Client Scheduling Management for Techs

You’re almost done with one job, there’s just one more machine to check, and… it has more problems than you can fix in the time you’ve allotted for the job. You’re already late for your other appointment with the CEO of the company you’re supposed to speak with on upgrading his corporate network… and if you’re late for that you’ll never make your appointment later with… – It’s a client scheduling nightmare!

How can you accurately schedule all your clients in and be balanced regarding time scheduling? A lot of it comes with experience, but there are a few basic steps you can take to improve client scheduling, and ensure you’re not running helter-skelter from appointment to appointment.

1. Give Yourself Extra Time

It’s better to overestimate how much time you’ll need for a job rather than underestimate, especially if you have other appointments stacked up behind you. You could get stuck in traffic. There might be an emergency between you and your next client. Nothing is absolutely guaranteed and nothing is foolproof. Anything and everything could happen from one minute to the next, from transportation failure to communications failure. Give yourself extra time to get from point A to point B, and not only will you arrive less stressed and anxious, but it will give your clients a better impression if you are punctual and not appearing to be completely rushed out of your mind.

One recommendation is to add at least 25% extra time on your initial estimate for the job, to allow for any unforeseen problems. If you don’t use that extra time on the job, use it to catch up on paperwork, boost your online presence with a post or a tweet regarding a special you’re offering, or use it to make a new business contact. The extra time isn’t a waste, it’s an opportunity, when you don’t need it for the scheduled job. If you were too rushed to grab a bite before your service call, use the extra time to grab something so you have some energy for the rest of the day.

2. Schedule in Non-negotiable Time Slots

This was mentioned as a side point in point #1, but you need to take time during the day to replenish your energy. When you miss that and just keep working through, you may often not realize how it will start to affect your efficiency and energy level. If you do it often, it can really drag you down, so schedule in reasonable time to take a break during the day. That doesn’t mean you need a 3 hour all you can eat buffet, even a half hour break and a foot-long at Subway will give you what you need for an afternoon. You want to be alert, and overdoing it will make you drowsy.

3. Schedule Transit Time

Be sure to schedule in time for transit to and from jobs, or from client to client. Allow extra time, perhaps 25% more than the usual transit time, in case you get caught at a train crossing or caught behind a truck with an over-sized load that you can’t pass. There have been a few accidents on the Interstate near my community that required helicopter assistance, and those accidents added another hour to my transit time at the least. While those events are completely unavoidable and rare, it’s an example of why you should schedule a little extra time for transit.

4. Schedule Time with the Client in Mind

If at all possible, demonstrate your interest in your client when they ask when you can arrive. If you give them the opportunity to request a certain time slot first, it demonstrates your respect of their schedule. It will also often result in your arrival at a time they are more prepared for you and there will be less tension during the service call, as they are not trying to attend to your requests as well as take care of normal business they already had scheduled. For instance, when I needed to upgrade a corporate network, I asked when the best time would be to close network operations and be able to completely disconnect everyone and reconnect using new hardware. We were able to do it after business hours, and have everything operational before the next business day. If I had insisted on a time slot during business hours, and if they had agreed to it, it would have required that they lose business time and money while I took down their network for the rest of the day, and it could have led to rather tense relations. Be flexible, and adapt to your clients’ needs, and they’ll appreciate it.

On the other hand, sometimes the only time slots you have available and the time slots they have available will not coincide within a reasonable time period, depending on how busy you are. Do your best to adapt to their needs, but always within reason. It’s a good idea to try to schedule all your clients ahead of time because of this, not waiting until a few days before they need the services performed to schedule them in.

These basic tips will help you schedule your time more wisely, and be more conscious of how your time passes during the day while on service calls and work tasks. They will also help you be less rushed during your work day, and will help you keep your energy level up so you’re at your best all the time, and not dragging your feet to the last service call at the end of the day, having skipped all replenishment during the day. A half hour break can save you from passing out from exhaustion at the end of the day. Skipping breaks may seem like the best way to get a lot done during the day, but trust me, it will catch up to you, and your work will suffer eventually. If you follow these tips, you should have less stress, more productivity, and be able to increase your punctuality for your service calls, leading to client appreciation and hopefully, more business.

What has worked for you personally? Drop a comment below!