Machine tool supplier strengthens back-up

UK agent for Index, Traub and Hermle, Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools, has created the new position of operations manager - Aftersales and has given the job to Alan Rines.

Immediately after a manufacturer or subcontractor has ordered a machine tool and the supplier's sales and applications staff fade out of the picture, there is a risk of a gap in communications occurring during the transfer from pre- to post-sales and before the after-sales service department takes control of on-going customer care.

Those crucial weeks during which the machine is installed, commissioned and passed off can make or break a relationship.

Mindful of this, the UK agent for Index, Traub and Hermle, Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools, has created the new position of Operations Manager - Aftersales at its Gosport headquarters and has filled it with the appointment in June 2005 of Alan Rines, a well-known figure in the machine tool industry with over 20 years of relevant experience.

"Proactive after-sales service needs direction and customer orientation and my job is to make sure it happens at Geo Kingsbury," stated Rines.

"Regular communication is the key to ensuring that everybody understands what is required of them, including all customer personnel.

By providing the necessary information such as details of foundations, power requirements and access provision in a timely fashion, it ensures that the installation goes smoothly and the machine is in production quickly.

Even if it means relaying unpalatable information, such as a delay to the arrival of the machine or a third party accessory, the customer will usually understand that such things do happen." Rines added: "What they will not understand or tolerate is when nobody tells them that there is a problem.

Being given the information as soon as it is known allows them to mitigate the effect by making contingent arrangements.

The same is true for the Service operation, where accurate information on availability of an engineer or spare parts is fundamental to the customer's business decision-making process." To achieve these goals, Rines now has overall responsibility for the service department, headed by Mike Blundell, who organises installation, service call-outs and planned maintenance programmes.

He also oversees the spares supply and purchasing function under the control of Marie Hembrow and will interface closely with all other sections at Gosport, especially the Sales and Applications departments.

The addition of two new service engineers to the team will enable Geo Kingsbury to actively support preventative maintenance contracts, an area of customer service Rines is keen to promote, as there are tangible benefits for customers.

The most obvious is the avoidance of costly breakdowns but such annual contracts also carry the benefits of preferential customer status, service at reduced rates and the assurance of receiving genuine spares fitted by factory-trained engineers.

Amongst other offering, it is planned to introduce extended, insurance-based warranties that are relatively inexpensive to purchase and simple to administer.

Rines champions the 'Lifetime Partnership' approach, where not only does Geo Kingsbury sell and service machines but also continues to support the installation by offering cost effective upgrades and control options, tooling, additional training courses for programmers, operators and maintenance staff, effectively making sure that the machine's potential is fully realised throughout its working life.

In conclusion, Rines said: "Pre- and post-sales must form part of an integrated whole that is effectively delivered, otherwise the benefits from a customer's investment in the machine may not be properly realised and the success of the installation will be significantly undermined.

More and more manufacture is being lost to low-wage countries and what remains in the UK tends to be the higher-added-value and quality-critical work.

These jobs are exactly the type that rely on a market leading range of products and good all-round service from the machine supplier, underlining further the importance of Geo Kingsbury's enhanced care initiative.".

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