Did you know that field service can be recession-proof? In a recent study conducted by Blumberg Advisory Group Inc., results showed that despite concerns of a recession, a majority of respondents are optimistic about the future. What happens most times during a recession, there is a higher demand for maintaining and servicing existing products, which works out in your best interest.
In this episode, Michael Blumberg is back on the podcast to discuss the findings of a study conducted by Blumberg Advisory Groupon field service and its potential impact during a recession.
Michael discusses:
The importance of proactive service especially in field services
The impact of economic recessions on homeowners and businesses
How customers expect the same level of service across industries, thanks to Lyft and Uber and the bar they set for customer service
The top challenges reported in the survey, including pricing pressures, shrinking labor pool, and supply chain constraints
Career opportunities in the field services
The use of technology, such as AI and augmented reality, in improving service delivery
In Mexico City, Eduardo saw firsthand the struggles architects and developers faced in procuring materials on time. As a homeowner himself, he also noticed the lack of professional services in the construction industry.
In this episode, Eduardo Samayoa, CEO and founder of Simplo, shared his journey from working in lighting and product consulting in San Francisco to starting Simplo. He explores why Simplo was created and how he grew through the power of customer-centricity, clear communication, and leveraging technology.
Eduardo discusses:
How creating a client-focused business promotes business growth
What clients want from a construction company
The importance of leveraging technology to streamline business operations
His advice for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business
“You can’t have a reasonable conversation during a fire or even when there’s a lot of smoke around.”
In this episode, Gaven Fahl, Director of the Critical Accounts Program at Hewlett Packard Enterprise joins us to talk about building proactive customer relationships and maintaining them.
With 12 years under her belt at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and as the founder of the Critical Accounts Program, she’s got a wealth of experience in building long-lasting relationships with customers beyond just fixing their technical issues.
Gaven shares her insights into the art of nurturing successful customer relationships and offers practical tips that will undoubtedly revolutionize your approach to customer service and help your business thrive.
Gaven and Michael discuss:
The critical role of customer relationships in business success
How to align customer expectations to avoid miscommunication and dissatisfaction
Effective techniques for rebuilding strained relationships and restoring trust
Proactive strategies for maintaining and nurturing customer relationships for long-term growth
The three crucial steps to rebuilding customer relationships
In recent years, the field service industry has undergone significant changes, with a growing emphasis on sustainability and innovation.
In this episode, Rod Cook, Director of North American Service Operations at Trane Technologies, discusses the challenges and opportunities available for talent within the trades industry, particularly in HVAC.
He explores how to achieve a lucrative career in the field service industry and the importance of investing in the next generation of technicians to drive sustainable change.
Rod discusses:
How HVAC technicians play a crucial role in reducing energy consumption and achieving sustainability goals
The challenges of attracting and retaining talent in HVAC, misconceptions, and an aging workforce
The lucrative and promising career path for field service work at Trane Technologies
How Trane Technologies is investing in culture and communities to uplift and retain technicians
Rod Cook is the Director of NA Services Operations for Trane’s Commercial HVAC business. He has held numerous positions across the organization over his extensive career with Trane and leadership roles in Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Operational Excellence, Service and Contracting Operations, and Performance Contracting…just to name a few.
In his current position as Director of NA Service Operations, he is responsible for leading Trane’s field service operations teams. He provides leadership and support to over 2,500 field technicians and their leaders and helps them provide customers with a world-class service experience. His primary areas of responsibility include field technology and tech-enabled services, mobility, coordination, fleet, and value-stream transformation.
Rod has over 24 years of experience in the HVAC industry and has spent the majority of his time strategizing, leading and implementing services operations solutions across North America.
Collaborative partnerships have the power to revolutionize the way you build a unified customer experience.
In this episode, Sai Padmarajen, Head of Channel & Ecosystem Partnership, and Rob Freedman, Head of Growth, both from Zuper, share their insights on their partnership model’s three-pronged approach. They highlight the evolution of Zuper’s partner network, which has grown from six to over sixty partners.
Sai and Rob emphasize the value of creating a synergistic partner ecosystem and identifying the right platform and solutions to achieve this goal. In addition, they share the key benefits and takeaways that a potential partner will reap from the collaboration.
Sai and Rob discuss:
How the Zuper Partner channel evolved over the past year
How Zuper is creating a synergistic partner ecosystem
The three-pronged approach to the partner model at Zuper – referral, reseller, and solutions partnership
The significance of identifying the right platform and solutions to create a synergistic partnership with the partners
As we enter a new year, staying ahead of the curve and understanding the challenges and opportunities is essential to the field services business.
In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Freedman, Head of Growth at Zuper to explore the forecasted growth of the field service management market and the technology trends shaping the industry in 2023.
Rob discusses everything from his latest article from outsourcing and the rise of contingent labor to the adoption of AI and automation.
Rob discusses:
The forecasted growth of the field service management market
The impact of outsourcing and the rise of contingent labor
Advantages of adopting AI and automation in field service management
How Zuper is navigating the future of field service management with technology solutions
Rob Freedman is a marketing executive and consultant with over 15 years of experience. He loves growing brands, developing all-star teams, and helping people achieve their professional and personal goals. Rob is a frequent contributor to articles on digital marketing trends, team leadership, and branding. As if all that weren’t enough, he also has two daughters to keep him busy! He spends his free time listening to music (he’s got eclectic tastes), traveling (he’s been everywhere from San Francisco to Kampala), reading books about the latest innovations in business, or drinking coffee (black).
