For gas engineers, managing emergency call-outs and urgent jobs can feel like chaos; Customers reporting urgent gas problems can’t wait. Back-office teams have to scramble to prioritise the most critical jobs. And engineers are racing around in a haphazard way.😵💫
It’s a high-pressure situation and mistakes can have huge consequences. Plus, every misstep chips away at your reputation—not to mention eating away at SLAs and profit margins. To keep customers satisfied and manage operations in the most efficient way, you need a better approach. Cue: gas engineer software. The tech which provides the visibility and control you need. 🌟
In this blog, we’ll delve into exactly how gas engineer software handles emergency requests and urgent jobs—from the moment you get the call to after job completion.
Unpicking the chaos behind gas emergency service requests
Every gas engineering business hits the same challenges with emergencies—especially during peak season:
- Fitting more jobs in a day; which you may not have the capacity for.
- Prioritising jobs; you need to get the right engineer attending quickly without negatively impacting anything else.
Of course, emergencies are unpredictable. So you can’t plan for them. So when they do happen, it’s challenging to rapidly re-schedule everything to fit them in.
Another key point is that emergency call-outs need to be managed well due to the serious consequences:
- Safety: Explosions, fires, carbon monoxide poisoning
- Wellbeing: Customers going without essential services like heating and hot water
Plus, there’s a risk to reputation if SLAs aren’t met. This is where (good) gas engineer software comes in.
(Side note: You can take a look at what the best gas engineer software includes here.)
What is gas engineer software: Quick recap
You’ll be pleased to know that gas engineer software makes it easy to handle emergency service requests by automating things like efficient route planning, and quickly adjusting job schedules by priority order. It can even automate updating customers with ETA messages and more.
All of which means, you can protect your customers, engineers, and your business reputation and bottom line.
You might be thinking, “This sounds interesting, but how does the tech work for a typical call-out?” So, let’s break it down.👇
How gas engineer software works: From start to end of an emergency call-out
With the right gas engineer software, you can handle emergencies much more efficiently from the moment the service request comes in. Here’s how the tech streamlines operations from start to finish:
📥1. An urgent or emergency job comes in
As soon as you get an urgent job request by call, email, or directly onto your website’s customer portal, it appears and is logged on the unscheduled jobs section of the platform.
🚩2. The request is prioritised
You can then use the software to evaluate and prioritise jobs–based on the severity of the issue, potential risks, locations, and whether there are vulnerable customers, etc.
🔗3. The right gas engineer is assigned
The closest engineer with the right skills and availability can then be assigned to the emergency job. They get an instant push notification to their gas engineer mobile app and sat nav sends them via the quickest, most efficient route (avoiding traffic etc.).
Features like dynamic routing can even reschedule jobs and send engineers to the most crucial jobs on the fly. Plus, as soon as an engineer is assigned, the customer receives real-time updates on ETAs and more once they’re en route.
📲4. Engineers access all information
Engineers have comprehensive access to job information with gas engineer software and its mobile app. A few clicks reveal the latest job details, including all relevant job sheets, additional documents like risk assessments, and customer details with job history.
If customers provided specific instructions like gate access codes or contact info, these are also readily available in the app. Plus, if the job requires parts or equipment not currently on hand, the app shows the nearest pick-up point.
🔃5. Live updates are shared
With the right tech, the process of updating job statuses is fully automated. For instance, as soon as an engineer starts a job in the app, its status is updated in real-time on the office schedule, visible to both staff and customers.
Similarly, on job completion and digital sign-off, the system automatically updates the status, instantly making all 'paperwork' available in the office and on the customer portal. Engineers focus solely on the job and filling out job sheets as they progress, without the need for manual updates. This automation ensures that customers are consistently informed about ETAs and job completion in real-time.
💸6. Invoices are sent and payment is taken
Then, once the job is marked as complete by the engineer on site, you can automate invoicing. Plus, payment can be taken on the app using BigChange Pay if they have set it up in the office.
📈7. You continually adapt and learn
Gas engineer software doesn’t stop there. It learns from historical data to improve response times for future emergencies. And helps with Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)—reducing the need for reactive maintenance by preventing issues before they occur. The software also generates alerts for service reminders, ensuring regular maintenance tasks are not overlooked.
👉It’s easy to see how this smart tech slots into operations to prioritise the most critical emergencies and quickly handle unexpected high increases in demand. The result is more efficient maintenance, better resource allocation, and ultimately, fewer emergencies.
