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Fixed Cost, Variable Scope and Guaranteed Outcome

By
 
John McVicker

As I was waiting outside my local café for my takeaway coffee this week, it occurred to me that buying a coffee is a great example to explain the concept and benefits of buying fixed price field services.

When I order my coffee, I know I’ll pay a fixed price upfront, whether it takes the barista two minutes to make it or 10 if I visit during the morning rush.

I’m happy with the price, and the quality and service are exceptional, so I accept it will sometimes take longer than expected to get my coffee in hand.

However, imagine my café decided to start charging me based on the time it takes to make my coffee and only told me the actual cost after I’d consumed it?

I suspect I would be looking for a new café!

While the delivery of coffee and the delivery of field services are poles apart, that exact potential scenario is the reality many organisations delivering support follow every day.

If you’re involved in onsite service support, you are guaranteed to have experienced cases where a simple call estimated at an hour blows out substantially when the technician discovers the issue is more complex than described.

While the customer is happy to resolve a complex issue, they’re far from satisfied when their invoice arrives, and it doesn’t match the initial estimate.

What generally ensues are prolonged discussions to justify and reconcile the cost, detracting from the overall satisfaction of resolving the issue.

At the extreme, it can become cost-prohibitive to resolve the disputed cost, impacting profitability and the quality of the relationship with the customer.

Best Technology Services has had many years of experience delivering field services support. We knew there was an opportunity to do things differently by creating a solution that properly reflects how support works in the modern world.

Fixed or capped pricing is the norm in almost every industry, covering everything from facilities management to car servicing.

It made sense to us to apply this same model to manage the administration of service calls more effectively, delivering our partners a guaranteed outcome and a guarantee of no surprises when it came time for billing.

The result is BestCare™ Support.

BestCare Support allows our partners to prepurchase a block of units to cover a fixed service call of up to 3.75 hours duration, including any travel needed.

Why a 3.75 hour timeframe? Because our analysis confirmed most calls were resolved within this period. Our partners simply draw down on another unit if a service call goes beyond the allowance.

Using the fixed cost credit system means we’ve eliminated bill shock and friction in the invoicing process. Our customers know how much time they have available upfront and how it’s used, giving them genuine certainty about service expenses.

BestCare Support also provides a better service experience for our partners’ customers and significantly faster issue resolution.

Service calls are booked via BestConnect, our online portal. Because credit units cover the service, there’s no need to consult a price list or wait for a quote or a purchase order, reducing administration time significantly.

BestConnect also removes the partner and customer stress and anxiety usually associated with issue resolution. Service calls are scheduled on the spot as there’s no need to wait for cost approvals. What’s more, the portal provides real-time visibility of issue resolution, including tracking when a technician will be onsite and any artefacts related to the service call.

The range of organisations accessing BestCare Support for fixed price field service demonstrates the applicability and broad appeal of a simple solution that delivers a better customer experience while significantly reducing administration and risk.

For example, we’re currently working with a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider that uses our solution to support its large customer base around Australia.

We also support a well-known Australian midmarket managed service provider who uses BestCare Support to deliver quality support for several key customers.

Another happy customer is a leading global systems integrator who relies upon BestCare Support to support servicing of a major client with hundreds of locations around the country.

These cases also demonstrate the range of ways service credits can be utilised.

We know BestCare Support is having a real impact on customer satisfaction. Our transactional customer satisfaction survey completed at the end of each service call currently rates our delivery at an impressive 4.7 out of a possible five – clear confirmation that we’re on the right track.

BestCare Support is also helping partners manage the mounting pressure caused by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. We increasingly assist partners who typically send their technicians to a site but who are constrained by border restrictions and even travelling within states or cities.

Best Technology Services has more than 30 points of presence across Australia. Our technicians are conveniently located to supply services to 86% of the population, including people working remotely. Customers know that they can rely on us to get the job done wherever they are, giving them valuable peace of mind during continuing uncertain times.

If you’d like to learn more about how BestCare Support can improve your field services delivery, get in touch.

Exploring BestCare Support is risk-free – we supply a no-obligation proposal and offer a money-back guarantee so you can experience the benefits of fixed price field services firsthand.

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