Enhancing the customer service experience is really all about exceeding expectations. Going above and beyond for your customer leaves them feeling delighted and satisfied — ultimately building the customer Loyalty you want.
In this episode, we build on last week’s conversation about the concept of completed service work with executive coach and founder of The Nour Group, David Nour.
David Nour and Michael Israel expand on completed service work and the activities involved in delivering an effective customer service experience that leaves a positive impact on customers.
David and Michael discuss:
How misaligned expectations can cause customer relationships to go bad
What “best of breeds” is and how it relates to completed service work
Why data has become the new renewable energy
The total completed service work ecosystem and what it entails
How to exceed expectations by adding value to your current customer service processes
A senior leadership/board advisor, educator, executive coach, and bestselling author, David Nour is internationally recognized as the leading expert on applications of strategic relationships in profitable growth, sustained innovation, and lasting change. A Forbes Leadership contributor on the Future of Work and an Inc. contributor on Relationship Economics, Nour’s unique insights have been featured in various prominent publications, including The Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Huffington Post Business, Entrepreneur, and Knowledge@Wharton. He’s also the host of the popular Curve Benders podcast.
Born in Iran, Nour immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with $100, limited family ties, and no fluency in English. He graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and went on to earn an Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He resides in Atlanta, GA, with his family.
Completed Service Work is a lot more than providing service to customers when things need fixing. It’s a very strategic aspect of the business if performed correctly can set your business apart from your competitors.
In this episode, Michael Blumberg, the President and CEO of Blumberg Advisory Group, Inc. and David Nour, the author of Relationship Economics® join Michael Israel. The trio discusses how completed service work elevates service professionals and businesses. They explain in detail the importance of using field service management to build meaningful relationships with customers.
Michael & David discuss:
How great completed service work can elevate your business above your competitors
The importance of having a mentor
How field service management helps build meaningful relationships with customers
Definitions of Net Promoter Score (NPS) and sentiment analysis
How predictive data can be used as a leading driver of customer relationship
Different ways companies can empower their employees to go the extra mile for their customers
Michael Blumberg is the President of Blumberg Advisory Group, Inc., a research and consulting firm in the field service industry. Michael’s firm provides clients with strategic guidance and tactical assistance for improving the overall profitability and quality of field service operations through procedural and systemic improvements and optimized service marketing strategies. Michael is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry events and conferences.
About David Nour:
A senior leadership/board advisor, educator, executive coach, and bestselling author, David Nour is internationally recognized as the leading expert on applications of strategic relationships in profitable growth, sustained innovation, and lasting change. The author of eleven books, including bestsellers Relationship Economics® (Wiley) – forthcoming in its 3rd edition, Co-Create (St. Martin’s Press), and Curve Benders (Wiley, 2021), Nour serves as a trusted advisor to global clients and coaches corporate leaders. He is an adjunct professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and was named to the Global Gurus Top 30 Leadership Professionals and the Thinkers 50 Radar Class of 2021 lists. A Forbes Leadership contributor on the Future of Work and an Inc. contributor on Relationship Economics, Nour’s unique insights have been featured in various prominent publications, including The Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Huffington Post Business, Entrepreneur, and Knowledge@Wharton. He’s also the host of the popular Curve Benders podcast.
Born in Iran, Nour immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with $100, limited family ties, and no fluency in English. He graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and went on to earn an Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He resides in Atlanta, GA, with his family.
There is no doubt that HubSpot is one of the leading CRM platforms for scaling businesses.
One of the main reasons HubSpot has managed to stay the course in a competitive industry is because of its ease of integration with many other solutions and applications such as Zuper FSM.
Michael Israel and the Zuper team take the show on the road to Boston for the Hubspot Inbound 2022 Conference in this episode. He gives us a sneak peek into the events and discussions at this conference and shares the highlights of Zuper’s partnership with HubSpot.
Michael discusses:
Zuper’s integration with HubSpot
The conference that led him to join the Zuper team
The speakers and events at the Inbound 2022 conference
His experience visiting Boston now as a former resident of the city
Did you know that we’re currently in the midst of our Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a period of rapid transformation across industries, societies, and nations. Technology, connectivity, and automation have been at the forefront of this revolution.
In this episode, We make a virtual stop in the UAE to speak with Wajid Zakir, Co-Founder and Director of Quiz Infomatics. He discusses how the UAE is gearing up to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, some challenges businesses face when transitioning from traditional to digital, and strategies to overcome them.
Wajid discusses:
The three initiatives driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the UAE
Five strategies for successful digital transformation
COVID’s impact on technology adoption in the UAE
How companies could grow in a competitive market with digital initiatives
The need for education in field management tools and their implementation in every industry
Wajid Zakir works with clients to help them transform their way of doing business. He uses technology to enhance customer experience, improve business processes, optimize costs, and maximize the use of tech opportunities.