Post-purchase servicing under pressure

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By Dwain Duxson

Post-purchase servicing under pressure - I read this morning that our Machinery Dealerships are struggling to find staff. Them too. According to a survey conducted by CNH Industrial, some 800 roles were advertised in the last 12 months, and only half of those were filled. Mainly Technicians (a new word for Mechanics) who calibrate, service and repair all the new Machinery and Equipment we buy. They are very important to the Farming Ecosystem.

Mechanics for Dealerships is like a rent roll for a Real Estate Agency. Mechanics are a constant source of income for Dealerships, and they make a good margin on this service, parts included. Like selling a property, selling a new piece of kit is the cream on the cake for these businesses. 

But have the Machinery manufacturers done the Dealers a disservice by making Machines too complex and somewhat foreign to Farmers? It's probably built up a lucrative income stream for Dealers in the last 20 years, but by struggling to find these technicians, it could come back to bite them as the service offering isn't what it used to be. Farmer's get nervous if they can't fix something themselves. 

We wrote about how people are going back to simple with Machinery purchases, and we also wrote (over 10k views) about why the Case IH 2388 Header is the highest turnover Header by a long way. The new Machinery and Equipment industry is a fantastic one, but sometimes it can fracture if some of the pieces to the puzzle aren't at full strength. Has your service offering been up to scratch post-purchase?

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