And while this is giving rise to efficiency improvements, tighter budgets and more consistent construction work, it’s also affecting customer service, which is a big concern in an industry that functions strongly through networking, word-of-mouth recommendations, and reputation management.
But how exactly is this happening? Which digital updates are leaving their marks on the level of customer service in the construction industry? Let’s find out.
Media-rich online communication
Clear lines of communication are essential for the construction process in general, but particularly for dealing with customers because they don’t have the industry expertise to know what’s going on and how things are proceeding.
Through group chat platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram and construction management suites like BIM 360 or PlanGrid, customers can be kept apprised of project progress, being able to see relevant media shared with them and confirm that updates are taking place at a steady pace.
This avoids awkward scenarios of weeks passing by and customers calling with difficult questions about why things have or haven’t been done in particular ways. It saves the construction team a lot of time, makes it clear to the customer where their money is going, and allows any setbacks to be addressed as early as possible.
Location tracking
When a customer brings in a builder to assemble their gazebo, can they be sure that it’s going to take the amount of time and work the builder claims? They might well trust them, but progress doesn’t always move smoothly on a daily basis, and seeing that not much has been accomplished in a day might make them suspicious and feel that they are being exploited.
Location tracking isn’t just useful for employers— it’s also great for providing reassurance that a builder (or construction team) is where they claim to be during working hours. If a customer is told that a builder will be at their house at a particular time while they’re out, they can check the location tag online to verify it.
If they’re told that it’s necessary to spend a day collecting supplies from particular stores, or meeting with another link in the supply chain, or that a flat tire has left a worker stuck on a road to their property, they can verify that travel as well.
Being able to look online and see that construction workers are where they are supposed to be is very important for being trusting. After all, a lot of people have had bad experiences with builders— winning their trust is worthwhile, but not easy.
3d modeling, VR, and AR
The rise of building information modeling, or BIM, has been transformative for the construction world. No longer are people required to painstakingly create mockups from scratch, because they can stitch them together from data in BIM software. And those mockups happen to be invaluable from the customer’s perspective.
Traditionally, when a customer hired a construction firm to build something, there would be illustrative designs, but just that. Beyond that point, they would need to imagine how the finished work would look, and there could easily be a disparity between what they envisioned, what they described, and what the builders ultimately created.
With advanced and increasingly photorealistic 3d modeling, a customer can see very clearly how construction work is going to look when completed, being able to view it from all angles and truly determine if it’s what they’re hoping for. If not, changes can be made before continuing.
This is already a massive customer service factor in the ecommerce world. Shopify, a software company that trades in helping users make retail storefronts for the web, has led the ecommerce world in deploying VR and AR technologies, and it’s a sure sign of where other customer-focused industries are going to go sooner or later.
It’s all part of what is known as ‘experiential retail‘. When users can rotate and interact with a 3d model of a product, it gives them confidence in deciding if it’s right for them— and given the cost difference between a handbag and a new house, that confidence is overwhelmingly more potent in the construction world.
Drones
Drones, or UAVs, are increasingly prominent in the construction world, and not just because of the time they save. It’s also because they avoid a lot of potential human error. 3d scanning and site assessment are lengthy and arduous tasks for workers, and it’s not uncommon for errors to be made that must later be identified and rectified.
For the customer, a drone-led aerial data capture operation is rather preferable in most cases. It’s faster, more convenient, less invasive, and more accurate. Workers take holidays and have other bookings and have road journeys to make to reach sites, but drone fleets lack those complications.
In the future, we’re likely to see more and more construction operations being carried out by drones; moving materials, drilling holes, painting walls, etc. We won’t see fully-automated construction projects for a long time still, but by automating the most basic tasks, construction teams can be left to work on the most complex elements, ensuring that projects move smoothly and customers are kept happy.
In an industry where there are many options and one influential review can cause a company to rise or fall, customer service is of paramount importance, and businesses need to use all the technology at their disposal to keep their customers happy. Through adding convenience, reassurance and confidence, these digital innovations are raising service standards in the construction world— and there’s no going back.
About the Author: Kayleigh Alexandra is a content writer for Micro Startups — a site dedicated to spreading the word about startups and small businesses of all shapes and sizes. Visit the blog for the latest marketing insights from top experts and inspiring entrepreneurial stories.