field service
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field service
The part of a professional activity that takes place not in the office, but outside the company, often at customers' sites, on construction sites, or in other locations.
Als Vertriebsmitarbeiterin ist sie fast die ganze Woche im Außendienst unterwegs.
As a sales representative, she is out in the field almost the whole week.
This word is composed of 'außen' (outside) and 'der Dienst' (service/duty). So it literally describes a service or work that you perform outside your own company.
Der Außendienst kann sehr abwechslungsreich sein, weil man viel reist.
Field service can be very varied because you travel a lot.
'Außendienst' (field service) is almost always used with the preposition 'in' in the dative. Typical phrases are 'im Außendienst arbeiten' (to work in field service), 'im Außendienst sein' (to be out in the field), or 'in den Außendienst wechseln' (to switch to field service).
Mein Kollege ist die meiste Zeit im Außendienst unterwegs.
My colleague is out in the field most of the time.
The term is often used for jobs in sales, customer service, or technical on-site assignments. A person who works there is an 'Außendienstmitarbeiter' (field service employee / field representative).
Als Techniker im Außendienst repariert er Maschinen direkt beim Kunden.
As a field service technician, he repairs machines directly at the customer's site.
ground troops
'Außendienst' and 'Bodentruppe' can both refer to people who do not just sit at a desk, but work on site. 'Außendienst' is a normal professional term, especially for employees who visit customers or have appointments outside the company. 'Bodentruppe' is colloquial and figurative in this meaning. It means the people who do the practical work, as opposed to management. The words can be confused because both are connected with working outside or on site. For an official job or department, 'Außendienst' fits better; for a casual description of a team, 'Bodentruppe' is more suitable.
Nach zwei Jahren im Büro arbeitet Lena jetzt im Außendienst und besucht Kunden.
After two years in the office, Lena now works in field service and visits customers.
Ohne die Bodentruppe vor Ort könnte die Firma die vielen Reparaturen nicht schaffen.
Without the people on the ground on site, the company could not handle all the repairs.