Professionalize Your After-sales Service

Many machine manufacturers seize the opportunities of the aftermarket not around one-third of the German mechanical engineering company not even exploiting one-fifth of their market potential in the after sales service self-professed and this can as in new machine business even though earnings are 8 to 10 times higher when product-related services with an EBIT between 15% and 25%. This revenue and earning potential by many manufacturers not be used, also not the many other benefits, that the after sales if provides professionally operated. There is above all the customer loyalty. “Although everyone knows the truism: the sales sold the first machine, each additional service”, a sustainable consequence for the philosophy is but not derived. Also the feedback from the market provides crucial information for the further development and improvement of its products.

So what prevents firms from to professionalize their after sales service and to expand it? It hangs at many companies with the conservative self understanding together. Many companies have their market positions up and expanded, it was sufficient to provide a good machine, and at best the customer commissioned to put this. But long gone are those days. Today, customers expect a significantly beyond the initial period of the machine cooperation by their suppliers. Only who identifies himself with the problems of its clients, the user of the machine, the willingness to participate in problem solving brings or has even tailor-made problem solutions around the core product in the portfolio, will survive in the long term. But exactly this paradigm shift in the head, this shift from pure supplier to a production partner”of customers find very difficult many companies, not to mention the practical implementation in the company structure and functioning. For example, the structure: in a minority of companies after sales service is considered important business field and as such directly managing director subordinate. For many companies, the service ekes out an existence as an appendage to the installation or distribution.