On August 31st, we will be implementing a cutoff for providers requesting schedule updates through their assigned work orders. The new cutoff will start 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of a Hard Start work order, or 30 minutes before the end of an arrival window, after which providers will no longer be able to request schedule updates. Buyers will maintain their ability to edit or make corrections to work order schedules any time before the work order is submitted for review by the provider.
We didn’t make this change lightly. Since we introduced the Provider Success Score, last-minute schedule update requests have increased by 80%. The majority of these were submitted during check-in by providers simply attempting to avoid being marked as late or early, even though they arrived outside of what is considered “on time”. With more than 4,000 check-ins happening each day, this influx of requests added considerable friction that slowed operations and prevented many buyers from being able to manage and approve their work at scale. Our goal is to facilitate proactive schedule management for buyers and providers, capture accurate check-in data, and keep the platform fair and easy to use for everyone.
We know that managing your schedule as a provider can sometimes be challenging, especially with things like unexpected traffic, overlapping jobs, or city-specific delays. If you realize the scheduled Start Time of a work order no longer works for you, there are three options available:
- Request a Schedule Update ahead of time. You can attempt to reschedule a work order by requesting a schedule update any time before the 30 min cutoff. This is best done with as much notice as possible to give the buyer time to review your request and make arrangements. Remember, buyers can accept or decline your request up until work order approval, and until the buyer accepts the request for a new schedule, the original start time remains in effect.
- Report a Problem: ‘I Can’t Make It to My Assignment’: If the buyer can’t accommodate a reschedule and you can no longer make the assignment at all, the “Report Problem: I can’t make it to my assignment” functionality allows the buyer to remove you.
- Report ‘Running Late:’ If you’re on your way but were delayed (e.g., a previous job ran long), you can report ‘Running Late’ which notifies the buyer that you will not be on time and shares your new ETA. The buyer can acknowledge and resolve your report, or remove you from the work order if they so choose. Though you may still end up with a late check-in or a backout, documenting your status via “Running Late” is strongly recommended because missing a check-in entirely with no communication could result in a “No Show” removal, which has 3x the negative impact on your Backout Score (compared to a Late backout or Late check-in).
Additional Reminders:
- We recently added more ways for providers to view and update their Field Nation schedules, allowing for better visibility and easier management of current and upcoming assignments.
- A buyer “resolving” the report that you’re running late does not update the start time. It's simply their way of acknowledging they received the message.
- The parameters for an 'on time' check-in are designed to be as flexible as possible: checking in between 30 minutes before and up to 15 minutes after a Hard Start, or anytime within an arrival window, is marked as ‘on time’.
- It is understood that occasionally providers are unable to arrive on time for various reasons. The Timeliness Score uses check-in data from a rolling 30 work order count, so providers who are late/early once in a while can still maintain a good score assuming they are not consistently checking in late or early.
- We have the ‘Dispute Check-in’ process for situations where check-ins weren’t captured correctly.
- For situations they’re aware of like last-minute delayed parts or end-client changes, buyers will still be able to update the schedule any time before the work order gets submitted for review by the provider.
Throughout August, we’ll be reaching out to buyers to explain this update and share best practices for keeping work order schedules accurate in real-time and choosing schedule types that are flexible whenever possible. If a buyer edits a schedule after the 30 minute cutoff, they’ll be asked to select a reason to help us better understand why last-minute or post-check-in schedule updates occur.
We appreciate your partnership as the platform continues to grow and evolve.
