Field service organizations, now more than ever, are utilizing digital payment methods. Aimee Rametta, VP of Marketing at WorkWave, says digital payments give field services companies the ability to provide their customers with the quickest, most efficient, and most convenient experience possible. “Many field service businesses — from lawn care to cleaning to HVAC and more — have their technicians in the field servicing their customers and ultimately executing the payment transactions. Integrated payments allow customers to choose the payment option that best suits their needs,” Rametta says.
“With digital payment options used in other everyday aspects of their lives, such as with PayPal or Venmo to buy groceries or online shopping, customers are accustomed to using these platforms. They now expect them as an available option for all payment transactions,” she says. “And, especially now, contactless payments are required for customers to feel safe and comfortable, and their use continues to grow. For field service organizations, accepting digital payments can help meet those customer expectations and provide a better experience overall when it comes to payment processing.”
More advantages of digital payments for field services
Rametta points out that there are benefits to integrating payments with field services solutions beyond meeting consumer expectations for flexible payment options.
“Accepting digital payments reduces manual operations from technicians to the back office,” she explains. “With digital payment solutions, field workers have the tools they need at their fingertips in order to instantaneously share payment information from the site to the office without going through the hassle of managing payments or the potential risk of losing payments altogether. By having digital payments, businesses can better serve their customers while also increasing their own efficiency.”
She adds that utilizing tools with integrated payments in the field can help reduce operating costs for businesses. “Digital payments for field services eliminate the time required to print and send invoices manually,” Rametta says. “By partnering with the right payments facilitator, businesses can benefit from combined buying power for lower rates, enhanced functionality and faster cash flow with integrated solutions. This will result in saving money and time, enhancing profitability and payments experiences for customers.”
Choosing the right payments partner
Independent software vendors (ISVs) and software developers looking for a payments partner will find that not every company will be a good match. Rametta says, “For many, the focus is on moving money and not necessarily on the service and the payments. This can cause tension between both payment providers and field service businesses as well as between field service businesses and their customers.”
“Payment companies that understand their customers’ specific needs, challenges, and operations can provide the best cost, service, and overall customer experience,” she comments.
She points out, however, you can’t overlook the technical specs of the solution and how it will work with your software. “For field services running all business operations on one platform, it is essential for a seamless payment experience for customers and the back-end office. Without a seamless integration, processes can be time-consuming and take multiple steps to manually collect and process invoices for payment. Eliminating extra, unnecessary steps for field service operators leaves them with more time to focus on growing their businesses and servicing their customers,” Rametta says.
What direction will your business take?
Rametta explains that the importance of digital payments for field services has driven changes at WorkWave. “We knew that providing an integrated payments solution for our customers that saved them money, provided a better customer experience and accelerated their cash flow was what our customers were asking for,” she says. “In order to meet the needs of our customers and provide even more value to their organization, we expanded our offerings to include payment facilitating. This empowers our customers by providing end-to-end tools they need to grow their businesses for greater profitability and competitive advantage in their markets.”
