EXECUTIVE REPORT continued
WM Plant has a growing number of dealerships, the oldest of which is Stihl, spanning the whole 50-year period. “Stihl GB provides us with great service and availability,” said Barrie. “Support is always there, from staff training and technical help, to attendance at our open days and assistance with display units, photographic wraps and signage.
The internal showroom area has increased as the product range offered has grown.
In 1996, Bill Meadows retired and moved to Australia. Barrie bought his shares in the company and premises, making him the sole shareholder.
Diverse hire fleet
Today, WM Plant offers a very diverse hire fleet, ranging from small tools to 1-tonne Kubota mini excavators. The customer base is equally broad, including homeowners, tradesmen, contractors and local authorities, and they are spread across a large area that covers Cumbria and extends into south west Scotland, north Lancashire, and occasionally as far as Newcastle. “Much business comes via word of mouth from satisfied customers,” said Barrie. “Our view is that you only have one chance to deal with a customer enquiry, so you have to do it right, and that means having the right staff with the right work ethic.
“Something that we think sets us apart is that we always ask customers about their experience in hiring from us when they bring the equipment back. We invariably get a positive response and that helps build a relationship. We have ‘mystery shopped’ some other hirers in our region and we have occasionally been appalled by the level of service we encountered. We take time to demonstrate equipment, give advice and ensure we react quickly if a breakdown occurs.”
Barrie’s wife, Jill, who works in the business, says, “We never shy away from our responsibilities and we try to look after our customers as you would your best friend. One of our biggest strengths is that we offer everything under one roof, from hire and sales, to service and repairs, so people know we can provide exactly what they need. We all get a huge buzz out of serving customers.”
Competitive edge
The company is always on the lookout for innovative products that can be added to the hire fleet. “Niche products give you a competitive edge,” said Barrie. “For example, we recently bought a Bandit 38hp tracked stump grinder, and we produced a leaflet to point out to customers the benefits of using it, such as removing the need to dig by excavator, facilitating work in confined spaces, removing the obstruction to grass maintenance, banishing pests, eliminating the use of chemicals, the fact that the chips can be used as mulch, and leaving a level surface afterwards. We have also had great success with Cormidi tracked high-lift dumpers, which have controls in the middle that can be operated with one hand. Innovations like these lead to more hires and a greater return on investment.
13 Regular chainsaw clinics are held to give customers free advice.
“Looking ahead, the future is very positive. Footfall continues to increase and our daughter, Rosie, and her husband, Michael, are now involved in the business. The internet and local competition might put strain on margins, but we strive to maintain our standards of service by ultra-efficiencies in the business.” And this once again proves that there will always be a niche for a good local independent offering service.
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www.wmplant.co.uk
“We have expanded our internal showroom to give 30% more space. This was necessitated by taking on new dealerships such as for Timberwolf forestry equipment, Rock heavy-duty log splitters and log saws, and Hi-Sun 4x4 all-terrain vehicles for forest and estate use. Another important reason for the expansion was the ever-increasing sale of Stihl products and the growth of the range, especially in cordless tools. This has effectively doubled the floor area previously available for Stihl, which is now displayed in an atrium with eye-catching photographic wraps on the high walls. The area is completed with comfortable seating for customers and their families, with complimentary tea, coffee, quality biscuits and magazines.
Knowledgeable staff
“Our main challenge, apart from business rates and unreasonable competition, is the internet. We address this by offering benefits to the customer that cannot be obtained if purchasing online, such as knowledgeable staff, try-before-you-buy schemes, trade-ins, no obligation demonstrations on site or at home, spare parts, repairs, a chainsaw clinic giving customers free advice on their cutting problems, finance and, most importantly, all machines are assembled, tested and adjusted prior to sale, at which point full handover instructions are given.
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