Converting Case Study
The vital role of support
All manufacturers of technology know that selling the right equipment is only part of keeping their customers satisfied. Steen Clausen, of Vetaphone’s customer support team explains how the Danish inventors work with their customers long after initial sales to maintain strong longterm relationships
DO YOU SEE YOUR JOB AS REACTIVE OR PROACTIVE? Very much proactive - it’s always far better to anticipate a situation than allow it to become problem that requires a solution – but that’s in an ideal world and the reality is often quite different.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT AVOIDING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS? It’s more a case of gaining a close understanding of each customer’s specific requirement and production capability, and then assessing how best to provide the technology and support they need. Each case is different, even within the same industry sector, whether it’s converting, laminating or extrusion, so we have to keep an open mind and be flexible in our approach.
DOES THIS APPLY TO ALL TYPES OF CUSTOMER? Yes. With the OEMs, who handle the installations themselves, we need to work closely prior to commissioning so that it becomes a turnkey operation. Their customers prefer a single point of contact so it’s down to us to ensure that the Vetaphone technology supplied is well integrated into the main machine, whether it’s a press, laminator or extruder. By working closely with the OEM, we can ensure our part of the installation is seamless.
WHAT ABOUT RETROFITS? The key factor is establishing what is the problem with their existing surface treatment system. It can be failing for a
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number of reasons and until we know precisely why, and it is often not for the reason the customer believes, we cannot offer advice and suggest the best solution. We are very thorough in our investigative work because we need to find a long-term solution for the customer. This can often require a degree of education in how the system works and how to use it correctly.
SO IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT FIXING AND MENDING THEN? Not at all. Although surface treatment is only a small part of the total production process it is a vital one and as the saying goes: ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’. That’s the reason we see education and training as a key element in our work with customers. There is a shortage across the industry of knowing what a corona unit is and does.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THIS APPROACH? One of our USPs is that Vetaphone technology offers its users a level of fine control that is not available elsewhere – but this is of no value if the customers don’t understand the importance of the process. By working with them and evaluating their problems we can recommend a programme of training and maintenance that will improve the performance of the entire production process and give them a greater degree of self-sufficiency. The more capable they are the less they will need to spend on service calls – we aim to fix any problem by phone/email within four hours.
Vetaphone’s customer support
team (left to right) Steen Clausen, Bo Eriksen, Søren Kusk, and Rune Dibbern
HOW DOES VETAPHONE COPE WITH THE CHANGES IN MARKET DEMAND? Our technology is upgradeable – and this is so important as we work towards a greener economy. Very little is thrown away as unusable – for example new Vetaphone generators are frequently fitted to Corona stations that have been working non-stop for 20 years or more. Our knowhow and technical capability even allow us fit our generators to other manufacturers’ treatment systems to improve performance and reduce waste.
THIS MUST BE A USEFUL SALES TOOL? It’s all about quality. If you have faith in the integrity of your production process it gives you confidence to promote your brand. That’s why we don’t sell preventative maintenance contracts – we believe there is no need for them. If we have listened carefully to the customer’s requirements and supplied the right equipment, there should be no need for anything other than on-call support.
HOW DO YOU SUM UP YOUR ROLE AT VETAPHONE? We keep the wheels turning. Sales and support go hand-in-hand and when you have a top-quality product in which you have confidence, you can focus on finding the best solution for the customer. To do that, you need to get really close to them and understand their day-to-day problems and anxieties. Any ‘fixing’ that we do is usually with their processes – the Vetaphone technology largely takes care of itself!
vetaphone.com
convertermag.com
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