Mobile Businesses Thriving as COVID Changes Customer Demands
COVID-19 has permanently reshaped consumer behaviours and expectations – especially when it comes to mobile businesses. While this global shift has proved fatal for some businesses, for others it has been a golden opportunity for rapid growth and the roll-out of new services.
The businesses charging successfully into 2021 are those that have kept up with the new customer demands of getting what they want, when they want, and where they want it – usually, straight to their doorstep. However, according to Harrison Lingard, co-founder of innovative service management software, fieldd, it’s not enough these days just to “be mobile”.
Service providers also need to be “on mobile” and more responsive to client needs than ever before he says; hence fieldd’s development of an industry first mobile app to complement their software and designed to transform out-in-the-field business efficiency with the simple flick of a digital switch. “As working from home looks like becoming a permanent part of our future, mobile workforces are needed more than ever to come to where people need them,” says Mr Lingard. “Although there is light at the end of the tunnel regarding the pandemic, we’ve seen entire companies take the plunge and switch to mobile-based operations, undergoing rapid business model adjustments to not just stay afloat, but stay competitive. “A lot of businesses that have ‘always done things a certain way’ are intimidated by the thought of digitising their operations or re-platforming their business, but it’s the only way these small-to-medium enterprises will ever be able to compete in this new world,” says Mr Lingard.
The App Analytics and App Data Industry Standard has revealed mobile users spent 1.6 trillion hours on their devices in the first half of 2020, with a 220% increase in time spent on business apps. Consumer in-app spending also hit a record high of $27 billion in the same quarter, with app downloads reaching an all-time high of nearly 35 billion showing consumers expect to be able to interact and transact with businesses in real time on their personal devices.
“Something as fundamental as overhauling an archaic booking system from phone or email bookings to automatic online bookings can give a business owner back hundreds of hours lost to basic admin tasks,” says Mr Lingard. “A surprising number of service businesses still use manual booking systems: a customer enquires, and an admin person books a day and time for the service that best suits the business – not the customer. Even if the business is using a calendar-based booking system, it’s unlikely they can cater to same-day service bookings, but that’s exactly what consumers expect now.”
Mr Lingard has spent years perfecting the field service software aptly titled ‘fieldd’. The software uses geo-fencing and AI to match customers with service providers, putting the customer in control of their service, including tracking a job all the way through to payment and completion. “One of our earliest clients was a mobile car wash and detailing company that struggled to grow because of the admin time to schedule and dispatch jobs,” explains Mr Lingard. “By digitising their operations with fieldd, this small business saw their bookings jump by over 300%. “They were able to expand staff, add more service vehicles, and saved massive amounts of time and money on admin, allowing them to focus on their most important business asset: exceptional customer service.”
2. Perez, S. (2020, July 09). Coronavirus impact sends app downloads, usage and consumer spending to record highs in Q2. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/09/coronavirus-impact-sends-app-downloads-usage-and-consumer-spending-to-record-highs-in-q2/
About fieldd
fieldd is the smart field service management software solution that helps companies of all sizes take more bookings, grow their business, and be more profitable. fieldd’s AI-powered platform helps businesses with a mobile workforce reduce their admin time by up to 12x, meaning they can focus on what matters most: providing a great service! fieldd is an Australian technology company built by service people for service people, whether you’re a mobile photographer, cleaner, tradesperson, locksmith or removalist. fieldd’s current offering also includes a white-labelled customer booking app, so any business can have their own fully branded app for customers to book, track, and pay for jobs at the click of a button.
Media Contact
Company Name: Fieldd
Contact Person: Garo Tanzi – Media Relations
Email: Send Email
City: Austin
State: Texas
Country: United States
Website: https://www.fieldd.co