Real-life examples: Success using gas engineer software
You might be thinking; “This is all great in theory, but how does it actually boost operations in real life?” Here are just a few examples:
🔍Gas Smart Heating sees 25% efficiency improvement
Gas Smart Heating, specialising in domestic heating and plumbing, implemented gas engineer software to move from a paper-based system to a more streamlined, paperless management approach.
This meant efficient logging of incoming calls, job scheduling, and electronic dispatch of assignments. It provided real-time job data, allowing for swift issue resolution and same-day invoicing. (Something that is key for emergency requests).
Plus, it meant they could improve customer interactions, including immediate booking confirmations with detailed engineer information.
“At the start we were only partly automated and crucial details on customers and appointments were simply scribbled on pieces of paper and calendars. As we began to grow and recruit more engineers, we realised we needed a much more professional system. We wanted to be able to match larger service providers such as British Gas and that’s when we started looking for a new system.”👉Read more here
🔍MHL sees 90% improvement in admin efficiency
Gas, heating and engineering business, MHL was able to move from national to regional support thanks to mobile tech.
Automating processes allowed them to speed up operations, gain greater visibility, and increase customer service capability. Plus, electronic information and signature capture means they can sign jobs off faster and move to the next one.
It’s easy to see how this has allowed them to double turnover.
“Our engineers are connected in real time to receive and complete jobs, including digital certifications. For our clients, everything is completely seamless and with instant, fully digital reporting including photographs from site, we can meet even the most stringent reporting requirements, including those of facilities management who in turn have to report to their own clients.”
👉Read more here
🔍Heatforce boosts customer service rating by 25% in just 6 months
National heating company, Heatforce, switched to gas engineer software to benefit from mobile technology.
Since using BigChange, they’ve benefited from real-time information boosting customer service through improved scheduling and faster call-out response, together with instant digital communications backed by detailed proof of work records.
“Having everything in one place with live information at our fingertips gives us a level of control way beyond our original expectations.”
👉Read more here
Easily handle emergency requests with the right gas engineer software
From automating everything from the second an emergency is reported to constantly learning and adapting after job completion—gas engineer software makes it easy to safely manage more and more urgent requests.
Real-time tracking and communications are essential day-to-day, but in an emergency, they help you to instantly prioritise and schedule the right gas engineers to help customers who need it most. Plus, it means your business becomes more responsive, efficient and customer-focused.
All of which boosts your reputation and the bottom line. 🚀
So, if you’re looking to take the chaos out of emergency service requests, gas engineer software is the answer.
Here’s a quick recap of the benefits:
- ✅ Automate emergency call-outs and prioritising urgent jobs
- ✅ Optimise gas engineer schedules and route planning
- ✅ Get help to those who need it most with safety at the forefront
- ✅ Instantly communicate with customers and your team
- ✅ Make teams more responsive and customer-focused
- ✅ Streamline operations when it matters most
If you want to better handle gas emergency requests, here’s why BigChange is your best option. 👇
Why gas engineers choose BigChange
Trusted by thousands of field service businesses, BigChange is proven time and time again to boost operations and business growth. (You can read the latest success stories here.🌟)
We’ve developed several key features specifically for gas, plumbing, and heating businesses to improve response times, attend more emergencies, and complete jobs the first time.
Plus, as customer experience matters most to us, we’ve built in plenty of tools to support with customer management too: 👇
- ➡️Real-time job tracking: Monitor job statuses, along with gas engineers’ locations for quick and efficient dispatch in emergency situations.
- ➡️Automated job scheduling: At the click of a button, schedule gas engineers based on their availability, location, and the urgency of the job—crucial for prioritising emergency requests.
- ➡️Instant communication: Say goodbye to delays with direct communication between the office, field engineers, and customers—making sure everyone is kept up-to-date as jobs progress.
- ➡️Mobile access: Gas engineers can access job details, customer information, and navigation tools from their mobile devices or tablets. This is essential for rapid response in emergencies and boosting first-time fix rates.
- ➡️Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Manage customer data, including past incidents and specific requirements. Get access to all the records you need to complete jobs and update customers. And even provide customers with self-service options to allow them to flag emergencies without needing to phone in.
- ➡️Reporting and analytics: Offers insights into response times, job status, and other metrics, helping to continuously improve emergency requests management.
- ➡️Efficient digital processes: Streamline the documentation process—from initial request to job completion—to ensure that all necessary information is captured and accessible for emergency jobs. And are logged with a full audit trail.
Ready to dig in and see how it works? Book a personalised demo just here.
Psst. If you’re not sure if it's worth the investment, check out this savings calculator. ➗️
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