TIME-HONOURED REWARDS WITH CHIRON'S ROUND-THE-CLOCK CUSTOMER SERVICE
"The job of a machine tool is to make components. And our job is to ensure the machines do just that."
Ian Howlett is quite clear about the role that he and his engineering team plays in the user success of Chiron vertical machining centres.
As Engineering Services Manager at Chiron UK, Ian Howlett co-ordinates and manages a nationwide team of 12 dedicated Chiron field engineers, any one of whom will respond to a machine call-out within four hours - at any time of the day or night!
"Chiron Werke UK Ltd was one of the first machine tool companies in the UK to implement round-the-clock customer service and call-out. Users can ring our service line at any time and speak to someone about a problem, which we try and solve over the 'phone.
"If that is not possible we will despatch a service engineer anywhere in the country, and he will attend to the problem within four hours - guaranteed"
Using in-house developed software to co-ordinate the preventative maintenance routines and the breakdown and accident repair actions of his team, Ian Howlett is adamant that Chiron's reputation for customer service depends just as much on field engineer skills as it does on availability.
"Because these guys service only Chiron vertical machining centres, they are totally focused on Chiron technology. That means they can quickly identify - and solve - any and every problem"
Each new Chiron engineer undergoes a two- to three-month induction course at Chiron UK's Southam headquarters before spending an intensive month at the German parent's manufacturing site, where they return every six months for refresher training.
Armed with laptops they can access the Chiron databases in the UK and Germany, for service records or technical information, for example. In addition, they use the modem connection to update the system with job closure details (fault found, parts used, time spent) while also locating and ordering spares. There's even a plan to develop an electronic customer 'signature' facility for immediate invoicing via email, fax or post.
"Service
obviously plays a key role in every machine purchase decision,"
adds Ian Howlett,
"and we consider we've got the most sophisticated and responsive customer
operation in the UK. Our customers tend to agree with that."
