the most efficient.

Service professionals have everything to gain by using mobile technology to improve business operations.  The RB Retail & Service software has powerful ‘mobile’ components that make service techs incredibly efficient in the field.  These include:

Instant Access: Forget the hassle of going back to the office to look up important customer information such as spa cover dimensions, liner dimensions or equipment warranty dates. With the RB Mobile Live app, which syncs with office software, in-field staff can instantly access all customer information and equipment profiles.

Instant Payment:  The ability to take mobile payments in the field is huge!  You will never have to chase customers for payment. Take credit card payments instantly while on the job and watch your cash flow quickly improve.

Instant Schedules:  If your service pros have daily schedules at their fingertips, this will improve the efficiency of your service business. Techs no longer need to have itineraries printed; they can view their schedule in real-time on their phone or tablet. This even allows for instant modifications to the schedule as needed.

No more paperwork!: Add items used on the job to the customer’s invoice, right in the field. This feature saves office staff from having to manually enter handwritten slips. Choose to have techs send emailed invoices or have office staff review prior to emailing.

Mobile Tracking & GPS Routing: Your techs can clock in and out of jobs onsite, which helps boost efficiency. You can view reports that show profit-per-tech, based on the number of jobs each tech can complete in a day. You can also track your techs using a GPS that is viewable on a map, which will help service businesses cut down on payroll, vehicle wear and tear, gas and mileage.

Better Business:  The RB software allows your company to improve customer service by giving techs the ability to text message from the service schedule. This will make customers aware of appointments before and after they happen. Techs can also send electronic “Door Hangers,” which include before and after pictures showing the work that was done. The RB software even offers water lab integration, allowing techs to test the water and have the results automatically saved in the software for record keeping. These results can even be added to the customer’s post-visit electronic door hanger.

Mobile technology has had a profound effect on a pool service company’s ability to fluidly adapt to their clients’ needs and expectations, by giving them instant access to customer contact info, equipment history, purchase history and more.  In a world that is becoming increasingly more data-oriented, consumers have the expectation that companies, regardless of size, are able to access their records more quickly, and communicate even faster.

Pool company software and service apps help pool service companies provide this high level of service by ensuring techs can instantaneously send detailed information back to the office and directly into the customer’s service order; this includes information such as job status, job materials, chemical readings before and after, time spent and any special notes for the customer.

If you’re a pool service company considering using pool software to make your service department more efficient, first focus on your planning and organization. Plan routes using Google maps, and keep detailed records of services performed.  These habits will ensure that once you’re ready to take your business to the next level with business management software, you’ll have clean and useful data to use as a starting point.

RB Retail & Service software would love to help make your service department more profitable. Contact us and let us provide systems to get you started on the path to maximum service efficiency. And if you’re looking for an additional resource on how to optimize your business, we encourage you to download our eBook – “Your Ultimate Guide to Running a Smooth & Streamlined Pool & Spa Business.”