[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/09\/how-covid-19-travel-restrictions-are-changing-the-field-service-industry\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/09\/how-covid-19-travel-restrictions-are-changing-the-field-service-industry\/","headline":"How COVID-19 travel restrictions are changing the field service industry","name":"How COVID-19 travel restrictions are changing the field service industry","description":"The field service industry is finding new ways to meet customer needs due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, including using on-demand workers.","datePublished":"2020-10-09","dateModified":"2023-05-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/anna-irniger\/#Person","name":"Anna Irniger","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/anna-irniger\/","identifier":374,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/79924a10254e53835b6f61f79ec115e5fdbec2c0c8b53254af7a60bad233adb3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/79924a10254e53835b6f61f79ec115e5fdbec2c0c8b53254af7a60bad233adb3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/field-service-industry-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/field-service-industry-1.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/09\/how-covid-19-travel-restrictions-are-changing-the-field-service-industry\/","about":["COVID-19 and Business","Field Service",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]}],"wordCount":603,"keywords":["Crowd Service","Field Service"],"articleBody":"The life of a service technician isn\u2019t easy.When I was a child, my dad used to work as a service technician, which meant that I wouldn’t see him for a couple of days because he had to travel to another country to fix some complex machinery. My dad dealt with a daughter who cried every time he had to leave, but needed to get that machinery up and running as fast as possible.Twenty-five years later, COVID-19 has forced the field service industry to rethink the travel plans of technicians. Travel restrictions and safety-first guidelines are rapidly changing the way field service organizations operate.      3 consumer behavior trends that could outlast COVID                What COVID-driven consumer behavior trends can retailers expect to last beyond the pandemic? New research reveals three top trends.      Field service industry evolves amid COVID-19 travel restrictionsIn the wake of COVID-19, service companies are looking for new ways to serve their customers, without the need to send their technicians or engineers on a long business trip.They especially want to avoid sending a technician to just plug in a cable.I remember being surprised when my dad returned from a four-hour plane trip and said: \u201cWell, that was a waste of time \u2013 the only thing I had to do was to plug in the machine back to electricity.\u201dThat would happen occasionally, he explained: “I never know what the problem of the machine is, only when I arrive on-site I can get the full scope of why the equipment is down.\u201dThe field service industry never wanted this unnecessary travel to happen before COVID-19, but now it must be avoided at all costs in the “new normal” we face today.      Field service digital transformation: 5 pitfalls to avoid                Getting field service digital transformation right is essential for improving service and boosting customer satisfaction. Don't make these mistakes.      3 ways service can transform to meet customer needsIndustries like discrete manufacturing, industrial machinery and components, high tech and medical equipment, and many more operate on a global scale. Customers expect reliable, real-time service.How can field service organizations create an on-demand global service workforce to fulfill customer expectations when travel must be kept at a minimum?Here are three steps they can take:Expanded ecosystem of experts. By leveraging on-demand workers, field service organizations can expand their service teams with external partners, subcontractors, or other local service experts. Crowd service solutions extend the workforce to ensure customers get reliable service and quick resolutions.Equipping technicians with the right knowledge. Digital field service solutions give the external workforce access to all the tools, knowledge, and training they need to execute service with the same quality as an internal service technician would do.Innovating with AI and AR. With field service management software that incorporates artificial intelligence, service providers can ensure the right person is at the right place at the right time. Even if the task is very complex, there’s no need to send a service technician across the globe. Augmented reality technology makes it possible for customers to connect with an experienced service technician who can give guidance to solve the problem.Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 are a huge challenge, but they are also an opportunity to improve the business model. By extended their workforce with external technicials, service providers not only boost customer satisfaction, but save money and to decrease CO2 emissions.And maybe there is another child of a service technician who is happy that their dad or mom doesn\u2019t need to go on long business trips anymore.  Don’t meet travelers’ expectations.Exceed them."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/10\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How COVID-19 travel restrictions are changing the field service industry","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/10\/09\/how-covid-19-travel-restrictions-are-changing-the-field-service-industry\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]