How AI Continues To Empower Service Technicians in 2024
- Field Service Management
- 9 Min Read
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, fire inspectors, and other blue-collar service providers face a variety of challenges this year. Customers are demanding fast and efficient service, and labor shortages require greater efficiency from existing providers.
Staying on top of your agenda, getting the leads you need, and communicating with your current customers aren’t optional. Innovations in AI over the past year have transformed industries around the world, and your trade is no exception.
Your business needs to look for opportunities to be aware of these trends to make decisions that will keep you competitive. Let’s explore the latest AI innovations empowering service technicians in 2024.
Here's What We Cover:
-
1. Where AI Shines (And Where it Doesn’t) For Service Technicians1. Where AI Shines (And Where it Doesn’t) For Service Technicians
-
2. Personal Assistant Technology for Service Technicians2. Personal Assistant Technology for Service Technicians
-
3. LISA - Learning Intelligent Service Assistant3. LISA - Learning Intelligent Service Assistant
-
4. AI Helps You Focus on Your Trade4. AI Helps You Focus on Your Trade
Where AI Shines (And Where it Doesn’t) For Service Technicians
Unfortunately, AI is a bit of a buzzword. We’re in the middle of a generative AI hype cycle, and it can be difficult to peel back the veil of marketing to see what good AI can actually do for your business. Setting the right expectations is critical to your success, and it will help you make a more informed decision that meets your needs.
Task | AI | Human | Details |
Predictive Maintenance | ✅ | AI can analyze large datasets to predict failures before they occur. | |
Customer Service | ✅ | Humans provide the personal touch needed for effective customer service. | |
Complex Problem-Solving | ✅ | Humans excel at creative solutions and handling unexpected issues. | |
Data Analysis | ✅ | AI can quickly process and interpret vast amounts of data. | |
Physical Repairs | ✅ | Requires manual dexterity and adaptability best suited for humans. | |
Safety Inspections | ✅ | ✅ | AI can identify hazards, but human judgment is crucial for assessments. |
Training and Education | ✅ | ✅ | AI provides simulations, while humans offer hands-on experience and mentorship. |
Regulatory Compliance | ✅ | ✅ | AI can keep up to date with regulations and ensure compliance. However, a human expert should review the results of AI research. |
Emergency Response | ✅ | Humans are necessary for real-time, on-the-ground emergency decision-making. |
AI is excellent at parsing through data. It can do all sorts of things at a scale far better and faster than a human can. For example, having an AI optimize the route to all the clients you need to visit tomorrow will be far more efficient than trying to work that out by hand.
However, AI isn’t great at replacing the human side of your business. It can help you automate some of your communications and relations management, but it will never be more effective than talking to your customers face to face.
At the end of the day, your client is still hiring a human to maintain their electrical systems, pipes, air conditioning, fire equipment, and more.
Use our free invoice template now
Make winning quotes in minutes—for any industry and any job.
Personal Assistant Technology for Service Technicians
In 2011, Apple launched Siri, a personal assistant for Apple devices. In 2016, Google rose to the challenge with Google Assistant for Android devices. Since then, a race has raged to develop increasingly advanced personal assistants that rival the capabilities of Marvel hero Iron Man’s JARVIS AI. That race has pioneered the development of generative AI solutions that are definitely moving the needle in the right direction. However, personal assistant technology isn’t just a convenience product for consumers: it also stands to benefit trades like yours.
ZenTrades developed an AI personal assistant, LISA, for service technicians. When a worker arrives on site, LISA can help them perform a number of tasks all powered by conversation:
- Provide technicians with a daily agenda.
- Clock in & out.
- Route optimization to customers of the day.
- Setting reminders.
- Pulling customer data from CRM.
- Finding equipment manuals.
- Matching technicians with colleagues with more experience in a specific area.
- Providing upsell suggestions to increase revenue.
- Automatic invoice generation.
Predictive Maintenance
Artificial intelligence is much more efficient at predictive maintenance than humans are. Using a combination of IoT sensors and past maintenance data, AI can determine when the most optimum time is to schedule maintenance for equipment. This helps to minimize downtime, reduce unnecessary maintenance costs, extend equipment life, and improve workplace safety.
Customer Service
AI isn’t going to replace human-to-human interactions entirely, but it can help technicians provide better service to their clients. For example, Zentrades’ LISA AI helps technicians get information about past service history and other relevant details from their CRM. It quickly informs technicians about previous work done at the location, who did it, and what the work was. This helps you meet customers where they are rather than going to a job blind.
Remember
AI is a great tool that can make your work more efficient, but it won’t completely replace you. The best customer service is done by demonstrating your humanity to your client and the trade you provide. Leverage tools like LISA AI to empower your technicians to better understand their clients to connect with them and provide the best service possible.
Get posts like this in your inbox.
Keep learning how to run a 5-star business with our bi-weekly newsletter.
Regulatory Compliance
The rules are always changing, and keeping up to date with the latest regulations can be challenging for everyone. AI is great at paying attention to details. Setting up news alerts and having AI analyze those details is a fantastic way to get around the problem. It’s always important for a human expert to review the AI findings for errors.
AI Helps You Focus on Your Trade
At the end of the day, AI is a tool that helps you focus on what matters most: your work. The work you provide as a professional is the most important part of your business, and that’s why AI is so helpful. Automation tools help you cut down on the time you’re spending creating invoices, sifting through customer records, and doing regulatory research. Instead, you can spend that time providing high-quality service for your customers. See how LISA AI and the Zentrades software suite can focus on your business by booking a free demo now.
Explore a better way to grow your business. Book a free demo now!
Get organized, win jobs, and wow customers.
Related Reading
Top 5 Water Treatment Software In 2024
Top 5 Water Treatment Software In 2024 Water is the most critical resource for...
Read More
How to Manage Electrical Service Agreements like A Pro
May 31, 2022 Fire Suppression Share Managing electrical...
Read More
The Best 5 Jobber Alternatives in 2023 with Better Features
May 31, 2022 Fire Suppression Share The advent...
Read More