ServiceBench
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ServiceBench is one of the leading web-based service management companies used by the appliance industry.From the ServiceBench web site: “ServiceBench provides a comprehensive suite of Web-based solutions that integrate post-sale service transactions between manufacturers, retailers or extended warranty providers and their network of parts suppliers, distributors and service providers. Transaction data is captured and available for collaboration between channel partners to ensure accurate communication throughout the service supply chain to expedite customer problem resolution. Powerful analytics reveal business-critical patterns, trends, and relationships hidden within service data to help decision-makers increase service quality, improve product reliability and reduce operating costs.”
Now, does ServiceBench provide all that they have promised? I suppose, to a degree, that they provide a quality product. I am certain that manufacturers and distributors find their product very worthwhile as it allows them to keep close tabs on both internal metrics as well as those outside of their immediate control (i.e. service contractors.) However, from the perspective of an independent contractor, ServiceBench only provides marginal benefits and those benefits only just barely outweigh the cons inherent in their system.
For those who are with their computers and online fairly ubiquitously, ServiceBench can be a quality tool. For those who arrive home after a long day of servicing appliances (and customers, and manufacturers, and parts suppliers, etc.) it can be the bane of their existence. Add to that those who live in rural areas where they only have access to dial up internet access, it can be an absolute waste of time. ServiceBench seems to have geared themselves to the high-speed, connected, sit at a desk all day long user rather than to those of us who have to do the data entry either from the road or from home in the evening. I have sent several emails to ‘email support’ requesting that they make ServiceBench compatible with the Firefox browser. Firefox is substantially faster in rendering many sites which is a great benefit to those on dial up or using air cards. They have not returned any of my emails. I have also emailed suggestions about making a stripped down version of ServiceBench that could be used on mobile phones or other like mobile wireless devices. Again, no reply. I suppose that the bills are being paid by the manufacturing conglomerates rather that us small guys, but still, even in terms of basic customer service they are seriously lacking. Mobile computing is becoming a virtual standard for many busineses and the ability to be online from anywhere is very much becoming old news. ServiceBench needs to spend the time and money to provide wireless access in order to keep up with other web-based companies who are surging far ahead of them in this department.
Now, on to how I use ServiceBench. As I wrote in Mobile Computing, I have a laptop beside me in the truck that is on-line via air card all day long. This makes ServiceBench somewhat more valuable to me as a tool than for those who only can access it from home. For those who are home access only, I can only say to you, ‘bear with it.’ While you can scan your future dispatches each evening for bombs and skunks, you will likely end up doing little more than data entry for whatever manufacturer you are working for. For those who go with an on-line mobile computer, ServiceBench opens up a world of strategies that can make your life easier and more profitable.
First of all, having ServiceBench online beside you allows you to constantly scan ahead, looking for problems and solving them before they actually become critical. Say, for instance, duplicate dispatches (which mess up your call availability.) Seeing them, a day or two ahead of time allows you to reject the duplicates and correct your availability. Or maybe seeing a call ahead of time, recognizing the problem and proactively ordering parts so that you can complete that call in one trip. ServiceBench has just allowed you to make a profit on that call, rather than just breaking even. Now, unfortunately, ServiceBench makes you run a report to see those calls which makes this procedure somewhat unwieldy. You can run a search in dispatch which will bring the calls up, but then you have to go into each one to see what is going on. What I do, is run the report before going into a call, then scan the report when I get out. That way, dead time, at least for on-line work, is being used productively.
Having ServiceBench open beside you has an even greater use: completing your paperwork. Before I leave a customer’s driveway, I complete the dispatch and submit my claim. The paperwork for that customer is done – nothing more to do at home except making sure you get paid. Timely submission of paperwork will make your manufacturer happy, but more than that it will ensure prompt payment. Prompt payment means cash flow and cash flow is king to a small company. A big plus is also that you can run back in to verify a model or serial number if ServiceBench comes back saying that they are invalid. Basically, this is the one thing that redeeems the use of ServiceBench for me – the fact that the paperwork is done and done properly when I drive away.
Another use for ServiceBench on the road is the use of the entitlement feature to check warranties and product history. Rather than sitting on hold waiting for your manufacturers dispatch department, you can easily punch in the model and serial number and have the complete warranty in front of you as well as any past dispatches posted on that appliance.
Other features that I use occasionally on the road are payments to check next weeks pay, claim inbox to see where various claims are at in processing and advanced search to look at claims that are in review or otherwise stuck in processing.
Some of the cons that are inherent in ServiceBench are the “Security Error” which shows up if you do not access anything on ServiceBench for more than an hour. I asked them to make this feature user controlled so that it can be turned off but they feel that it is necessary for security of the database. I see their point, but they don’t realize how irritating it is to jump into your truck to check a history only to spend the first five minutes trying to log on to their network. I also dislike the use of reports for everything. I understand the need for them, but I feel that there must be better ways of communicating the data than constantly opening and closing Microsoft Word and Excel. For instance, display the data onscreen rather than relying on outside programs. And finally, the data that is needed on each dispatch and claim is spread all over the place. We don’t need to see it in ‘dispatch’ form – put the fields one after another to speed up data entry.
Finally – a word to everyone – mobile or not. Keep it simple. There is a lot of extra’s built into ServiceBench but as far as I can tell nobody really needs or uses them. Chat? Who has time? Email Support? They don’t return emails. Tutorial, training – who needs it – who has time. Understand and learn the few features that you need to know and don’t worry about the rest. Keep it simple, it’s just another tool in the toolbox.
