Successful agencies haven’t just lucked into easy repairs; they’ve done the work necessary to equip their technicians with what they need to be successful. Here are three ways your service agency can increase its first-time fix rates.

Increase first-time fix rates with AllPoints

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Because service technicians are expected to handle any situation with quick thinking and accurate assessments, it’s the job of the agency to prepare them as much as possible.

Make training mandatory

Investing in training for service technicians is necessary for equipping them to overcome any situation they encounter. Technician training should be mandatory and often.

Training should be a tool for learning, not just lecture, which means technicians should feel free to share their struggles — and agency leaders should be open to listening and learning how to address their concerns.

Because technicians are so valuable, it’s vital they are treated with respect and an attitude of partnership. When your technicians feel empowered, they’re more likely to perform well on the job and, ultimately, increase first-time fix rates.

Keep parts stocked and available

Equipping technicians with what they need for handling whatever scenario is thrown at them goes beyond just training to physical equipment as well. Keeping commonly used parts in stock and readily available is a huge factor in increasing first-time fix rates.

Stocking technicians’ trucks with tools and replacement parts allows them to easily move from one job to the next. Keeping commonly used parts in stock is simple and can even save service agencies on parts.

AllPoints, for example, has a Truck Stock program providing the parts that service technicians use frequently, like knobs, valves and thermopiles, at a discount. AllPoints is also the only replacement parts company with a national network of three distribution centers and the most extensive inventory of in-stock, ready-to-ship parts.

AllPoints’ Mavrik™ brand can also save agencies money on parts with its OEM-equivalent parts that cost significantly less but come with a higher warranty. Plus, with Mavrik parts, technicians can stock their trucks with one part that fits multiple brands instead of several different ones, saving space and money.

Service agencies are more efficient and profitable when technicians have the parts they need right at their fingertips.

Stay organized

For service agencies, time is of the essence in responding quickly to calls and making repairs within a short time frame that keeps customers happy. Having the right parts and tools means nothing if they can’t be found — or if they can’t be found in a timely manner.

Organization is an area where many agencies struggle. Dedicating some time to designing an organizational system and implementing it can make a huge difference in response time.

Organization can also save agencies money on inventory, as it can reduce the frequency of parts and tools getting lost and needing to be re-ordered. Working in time to get organized and stay organized is not wasted time; it could be exactly what service agencies need to increase efficiency.

2. Communicate — and overcommunicate — well

A service agency’s success is defined by its customers’ perception. In this case, perception is reality.

Scheduling is one area that can be a huge frustration to foodservice operators. The onus is on service technicians to overcommunicate with customers regarding scheduling. Even if something goes wrong, and they are delayed, communicating the problem clearly and offering solutions can help foster understanding with customers.

Good communication is key even beyond scheduling. Making sure operators understand the problem and what has been done to solve the problem is important in establishing value and earning their business.

3. Use technology as much as possible

No matter how well equipped technicians are regarding common repairs, it’s impossible to train for every single problem they’ll encounter. This is where technology can be a huge boon to service agencies.

Service technicians should have quality, reliable technology that allows them to communicate with more experienced team members for advice while they’re on the job.

Apps like EquipID provide critical information like equipment manuals and schematics, how-to videos, repair histories and IoT data. The EquipID app also offers one-click tool shopping through AllPoints for extremely efficient parts ordering.

Technology can empower technicians to provide the best possible service to their customers and, ultimately, increase first-time fix rates.

Offering low price points, the best parts availability and features like EquipID, AllPoints has demonstrated how their mission is to help service agencies increase first-time fix rates. The experts at AllPoints want to help their customers keep their customers happy.

Visit allpointsfps.com to learn more about the resources AllPoints provides to help service agencies increase first-time fix rates.