Keeping service costs to a minimum by using an independent technician when budgets are tight is a no-brainer, right? WRONG!
In fact, you could easily end up spending more and suffering increased down time – with a big impacts on your productivity and profitability. Here’s why…
No matter how good an independent technician may be, he is just that – a one-man band with a single premises, most likely a single service vehicle for callouts and limited access to the latest diagnostics and tools. His time is not only split between all his customers, but he also has to take care of all the back office tasks involved in running any business. And when he is on holiday, off sick or tied up with personal commitments, there will be times when he is not available at all.
That means when you book your machine in for service you will take your place in the queue. When your machine does have its day in the workshop its quite likely that the technician won’t have the necessary parts in stock so there will be a wait while they are ordered. And what are the chances of being offered a courtesy machine while yours is out of action? Virtually none.
At T H WHITE we know it’s possible to find lower hourly rates out in the market, but we always set our service prices at a level that enables us to deliver the speed and quality of service that your business needs and deserves. This represents real value that just isn’t available from one-man service businesses. Let’s consider the facts…
T H WHITE has more than 70 highly trained and skilled service technicians, three quarters of which are readily mobile in fully equipped vehicles. We have a 24/7 response service with out-of-hours support and in 90 per cent of cases we can achieve a first-time fix, whereas an independent is just one technician in one vehicle who may well need to make return visits to sort out any problems.
If one of our technicians encounters a problem he can’t immediately solve, he is able to draw upon the extensive knowledge and support across all the workshops and parts departments in our 10 agricultural branches. Our technicians attend the most up-to-date manufacturer training days for existing and new products, backed up by the latest service bulletins and resolution fixes for common faults, but independent traders are far less likely to be up to speed in these areas. We also operate a Master Technician programme to encourage expansion of technical knowledge and professional development and have a regular intake of apprentices to invest in training the next generation.
The advent of machinery telematics means that we can now see error codes from our customers’ machinery, in many cases enabling us to achieve remote fixes or to be pre-prepared for site visits, taking the correct parts for an immediate repair. Independents, on the other hand, tend not to have invested in the necessary technology to view the telematics.
One aspect that is often raised when discussing cost control is the use of genuine manufacturer or supplier remanufactured parts rather than third party aftermarket parts. Does this matter, and is the small additional cost worth it? The answer is undoubtedly YES, and T H WHITE always uses genuine parts, of which we have a huge stockholding with a 95+ per cent pick rate. Not only do non-genuine parts often lead to reduced reliability and shorter change intervals, but they can invalidate warranties – a real false economy.
If you have a machine that is out of warranty we will also fight your corner. We believe that in most cases there is some manufacturer liability and our strong relationships with leading suppliers mean the we are well-placed to negotiate on your behalf and recover costs. Independent technicians wont have direct relationships with suppliers to represent you in this way.
When you use T H WHITE for agricultural servicing you are buying into a consolidated team that will always pull together to give you the fastest, most satisfactory outcome. With our engineers being supported by more than 20 back office administration staff you will always have our immediate attention.
So, although you might pay more per hour, you are likely to be charged for fewer hours and enjoy a better result that represents real value for money. It’s not that the one-man service technicians are not good at what they do, it’s just that it’s virtually impossible for them to offer the kind of service and back up that you get from a company like T H WHITE. The economies of scale and efficiency also mean that, in the end, you will probably pay less overall for your servicing with us. It’s all the extra forms of support that bring real worth to what we do.
We rest our case – and now that we’ve shared the benefits, we hope you consider us for all your future servicing and repairs. Booking is easy – simply call your local workshop or get in touch here to request a service or repair slot.
