Improving Efficiency for Your Septic Tank Cleaning Company

More and more field service operations are looking for ways to eliminate wasted time and maximize the efficiency of their business. In a fast-paced industry that requires the immediate attention of clientele, this notion especially holds true for septic tank cleaning companies.

Like a clogged septic tank, wasted time, poorly planned routes, and double bookings have plagued the septic service industry for far too long. Below are some immediate things you can do to cut wasted time and effort this year in your daily septic tank company operations.

Maximize the Skills of Your Dispatch Team

Many key team members contribute to the health of a successful septic tank cleaning company. Your on-site technicians make up the core to your success. Setting them up to thrive with clear daily schedules, easy access to clear job information, and efficient routes can allow you to keep them focused on the jobs at hand. That is where your office management and dispatch team comes into play.

As an efficient middleman, office administrators and technician dispatchers can deal with the clients and technicians directly to put both in the best position to get the job completed. If your office administrators are rushed, or if they do not have the tools required to do their job efficiently, the odds of them carelessly booking an appointment will increase significantly.

In most septic tank companies, the people in your office comprise your front line of defense. If you are relying on them to successfully schedule jobs and communicate with clients and technicians using paper-based systems, chances are they run the risk of becoming overwhelmed very quickly. Equip them with effective tools, technology, procedures, and support that allow them to be successful. If you do not have a clear scheduling or dispatching procedure in place, talk to your team and work together to make one.

Detailed Record Keeping Can Improve Efficiency and Morale

Having employee records on hand is vitally important when it comes to scheduling jobs. A database of past jobs completed by each septic tank cleaning technician can help your dispatchers make informed decisions. This can put each technician in a position to do the job best suited for their skill set, as well as assign appointments that maximize client relationships.

A returning client may have had an excellent previous experience with a certain technician. With detailed records, your management team can reassign the same technician to the client to continue to build up that trust. Likewise, if a client had any complaints from a past service appointment, a dispatcher can avoid assigning the same technician to that client.

A connected management system can help dispatchers effectively and efficiently make these decisions. Creating the best scenario for your on-site field technicians will help improve company morale and client relationships.

Upgrade to Dispatching and Technician Scheduling Software

One way to improve efficiency in your septic tank cleaning company is to move to a septic tank service software to sync your on-site technicians with your base office. Communication is key to every business, but it is especially important in the constantly changing environment of septic tank cleaning companies. Moving to a software solution versus a paper-based system can streamline both the input and finding of information. Software can also cut down on the recurring expense of paper, as digital records do not require more space or filing systems to accommodate a growing customer list. Software just makes sense for a company in the 21st century.

Your clients also benefit when your company moves to a quicker and more efficient service scheduling solution. When emergencies arise, you’re better equipped to help out. For septic tank cleaning companies, nearly every job is an emergency in the eyes of the client. Nobody wants to have their pipes clogged and no one wants their home to smell like a sewer for days on end. With septic tank service scheduling software, dispatchers can easily book the earliest available open time slot to resolve the client’s emergency before that client calls the competition. Your client will also marvel at how quickly your septic cleaning technician arrived on the scene to eradicate the problem.

Make Work Order Information Available On the Job

In this day and age, everything is data driven and available at the click of a button. The use of analytics and mobile-accessible information has become increasingly popular, and in many ways septic tank cleaning companies can use the same tactics to increase efficiency in their own business.

If septic tank technicians get their information about their jobs in transit via phone calls to/from the office (or from handwritten work orders), they may miss critical information that could ensure the success of the work. Knowing what type of equipment the customer has, how often they have had their septic tanks serviced, and issues other technicians have had in the past can eliminate wasted time. Don’t let workers ask the customer these redundant questions. Don’t let them sputter trying to figure out the answers themselves. Give your technicians access to this type of customer information right on their mobile device—before they walk through the door!

On-the-job apps such as iFleet allow technicians to research a client’s past history on the spot. With the benefit of this information, they can make informed decisions faster and offer better solutions to their client.

Eliminate Long Travel Between Jobs

Septic tank cleaning companies can receive appointment requests at any time, making them susceptible to constantly changing schedules. This alone can be stressful to all parties involved. The last thing you want to do is make your technicians drive long distances from job to job.

Taking the time to plan routes with the distance between jobs in mind can save on drive time, fuel costs, and even vehicle upkeep over time. A decrease in drive time can also help boost the morale of your technicians while allowing for more jobs to be completed in less time.