Using ServiceM8 to save time AND reduce your cognitive load

I talk a LOT about using ServiceM8 to save time, but something I also mention is cognitive load.

The main idea in cognitive load theory is that we have limited mental bandwidth for dealing with new information – Cognitive load refers to the amount of information our working memory can process at any given time.

Our working memory is like a bottleneck

By templating and scripting as much as possible in ServiceM8, you’re not only saving time, but you’re reducing your daily cognitive load.

…You’re not using up your working memory trying to remember the steps that need to happen during a particular job; the automated messages that need to be enabled for the customer; the things that normally go wrong; the pricing you need to apply… and you then save that mental bandwidth for the rest of the day.

So, how else can you use ServiceM8 to reduce your cognitive load and the demands on your working memory?

• Can you create a template or service for every job, no matter the work required, so that you can automate the basic pricing, have your booking reminders and review collection automated?
• Can you write a knowledge article to make it easier to train someone else to take your calls and book the work in?
• Can you separate out your personal phone calls & texts from your work calls and texts?
• Can you write more email and SMS templates (using ServiceM8’s AI features to suggest things to include) so that you don’t have to keep writing them from scratch?

What else have you templated? How else do you reduce your cognitive load each day?