Some customers make their decision solely on price. They treat everything as a commodity and do not think that there is a difference between providers as long as the end equipment is the same. This article is not written for those people. This article is written for the person who runs a vehicle maintenance facility and is trying to find the right garage equipment partner to sell, install, and maintain their equipment. This person’s goal is not the lowest price, but instead the best value. They want to balance price, quality of service and speed of service to get the right partner for them.
The vehicle maintenance garage is what keeps your company rolling, whether you are repairing and maintaining vehicles for profit or saving cost on your own fleet. These vehicles play an essential part in keeping families and businesses in motion. When a vehicle breaks down, it affects two elements of life that most everyone would like more of, time and money. You can apply this same philosophy to when an essential piece of equipment you are using to repair a vehicle goes down. Every hour that the piece of equipment isn’t working compounds the loss of time and money as you adjust your resources to compensate. Keep that mind when you are considering purchasing a new piece of equipment and maintaining it.
This brings us to the crux of this article:
Where will I buy this equipment and who will help us maintain it
When selecting garage equipment company to work with, the savvy operator will consider at least five areas before selecting a partner.
Product offering
Most people evaluate people, co-workers, and partners by considering who they work with. Look first at the breadth of products they offer, and ask yourself:
- Does the garage equipment supplier carry a solid manufacturer for each equipment category I need?
- Do those manufacturers have a reputation of bringing quality products to market? A simple Google search can give you a basic understanding. Some questions to ask when evaluating manufacturers are:
- Do they manufacture this equipment in their own facility, or do they outsource their manufacturing? Where do they manufacture their equipment?
- How accessible are parts and what are the standard lead times?
- Is the equipment certified by whatever agency tests or, certifies that type of equipment? An example would be Vehicle Lifts. You might ask, ”Is it ALI Certified?”
Service Offering
Does the Garage Equipment supplier offer service on the equipment they install? What other types of equipment do they offer service on? Do they offer a maintenance plan to that will keep equipment running efficient and mitigate major equipment failures?
Experience Level
- How long has the supplier been in business?
- How experienced is their team of technicians? Do they carry any certifications?
- Do they have the proper equipment to handle your service needs?
Location
Where are they based out of compared to your place of business? You are going to want someone who can get to your location quickly in case of an equipment failure.
Size
How many employees? How many Service Technicians? You will want to know if you do have a problem, do they have the available technicians or service team to handle the work load.
Conclusion: How Should You Choose a Garage Equipment Partner
So when it comes time to contact a equipment supplier to purchase a new piece of equipment or you have a service need, consider the 5 areas above to make sure the company you choose will offer you a quality product that fits your need. Combine that quality product with expert installation by trained technicians and timely and effective service and you’ve found a great partner. This will allow you to focus on keeping your business and customers rolling smoothly.
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