A field service technician plays a crucial role to ensure the proper functioning of equipment in various industries. Apart from being technically sound in the applicable field service industry, they must possess various field service technician skills as discussed below.
Who is a Field Service Technician?
A field service technician is someone who provides maintenance, repairs, installation, and other services for customer-owned equipment such as computers, televisions, inverter batteries, solar panels, RO water purifiers and more.
They are also responsible for repairing or replacing any faulty equipment. They repair equipment at customers’ locations and may work for a company that provides repair services, such as an electrician or plumber.
What Does a Field Service Technician Do?
A field technician works with customers directly to diagnose problems with their equipment and repair it. They are responsible for delivering quality customer support, repairing equipment and providing preventive maintenance services.
Field service professionals usually work in field service teams and often visit several locations for field visits throughout the course of a day. They work closely with customers and suppliers to make sure installed projects run smoothly.
The job requires a high level of technical knowledge and problem-solving skills. They must be able to work safely and securely in confined spaces. They must know how to use tools, machinery, and equipment.
How to Become a Field Service Technician?
A field service technician works in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, utilities, telecommunications, healthcare, government, retail, education, finance, insurance, real estate, food service, hospitality, and others.
They perform routine maintenance and repairs on equipment and machinery. They install and repair electronic devices such as computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, and phones. And they troubleshoot problems with heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, water supply, and power generation systems.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment growth for field service engineers through 2026. This occupation offers great earning potential, especially if you choose to specialize in one area.
For example, some service technicians focus solely on repairing medical equipment. Others work exclusively with computer hardware and software.
You can earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology, science and mathematics, or another related major. Many employers prefer employee experience in the field.
Field Service Technician Skills
An ideal field technician is responsible for maintaining equipment. They must be able to troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently. Here are seven skills to look for in potential candidates.
1. Customer Service
Field service jobs require service technicians to know how to listen well to customers and ask questions to determine what the problem is. They must learn how to resolve issues quickly and effectively to deliver higher customer satisfaction. In addition, good customer service skills are essential to every job to boost customer satisfaction scores.
Customer service technicians are often tasked with answering questions about a product or service. They must know everything there is to know about it. But knowledge isn’t enough. To succeed, customer service reps must also possess a desire to learn.
2. Technical Skills
The technical skills needed for a technician position vary depending on the type of job. For example, HVAC technicians must know everything about HVAC systems, HVAC maintenance procedures, how to repair HVAC systems, solutions for technical issues, etc.
Maintenance technicians must have access to the knowledge base and undergo regular training to keep up with the latest trends and systems in the field service industry.
3. Physical Ability
Maintenance workers must spend hours working in high places and often climb up and down scaffolding. To ensure their safety, maintenance workers must pass a physical ability test. This includes standing for long periods of time, climbing stairs, lifting heavy items, and walking distances.
4. Ability to Multi-task
A maintenance technician must be able to perform multiple tasks and understand how each part of a building works. This includes knowing how to troubleshoot problems and repair systems and faulty equipment. Field automation systems help field service teams to multi-task and resolve customer queries promptly.
Field techs must be knowledgeable about different types of equipment and how it operates. For example, they might be required to work on air conditioners, heating systems, elevators, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, water heaters and refrigeration systems.
Field service techs must possess problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Problem-solving involves identifying problems and coming up with possible solutions. This process usually requires gathering information about the problem, analyzing it, and deciding how best to tackle the issue.
Decision-making allows you to evaluate your options and choose the most suitable option. If you are faced with multiple choices, decision-making helps you narrow down the list of potential solutions and select one.
You must know what type of equipment you have before you decide whether you need to buy new ones or fix old ones. In some cases, you might already have the necessary tools to solve a specific problem.
5. Communication Skills
Communication is the key to a dynamic structured field service business. Enough coordination is necessary between the field maintenance technicians and the in-office field service managers to deliver better customer experiences.
Field Service Technicians must be able to communicate effectively with customers, vendors, partners, and co-workers. They should also be skilled at problem-solving and performing technical tasks. They must also be able to work well under pressure and handle stressful situations.
Utilize field service management software that allows real-time communication between the internal field service managers and the technicians. The real-time job notifications and updates keep everyone in the organization on the same page and reduce miscommunication errors and service delays.
6. Management
Customer service representatives are often inundated with requests. They must prioritize speed and accuracy in responding to customers. How much of your time is spent on tasks that don’t add value to your business? And how do you measure the effectiveness of your efforts?
Using traditional methods to manage business processes consumes too much time. For instance, manually entering job data, and updating customer data in spreadsheets or paper records consume too much time and effort. Alternately, using a service CRM software makes data entry and data storage simpler and faster.
Not only the data storage but you can automate most of your field operations using field service automation platforms.
Try Unoservice field service management software for free that lets you manage your entire field service business from one platform on any device and at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions on Field Service Technicians
What are the differences between field service engineers and field service technicians?
The differences between a field service engineer and a field technician role are: field service engineers work directly with customers while technicians perform maintenance tasks. In addition, field service engineers usually work for large field service companies while technicians often work for small field service businesses.
How to become a field service technician?
Learn about how the technology and industry work. Then, find companies where you can work for free while learning all about their business. Finally, start applying for jobs at these companies.
What are the most important field technician skills to have on my field service technician resume?
The most important field service technician job skills to have on your resume include being able to troubleshoot equipment issues, being familiar with industry standards, and knowing how to work efficiently with others.
How to improve your skills as a field technician?
To become more skilled at your field technician job, it helps to be aware of how technology has changed over the years. For example, if you are working with a computerized system, make sure you know what software updates are available for the device. Also, keep up-to-date with industry trends. Finally, ask questions when you don’t understand something. This will help you learn quickly!