What does “after-sale support” mean to your company?
Michael Anstead: After-sale support is very important to ABC
Companies. We have an entire department dedicated to this called
CustomerCare. We know that our sales department can sell the
first coach, but it is after the sale support that keeps the customers
coming back. ABC’s commitment to the customer carries on
through our CustomerCare team. Our team is available 24/7/365 to
take calls from drivers and operators to assist them where needed.
This support includes technical assistance as well as training on
maintenance and operations for the customers fleet.
Robert Hitt: Service is a core part of our business, with the largest
service network in the industry we recognize and adapt to the
customer needs. Prevost factory trained technicians help ensure the
work is done right the first time. Our customer support managers
and parts managers are in the field each week interacting with our
customers keeping the lines of communication open to insure we
are exceeding customer expectations.
Mike Grom / Jim Reaume: At Q’STRAINT we have always
considered “after-sale support” as part and parcel of the original
sale. That means once the sales are confirmed and complete our
job as a company and a sales team is just beginning. After sales
support includes follow up with our customer to make sure product
performance is meeting expectations and letting them know that
we are always there for them if any issues arise that need to be
addressed. These are not just words we express – but rather we
supply contact information for inside customer service support and
for engineering and technical support. If questions arise that need
dialogue between the customer maintenance department and our
technical experts, we are readily available. Regional Sales Managers
also offer on the job trainings where and when needed and always
keep in touch with their customers to ensure our customer
satisfaction is of the highest level. We let them know we are there
for them not just for the order but for our reputation as well since
we believe in our products and their reliability. We truly believe
after-sales support is as important as the order itself.
Lucius McCelvey: When a sale is made here at Safety Vision, we
view it as the beginning of a relationship between two organizations
instead of the endpoint. Thus, “after-sale support” serves as the
foundation of what we do. We recognize that our customers have
made a significant investment in us, so we see it as our duty to make
an ongoing investment in their organization as well. That means we
have a continuous open dialogue with our customers to ensure we
build a long-term, equitable relationship built on trust.
Safety Vision has a 28-year history in public transit, and
we realize that our success in the industry is based on our
commitment to understanding the challenges transit agencies face.
Much of that knowledge and awareness stems from conversations
with our clients about what their needs are. Our goal is to accept
and act on all customer feedback/input so that questions or
concerns are addressed in real-time. Live and timely support is
imperative to the industry because of the important role video
plays in public transit safety.
What levels of customization do you offer for customers who
need to fulfill specific or niche needs?
Hitt: We receive special requests from our customers on a regular
basis; if it is a short-notice request or something that is difficult to
adapt to in production we can always adapt and do the install in our
service centers. Working with our business partners gives us the
opportunity for specialty seating or galley arrangements.
Anstead: We focus on the solutions that satisfy our customers’
needs. Our onsite engineering department communicates to
Van Hool any customer demands, market trends, as well as any
customization requests a customer may have. Many customers look
to us for solutions that may be integrated with their mobile systems
and technologies.
Grom / Reaume: In terms of our wheelchair securement products,
we offer a wide variety of products to meet all our customer’s needs.
When it comes to support and training, we also offer a variety
of different options with the Q’STRAINT TRAINING AQADEMY
which is a comprehensive program of wheelchair securement
training solutions. From online trainings to on-site trainings, it
encompasses it all.
McCelvey: Flexibility is paramount in this industry because each
transit authority is unique in terms of what is most important to
them. We receive a lot of feedback and customization requests
from our meetings with clients, so the ability to deliver on those
is simply part of the process – it is what we do. Safety Vision is
an organization built on meeting the needs of our customers and
therefore, we offer customization in a variety of ways.
For example, different agencies can have the same hardware but
varying onsite maintenance agreements, reporting needs, analytic
requirements, and viewing software options. Thus, each agencies’
system will be custom built to fit their unique operations. We not
only customize for the end-user but also for the Original Equipment
Manufacturers (OEMs), which can range anywhere from custom
cable designs to sensor capabilities and anything in between.
Further, Safety Vision is the only Mass Transit surveillance vendor
that gives the customer a choice between an open platform onboard
solution or one of its proprietary solutions. With the open platform,
the Video Management System is independent of the hardware and
agencies have endless third-party integration possibilities, allowing
for the most customizable onboard solution the industry has ever
seen. An open system allows the end user to access surveillance
technology at a global level versus the confines of one specific
proprietary vendor. We do not have a "one size fits all" approach to
the industry.
Grom / Reaume: In terms of our wheelchair securement products,
we offer a wide variety of products to meet all our customer’s needs.
When it comes to support and training, we also offer a variety
of different options with the Q’STRAINT TRAINING AQADEMY
which is a comprehensive program of wheelchair securement
training solutions. From online trainings to on-site trainings, it
encompasses it all.
Is there a “statute of limitations” on after-sales support for
your customers?
Grom / Reaume: We put the customers first and stress that taking
care of the customer is our top priority. All of our products are
under warranty and backed with the highest level of customer
service and support.
Anstead: ABC offers support for the life of Van Hool coaches. Our
technical support team is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week
365 days a year. We provide technical support for every Van Hool
brought to North America.
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