The definition of a truck roll is any situation where a technician is dispatched, in a truck or other vehicle, to solve a problem. Truck rolls are a necessary part of many customer and field service operations. Common reasons for truck rolls are to install or repair equipment, do regular maintenance and inspections, or perform any other form of technical service.
There are several ways to reduce truck rolls that improve efficiency and reduce costs for any kind of service enterprise. Truly understanding the problem and having guided self-service options can eliminate unnecessary truck rolls. Ensuring that the right technician is dispatched with the right tools and knowledge can reduce the need for multiple visits to resolve a single problem. Likewise, with the right tools and support, technicians can perform tasks more quickly, saving time and money with each visit. Visual assistance and AR technology solves all of these problems simultaneously, ensuring that technicians are only dispatched when needed, with everything they need to quickly complete tasks the first time.
To understand the potential savings of reducing truck rolls, it is important to look at the complete cost of a truck roll in your organization. If your company has an idea of the cost per dispatch, it’s likely to be underestimating the true cost. Many organizations estimate individual truck roll costs between $150-$500 each. The true number, including all the indirect costs, is likely to be over $1000.
The true cost of a truck roll includes:
- Labor costs - technician wages, travel time, administration tasks related to dispatch
- Vehicle costs - fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation of vehicles
- Opportunity costs - a technicians time spent on one task means being unavailable for any other billable work
When you add all these costs together and multiply them by the number of truck rolls you can see the true cost of truck rolls and the amount you can save by implementing the right tools.
Truck Rolls per Month x Cost per Truck Roll = Cost per Month
Augmented Reality powered visual assistance enables companies to use remote support to visually guide customers and field technicians to resolve problems remotely. By combining live video with augmented reality features, a remote expert can guide anyone onsite to troubleshoot and perform needed tasks without a truck roll. In situations where a technician is truly needed, the remote visual support session establishes the specific problem, determines the needs for the task, and sends the right person with the right knowledge and equipment to ensure a first-time fix.
Remote Visual Support:
- Eliminates unnecessary truck rolls
- Increases first-time fix rates
- Allows technicians to solve more problems with less travel
- Increases Customer and Technician Satisfaction
- Shortens technician training time by offering them instant expert support in the field
A high number of No Fault Found (NFF) dispatches
These are situations where the problem can be solved quickly, often in less than five minutes. With visual support, NFF dispatches can be almost entirely eliminated, by offering a visual support session before ever sending a technician out.
Number of NFF Dispatches per month x Cost per Truck Rolls = $ That Could be Saved with Remote Visual Support
Low first-time fix rate
According to one estimate, 25% of all service calls require at least one additional visit to solve a problem. The most common causes of multiple visits are: an unqualified technician was dispatched, the lack of correct tools or parts, problems related to accessing the service area.
By beginning each service request with a visual support session, problems that will require a technician are seen clearly, enabling agents to send the right person and tools the first time. With HD photos and video saved right into the CRM or FSM file, everything related to the task is readily available for the technician before they leave.
Negative Customer and Technician Experience
With long wait times, and multiple visits often required, customers are often frustrated with the experience of a truck roll. Likewise, technicians report that they are happier when they can solve problems right away without unnecessary or repeat visits.
Visual support offers a way for customers to contact an agent who can triage and troubleshoot issues right away, by using any smartphone, tablet, or computer to show them what they see. When the issue can’t be solved remotely, they can be assured that the right person will arrive with everything they need to reach a resolution in a timely manner.
Technicians who are dispatched after a visual support session have access to photos, videos, and notes that show them exactly what needs to be done and where. If they encounter a problem that requires more expertise, they can use the same visual support tool to consult with senior technicians or subject matter experts while on site.
According to an annual State of Customer Service report, getting an issue resolved the first time topped the list of requirements for a positive customer service experience. 89% Globally and 93% of respondents in the US reported that using video chat helped resolve their issue.
Increasing Complexity of Products
With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming more complex, and the number of truck rolls to service and support them is increasing. Customer expectations for professional help to install, maintain, and service smart equipment is going up. Technicians likewise listed the increasing complexity of equipment as one of the top challenges they face in the field.
Providing remote support options gives service organizations a way to leverage their experts more efficiently, by having them help customers or technicians on-site through live video. Instead of spending all their time on travel, subject matter experts can provide support either directly to customers or to junior technicians who can then learn and train in the field providing top-notch customer experiences.
Reducing truck rolls with AR-powered visual support offers cost savings across the board while providing a better customer experience. Allowing technicians and agents to see the problem with their own eyes eliminates communication problems without having to depend on customers or technicians to accurately describe the problem.
SightCall maximizes technician potential. With our AR-powered remote support platform, our customers average:
- 50% fewer Truck Rolls
- 81% Improved First-Time Fix Rate
- 69% Decreased Resolution time
- 41% Decreased Training Time
- 30pt Increased Customer Satisfaction.
Customer and Field Service leaders are already seeing these benefits of remote visual support.
With SightCall Visual Assistance, ICON Health and Fitness now solves over 90% of all repair calls without a truck roll. Average resolution time has also decreased significantly, saving them an average of 4000 billable hours per week.
The Fike Corporation has seen a 90% reduction in travel costs and a 70% decrease in customer response times since deploying SightCall. They also note the power of visual assistance to reduce training time, onboarding new technicians on-site by walking them through repair processes with remote experts.
At SightCall, our enterprise-grade video cloud platform helps service leaders improve outcomes without deploying unnecessary support to the field. With AR features and AI insights, SightCall blends the digital and physical worlds into a real-time collaborative environment that empowers technicians, reduces spend and improves the customer experience.
With the flexibility to integrate into your existing business processes and CSM or FSM systems, digital transformation has never been easier. Contact us now to schedule a free live demo of SightCall.
