Now’s the time to plot out annual goals. What should be top of mind for field service managers? Here are six strategic priorities — culled from experts we interviewed around the industry — that should factor into successful planning for  Continue reading

With the advent and, now, near-ubiquity of QR codes and RFID tagging in warehousing and operations, it’s easy to forget the significance of the modest UPC bar code.
The New York Times, in an compelling obituary for Joseph Woodland —  Continue reading

Imagine you’re elbow-deep in an especially tough mechanical repair. One hand is turning a screwdriver, the other is holding down a piece of equipment. Wouldn’t it be nice to Google-search for repair tips, hands-free?
Or imagine you’re climbing up scaffolding  Continue reading

A new line of work trucks and van is set to crash the U.S. market in 2013.
Ram Trucks, a subsidiary of Chrysler (which is owned by Italian carmaker Fiat), will introduce the Ram Commercial lineup of vehicles next year — and one  Continue reading

Hat-tip to Keith Shaw at IT World for spotting these excellent 1950s training videos commissioned by Southwestern Bell to help their phone-line installers learn to deal with ornery customers. (AT&T’s tech channel posted them to YouTube.) Say what you will,  Continue reading

The end of the year is a good time for service managers to sit down with their technicians and conduct yearly reviews. But as James “Alex” Alexander told us earlier this week, many managers simply don’t bother arranging year-end assessments,  Continue reading

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are the two big buzz terms in service organizations today. Question is, how do you achieve — and measure — them?
First step: Instead of targeting good practices, focus on getting rid of the bad ones,  Continue reading

Service revenues are expected to be up in 2013. What should field service companies do with those gains?
The smart ones will re-invest that to drive sustainable growth, says Bill Pollock, president and chief research officer of The Service Council. According to TSC’s The  Continue reading

This time a year ago, we were predicting that 2012 would be the “Year of Mobility” in field service — not exactly an out-on-a-limb prediction, but an accurate one in retrospect.  This go around, mobile will certainly continue to be  Continue reading

Most field service people are in the business of fixing a thing — a piece of equipment, appliance, or cable line. Barrett Burghard services a mountain.
Burghard is the director of snow services for Heavenly ski resort near Lake Tahoe, on  Continue reading

Think your field service job is tough? Try climbing 1,700 feet above the ground to repair a radio-transmission tower — with only a cable rope to save you.
After watching this nail-biting video (warning: may cause bouts of nausea and/or vertigo) we  Continue reading

For many field service professionals, “Cyber Monday” marked the real start of the holiday season. Experts are estimating that U.S. consumers spent between $1.5 and $2 billion online Monday, mostly on smartphones, tablet computers, TVs and appliances, clothes, and toys. All  Continue reading

The holidays can be a hectic time for consumers and businesses alike. Whether it’s ramping up the number of deliveries, handling a glut of emergency calls coming in about failing heating systems, or installing a slew of new appliances —  Continue reading

The following post first appeared on John Ragsdale’s blog, Eye on Service, and is being reprinted here with permission.
Hopefully you are familiar with Franz Kafka, whose literary works confuse, anger, and frustrate. My favorite example is The Trial, published in 1925,  Continue reading