Trades Company
The Challenge
A plumbing and heating company with 15 field technicians and a small office team needed better job dispatch and customer communication. Field workers were using personal mobile numbers, which looked unprofessional and made it difficult for customers to reach them. The office struggled to coordinate between customers calling for updates and technicians who were often on-site and unavailable. When customers called about ongoing jobs, office staff had to call technicians on their personal numbers, interrupting their work and creating delays. Emergency callouts were particularly problematic, as the office had no efficient way to reach available technicians quickly. The company was losing potential jobs because customers couldn't reach anyone after hours, and job scheduling was inefficient due to poor communication between the office and field teams.
The Solution
We configured mobile apps for all 15 field technicians, allowing them to use the business number from their personal phones while maintaining professional presentation. The system integrates directly with their job dispatch software, so when customers call about a job, they're automatically connected to the assigned technician if available, or routed to the office for scheduling. We set up intelligent call routing that considers technician availability, current job location, and expertise, ensuring customers reach the right person quickly. For emergency callouts, we configured a priority queue that simultaneously rings all available technicians, with the first to answer taking the job. We also set up automated SMS notifications for job updates, so customers receive texts when technicians are on their way, and technicians receive job details directly on their phones. The office can see real-time status of all technicians (available, on job, traveling) and route calls accordingly. After-hours calls go to an emergency line that pages on-call technicians immediately.
The Results
Customer call answer rates improved dramatically from 70% to 95%, with customers now able to reach technicians directly when needed. Field workers can answer calls professionally while on-site using the business number, maintaining a consistent brand image. Job coordination is now seamless, with the office able to see technician availability in real-time and route calls intelligently. The company handles 40% more service calls with the same team size, thanks to improved efficiency and reduced call-backs. Emergency response time has improved by 65%, as the priority routing system ensures available technicians are reached immediately. Customer satisfaction has increased from 76% to 94%, with customers particularly appreciating the ability to reach technicians directly and receive automated updates. The SMS notification system has reduced "where is my technician" calls by 70%, and the integration with dispatch software has eliminated duplicate data entry, saving approximately 2 hours per day in office administration.
Key Metrics
- ✓15 field technicians connected
- ✓95% customer call answer rate (up from 70%)
- ✓94% customer satisfaction (up from 76%)
- ✓40% increase in service call capacity
- ✓65% improvement in emergency response time
- ✓70% reduction in status inquiry calls