In a general services company, the entrepreneur deals with complex processes on a daily basis and is not always able to monitor them closely. Monitoring the quality of work, ensuring customer satisfaction and selecting and managing people are some of these tasks.
At first glance, these challenges may seem to be the same as those faced by those who work in retail. However, in this case, the “goods” are actually services performed by a professional in another company, out of the sight of the business owner.
Another major challenge for the manager, in this context , is maintaining financial organization , which depends on factors such as assertive pricing and default.
Yes, this is an area that has its particularities, but it is possible to stand out in the market, attract customers and still ensure financial control of a general service provider company . Keep reading and check out the valuable tips we have put together for you!
Main challenges for general service companies
Knowing the main obstacles in service management is the best way to overcome or even avoid them. This is because you can find lasting solutions and plan better for unforeseen events.
Preparing pricing correctly
Setting the price for a service is very different from setting the price for a product. That’s why this is one of the most common difficulties among general service companies.
To arrive at the value of a product, we take into account the price of the raw material. We can also use metrics such as item size, weight, etc. However, these parameters do not make sense when we are talking about a service.
In this case, the methodology is different and takes into account variable factors, such as:
- The professional’s experience;
- The complexity of the service;
- The amount of hours worked;
- The costs of providing that service (fixed and variable);
- And even customer satisfaction.
Maintain service quality
Service quality is an aspect that influences customer loyalty . Therefore, ensuring that the work is being done correctly and that the consumer is satisfied is essential to maintaining recurring demand.
But this is also a challenge, as it involves standardizing the service to avoid discrepancies in the final result. Offering training and carrying out customer experience assessments help maintain the quality standard.
Find qualified professionals
To ensure that the job is done well, it is necessary, first of all, to find qualified professionals . This is not so simple either, because, in addition to knowing how to carry out the activities, the employee needs to have good interpersonal relationships, be friendly and be willing to commit to the values of the company providing general services.
But just as important as hiring good people is providing training, updating their knowledge and monitoring task performance. Only then can you keep customers satisfied and avoid financial losses.
Unstable revenue and demand
When providing services, demand may be higher or lower at certain times of the year. As a result, revenue will also vary.
The challenge here is to keep the company’s financial management up to date, which is essential to avoid suffering a major impact during low seasons, guarantee the capital needed to keep the business running and create a reserve for unforeseen events.
Monitor productivity
Monitoring the productivity of professionals is also not that simple, especially because the team is working in different places.
Despite this, it is necessary to monitor employees in order to guarantee a quality service and, as a consequence, the renewal of contracts .
Have good financial control
Is your company really making a profit?
To answer this question, it is essential to have good financial organization , that is, to control accounts payable, accounts receivable and debts. This is also a major challenge not only for service providers, but for companies in general.
All this without taking into account the monitoring of defaults, which is the subject of the next topic.
Contain default
Having a good collection process helps to avoid defaulting, but not every company providing general services is at this level.
Which is normal, especially when you are growing in the market or in situations where the owner is responsible for many activities.
After all, he is not always able to monitor finances closely and charge customers in a timely manner.
8 tips for managing general services companies
In the previous topic, we saw the main challenges of an outsourced general services company . Here, see some tips that can optimize the management of this type of business.
1. Make a clear contract and make sure the other party understands it
This tip applies to both clients and people you hire to be collaborators. The important thing, regardless of the situation, is to make sure that all stakeholders understand what is being agreed upon .
Make it clear to your customers what service will be performed, what it covers, for how long, whether there is any form of guarantee and any other specifications.
As for employees, make sure they know what their role is in the company, what you expect them to do, and issues regarding working hours and salaries.
This way, you align the expectations of everyone involved and avoid frustration.
2. Carry out a good selection process
Finding professionals who have the experience and technical skills to deliver good results is essential to maintaining quality standards. Therefore, it is best to invest in the support of Human Resources professionals to carry out the selection process.
Selecting employees assertively avoids future problems, such as many layoffs and loss of customers, which also impacts finances.
3. Monitor customer satisfaction
Providing personalized treatment and monitoring customer satisfaction is a great way to help your business stand out in the market. After all, this attitude shows how much your company is concerned about offering a quality service.
4. Have an assertive collection flow
As we mentioned earlier, not monitoring your accounts can lead to a loss of control over your defaults . However, with an organized collection flow , it will be easier to know which customers still owe money and what the payment terms were.
In addition to encouraging payments to be made on the correct dates, you avoid charging those who have already paid and possible embarrassment.
5. Rely on professionals from other areas
As an entrepreneur, you probably already know that all sectors need to be in harmony for the business to be successful. But you also probably already realized that doing all of this alone is a formula for personal stress and burnout for the company.
But remember that you can count on other outsourced professionals to keep management more optimized. HR consultants, marketing agencies, legal advice and outsourced accountants help make your processes more efficient.
6. Provide training to the team
Invest in training and courses for your employees, whether to refresh their knowledge or teach them something new. This way, your team will always be qualified – and your company will be competitive in the market.
7. Design processes for other areas
Having a quality standard is essential to keep customers satisfied and also to make assertive financial planning. After all, if you know exactly how a task is performed, you will be able to calculate all the values involved in that service.
To do this, you must design and record each process of the outsourced general services company and define those responsible for each sector.
8. Track results
Monitoring what is being done and the results is essential for the evolution of the business. This allows for more complete management and the identification of points of attention, before they become bigger challenges.
Therefore, keep track of contracts won and lost, organize performance indicators for services and employees and know what the costs are to keep the company running.
Having a company in the service industry requires attention and commitment. And, as you can see, good management is directly linked to financial control.