We’ve entered an era where ratings rule. Whether it’s a Yelp review of a restaurant or a driver’s score on Lyft, consumers are now accustomed to having the instant satisfaction of applauding excellent service with five stars and reporting bad service with less. In fact, 62% of businesses now use a customer experience analytics reporting system (Deloitte).
Quick, technology-based performance rating tools are trending, and the benefits for consumers are clear. When customers are given a channel to voice their opinions, they become more engaged. It helps them incite change within the larger corporate landscape or reward service that is above-and-beyond.
Rating tools can work for your facility maintenance strategy too. Your store managers interact with technicians regularly, and their feedback on services can have considerable benefits. Not only does this give them an outlet to praise strong work or complain about poor service, it also helps your business.
Is your business capturing this feedback about technicians? Here are three reasons why you should be:
#1 It Can Improve Service
It’s impossible for you to personally interact with every contractor that services every location in your portfolio. Your store managers, on the other hand, do. Leverage their insight by allowing them to provide feedback about each completed work order.
You can hire anyone to clean the filters of your HVAC assets at a location, but an exceptional contactor might go above and beyond by also checking refrigerant levels and notifying you before a potentially expensive issue arises. These details can be overlooked on your P&L, but your store managers can report on how efficient, diligent or detailed your contractors really are. Better service providers mean better service for your stores. When you only partner with the best contractors, your stores will reflect that.
#2 It Will Lower Costs
The quality of your facilities maintenance can cause a significant impact to your overall spend. For example, a highly skilled plumber may cost $100 per hour, but they can complete the work of a less skilled plumber with a lower hourly rate in half the time. Additionally, a plumber that provides higher quality services will result in fewer return trips, which will also ultimately lower the cost of a work order.
Indirect operational costs are elements that are not represented on an invoice but should be factored into the total value of each service. To read more about indirect costs affecting your bottom line, read our white paper: How to Calculate the True Cost of Facilities Maintenance.
On paper, the job may get done, but your store manager has unique insight into the thoroughness of each contactor. A 2-star plumber might complete the work, but you’ll be paying for it later. Using feedback from store managers will confirm that you are only paying the best contractors for the best work.
#3 It Helps You Make Strategic, Data-Driven Decisions
Your facility maintenance strategy should be shaped by data. Technician ratings from your store managers are just another piece of the puzzle that can help refine the bigger picture of your entire portfolio. Your reputation and brand image influence your business’ success. Your decisions, like the contractors you work with, should be based on numbers. A feedback tool makes that possible.
When a refrigeration contractor consistently scores well with your store managers, you know you can rely on them during an emergency situation when your asset is malfunctioning. If your business has a roster of 5-star contractors you know can depend on across the country, the quality of your stores will showcase that excellence.
Customer feedback tools aren’t just for rideshare companies. This simple feedback loop can have a significant impact on your business. Before partnering with a facilities maintenance solution, confirm they have tools like this in place. If you would like more information on how SMS Assist leverages retail store manager feedback to provide strategic business insights, request a demo of our technology.