Creating a Work Request is indeed a crucial step in the process of scheduling service for a customer. This helps ensure that the customer's needs are properly documented and assigned to the appropriate technician for timely resolution.
Work requests typically contain essential information such as the customer's contact details, description of the issue or service required, location, priority level, and any relevant notes or special instructions. Once a Work Request is created, it can then be scheduled and assigned to a Technician who has the necessary skills and availability to address the customer's needs. This systematic approach helps streamline the service workflow and ensures that customer requests are handled efficiently and effectively.
Both Coordinators and the Account Administrator can enter and track Work Requests.
The first step is pressing Work Request via the ‘+ Add New’ button.
Begin typing in the Customer name in the Customer Details section. If the customer already exists in FieldSync then a dropdown will appear to select and auto-populate their information.
If this is a new customer a note will appear showing ‘No Customers Found’ along with a prompt to enter them manually.
When entering a customer manually, be sure to click the prompt or the customer won’t save properly.
Once the Customer has been selected the next steps are the Billing Address and Service Location. The FieldSync software will verify all addresses to ensure their existence. False or placeholder addresses are not recommended.
If a pre-existing customer was chosen, the Billing Address should populate automatically.
However if entering a Customer manually then this information will need to be keyed in.
Next, input the Service Location. If it matches the Billing Address, signify by checking the box.
If the Service Location does NOT match the Billing Address, it will need to be entered separately.
Once Customer details have been documented, Work Details will need to be entered on the right-hand side of the page.
If the service request aligns with a predefined Pricebook Item (Service), select the item under the Work Type drop-down menu.
Otherwise type in a custom job description.
Use the description field to provide additional information regarding the job. For example that particular equipment should be used or that certain parts are incompatible with the customer’s system.
Customer Notes are intended for information about the customer, such as the presence of a dog on the premises or specific access instructions like using a particular door. Technicians can access the five most recent Customer notes via their mobile app and can also add notes from the service location. These notes are specific to each service location; hence, if a customer has multiple service locations (for example, multiple rental houses or business offices), each note corresponds to the service location for the requested work. For instance, ABC Office might require the technician to use the side door, while XYZ Office might not have such a requirement. Notes are intended as an internal tool only and are not visible to Customers.
To maintain an accurate schedule, the ‘Time Needed For’ field is required. Enter the duration for the work requested as either hours or minutes. The system requires the following format:
- 1 Hour = 1h
- 30 Minutes = 30m
Without the ‘h’ and ‘m’ notations the system will not save the Work Request properly.
If the Customer has requested an Estimate prior to starting the work, the Need Estimate button should be toggled to ‘Yes’.
The final section is the optional Preferences. Date and Time Constraints are entered here, along with Employee Choice and Skillsets. These fields are utilized to ensure that the Work Request is assigned to a Technician who is available for the time needed and has the skills to perform the work.
To save a Work Request without scheduling it, press the Save button. For example, if more information needs to be gathered before the Work Request can be sent to a Technician.
Once satisfied that all fields are correct, press ‘Schedule’ and the FieldSync software will place the assignment on a Technicians calendar. If not ready to schedule the Work Request, press ‘Save.’
After pressing Schedule, the Work Request will now appear on the schedule for final review. Use drag and drop to manually move the item around to change the time slot and/or the assigned Technician. Once satisfied, press ‘Schedule’. Please be aware that while Work Requests can be canceled or rescheduled, they cannot be deleted.
Work Requests can be set up to reoccur if needed. For example, a HVAC company that performs regular equipment maintenance on fixed intervals. Recurring work requests are input after the initial item has been scheduled.
When scheduling a Work Request, an SMS message will be sent to the Customer using the phone number entered during Customer creation. This pre-formatted message will include the appointment date, time, and technician's name, as well as the business phone number for the customer to call if they need to cancel or reschedule. The business phone number is entered into the FieldSync software during account setup. To make any changes to this number, please contact Customer Care.
For information regarding management of scheduled Work Requests, please review Schedule Management.
As Work Requests are scheduled they will appear to the Technicians via mobile app and will be known to the Technicians as Jobs.
One hour before the scheduled appointment time, the Customer will receive an SMS message reminding them of the appointment. This message will contain the Technicians name, profile photo and Google map link showing their location (based on the phone or tablet used to access the mobile app).