How to Improve Technician Efficiency and Reduce Chaos in Your Service Business

The skilled labor shortage remains one of the biggest challenges facing service contractors today. With the commercial HVAC market projected to grow to $15.7 billion by 2029, businesses will need to increase the technician workforce by 8% to meet demand. But hiring more workers isn’t the only solution.

Billy Marshall, founder of ServiceTrade, recently joined ACHR’s The NEWS podcast to share his perspective on the importance of improved technician efficiency, smarter workflows, and planned maintenance.

Here, we highlight some of Billy’s insights alongside findings from the 2025 Technician Insights Report to explore what’s holding techs back and how you can improve efficiency, retention, and profitability in your business.

The Biggest Technician Frustrations (and How to Fix Them)

The 2025 Service Technician Insights Report surveyed 650+ technicians across the industry and revealed one overwhelming truth: Technicians aren’t frustrated by the work itself—they’re frustrated by the chaos surrounding it.

The study found that technicians struggle most with:

• Scheduling chaos (last-minute changes and emergency calls).
• Excessive administrative tasks (paperwork, miscommunication).
• Customer miscommunications (unclear job details, missing information, and misunderstandings that lead to wasted time and inefficiencies).

Here are some ways to reduce frustration.

Fix #1: Prioritize Planned Work Over Emergency Calls

Focus on customers who invest in preventive maintenance rather than those who only call when something breaks.

When jobs are scheduled in advance, technicians experience less stress, fewer disruptions, and more productivity.

Billy Marshall: “If your customers are always in emergency mode, they’re bad for your business—you can’t optimize anything when you’re just reacting all the time.”

Fix #2: Use AI and Automation to Eliminate Admin Work

AI-powered transcription and automation can reduce admin work so techs can focus on billable tasks.

The survey study revealed that techs enjoy solving problems and helping customers, but they don’t enjoy paperwork and other administrative tasks.

“Stop asking the technicians to type a bunch of stuff out—just have them talk.”

With AI tools like ServiceTrade’s Smart AI, you can automatically transcribe technician reports and generate customer-friendly documentation, eliminating wasted time.

How to Keep (and Attract) the Best Technicians

Retaining top talent is just as important as hiring new workers. Twenty-six percent of skilled workers in the industry are nearing retirement, and businesses need to focus on keeping their best technicians engaged.

As revealed in the Technician Insights Report, techs want more streamlined days, better work-life balance, and less administrative responsibility.

“The best source of new leads for ServiceTrade is actually when a tech leaves a ServiceTrade shop and goes to a non-ServiceTrade shop and says, ‘What are we doing? This is crazy what I’m being asked to do.’”

Fix #3: Use Technology to Attract Younger Technicians

Companies using modern field service software are more attractive to younger workers.

Younger techs have grown up with smartphones, apps, and automation. They expect efficient workflows, not outdated, manual processes.

“Technicians would rather work for a company that embraces technology than one that makes their job harder with outdated methods.”

Fix #4: Reassign and Automate Administrative Tasks

Technicians should be focused on servicing and repairing equipment, not getting bogged down by unnecessary administrative work.

Office staff should handle admin work like quoting, documentation, and customer communications, freeing up techs to do what they do best.

“The technicians need to be doing productive stuff for the customer, and anything that can be done by somebody else needs to be done by somebody else.”

Final Thoughts: Reduce Chaos, Improve Productivity, and Boost Profits

The future of service businesses depends on technician efficiency, not just hiring more people. Reducing chaos, eliminating wasted work, and embracing technology will lead to:

• Higher technician retention
• More billable work per hour
• Fewer last-minute emergencies
• Increased profitability

Next Steps

• Download the full 2025 Service Technician Insights Report to get the latest industry data and best practices.
• Listen to the full discussion on ACHR’s The NEWS podcast to reinforce the importance of technician efficiency.
• Book a discovery call with our team to find out how ServiceTrade can help you improve tech efficiency and reduce chaos.