CRM for a service center

In the work of any modern service, it is important not only to restore the process itself, but also to support clients, even after the repair is completed. This is the part of the routine that staff like the least, but it constantly takes up the most time that could be used for business. However, with the advent of CRM for the service center, companies have received a powerful tool that can compensate for these shortcomings and bring the company to a new level of service quality.

The priorities of clients today are radically different. Consumers are more demanding of the quality of services and the speed of processing their service request. And if the client is faced with a choice, he/she is more likely to choose a company that works according to modern standards.

Some service centers, especially startups, are not yet used to market standards. Confusion in documents, manually written contacts of suppliers and clients on a piece of paper, complete chaos in warranty service, regular shortages, ineffective channels for communicating with the audience, and many other factors – all this turns even a promising company into a market outsider.

The profitability of a repair shop directly depends on the efficiency of its work. Therefore, it is impossible to work without process optimization. If your service center has three or more technicians, you already need CRM. Add consistency and structure to your business, and you will immediately see how much easier it will be to manage your company. The key to success – is CRM for a service center. This is software that automates routine processes and eliminates errors caused by the human factor.

There are many examples where an automated system is needed. For example, repair centers for:

• watches;
• home appliances; 
• gadgets, computers;
• jewelry and bijouterie;
• optics and accessories for glasses;
• bicycles, scooters and similar equipment;
• musical instruments;
• keys;
• clothing and footwear;
• cabinet and upholstered furniture.

Even if you are at the startup development stage, the software is already suitable for your business. The explanation is quite simpl – CRM for service centers sets the right direction for the company’s development at the early stages of integration.

A set of functions necessary for effective workshop automation:

• Client base. The program generates client cards with their contacts and history of interactions with the company.
• Order accounting. CRM records the type and cost of the service for a particular client, masters, start and end dates of work. This will help in analytics, for example, to control the workload of specialists or analyze promising areas.
• Standardization of workflow. You can draw up any documents automatically – just save their template in the system.
• Acceptance of requests. The CRM system for a service center provides multi-channel communication. The database stores the entire history of communication with the client. This is quite useful, because in a disputable situation, you can always listen, for example, to a recording of a phone call.
• Integration. CRM is compatible with accounting, marketing, and logistics software.

In addition, automatic client notification is a very useful feature. This greatly increases the awareness of clients, who will now always know at what stage their request is.

CRM helps to achieve the following purposes:

• Improve the quality of service in a service center. The client base will be in order, and you will always know your audience. Moreover, leadership will know more about clients and understand their needs better. Tracking the order and repair cycle will become much easier.
• Increase order volumes and profitability. Clients go where there are enough service parts, orders are not lost and are delivered to the owner on time.
• Build effective communication with clients. CRM systems allow you to regularly remind your clients about your brand through various communication channels. Clients will always know what stage the repair is at, the status of the order, and other data. In addition, CRM builds a reliable channel for marketing offers: promotions, discounts.
• Set up document flow and financial management of a service center. The system allows to customize document templates that are necessary for your field of activity: acceptance certificates, checks, contracts, warranty receipts. Forget about manually entering data and details – CRM will do it for you. The software makes it much easier to monitor warranty service, keep warehouse and accounting records, and report.
• Optimize your work schedule. Just imagine how much time your technicians spend on routine processes – they could be working on a new order and increasing business profitability. Leave the monotonous workflows to CRM, and the staff will have enough time to do useful work.

In addition, the owner receives a powerful analytical platform for monitoring all processes within the business. CRM collects various data and records them in a single information center of the complex. Based on the reports, management will be able to make more strategically correct decisions.

Examples of out of the box versions of CRM for service centers:

• Salesforce CRM: a powerful tool for workshops of a wide profile, includes analytical, marketing, and optimization tools, and also allows to connect CRM to the website, the price is from 25 USD;
• HubSpot: a great tool for startups that has enough features to launch their workshop, the price is free, the price for the full version is 50 USD;
• CellSmart POS: a complex solution for gadget repair service centers, has advanced functionality for analytics and business process planning, the price – is an individual subscription;
• RepairShopr: CRM for repair shops for computers, game consoles, and similar equipment, offers powerful features for working with the client base, the price is from 129 USD;
• mHelpDesk: a complex system for services that allows to guide a client from the first contact to payment for the work, the price – is an individual plan.

As a rule, the prices for software subscriptions are indicated for a monthly subscription.

If you need a non-standard solution or a deeper set of tools, a personal CRM – is your option. Such software is developed for a specific business, which means it has no analogues. The service center receives a powerful tool, each element of which exactly meets the needs of the company.

• Advantages of personal software:
• exact compliance with the management model;
• only the necessary functionality;
• no regular payments for a license or cloud rental;
• the ability to smoothly scale the system;
• constant support from the developer.

If you are interested in developing a CRM system, don’t hesitate to contact us! The SKYLEX team offers unique solutions on the market that will help your business become more competitive.