3 reasons a preventive dealer maintenance program drives customer loyalty

Reliable service and maintenance technicians are often hard to find, putting contractors in a difficult situation when it comes to keeping current with preventive maintenance schedules. Everyone in the construction industry knows the important role preventative maintenance plays in optimizing machine uptime and health. This presents your dealership with the unique opportunity to become the one-stop shop they rely on from sale to service.

Offering your customers flexible service options for preventive care is a win-win for your business and theirs. Contractors should be focused on projects that drive revenue, yet they are often distracted by the investment required to maintain the equipment fleet. They end up hiring additional staff or asking members of their team to pull double duty. This often results in the use of sub-optimal tools that may contaminate the very same machines they are trying to protect or create environmental hazards through spilled fluids.

By offering preventive maintenance services to customers and investing in the proper preventive maintenance tools to perform the service correctly and in the most efficient manner possible, you can provide a level of service the customer might not be able to justify internally.

So, what are the reasons establishing dealer preventive maintenance services can help you capitalize on market opportunities? From increased revenue opportunities to building long-lasting customer confidence, there are too many to count. Below we’ll break down our three for dealers, and then you can get a closer look at this comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Guide, which also includes a series of benefits for your customers as well.

Reason 1: You’re the go-to, from sale to service

By offering preventive services, you become a complete equipment solution provider. Your customers can offload their preventative maintenance burden, creating one reliable relationship for their equipment, freeing up more time for them and opportunities for you to generate ongoing revenue.

This not only builds customer loyalty but your customer’s success is closely tied to the profitability of your dealership. While creating preventive maintenance programs for customers can feel overwhelming at first, the process can deepen your relationship with them and create long-lasting relationships.

Reason 2: Eliminates customer pain-points

Your customers move as quickly as you do, oftentimes leaving PM as an afterthought. The more efficient you can become at servicing the equipment, and the more diligent to keep them on top of their PM schedules, the greater the potential profit. In a sense, you’re acting on their behalf to make sure their equipment stays in proper order to minimize downtime.

We recognize the challenge with creating any new revenue stream is often that dealers have to convince customers that you can save them time and money in the long run in exchange for a service and or finding the adequate labor to do the work. This also allows you the opportunity to develop programs that are mutually beneficial for you and the customer (see Reason 1 above). These programs can range from offering to handle all routine preventive maintenance over a certain period at a discounted rate to negotiating rates to help maintain their entire fleet of new and used equipment.

Reason 3: Develop a source of quality used equipment

As equipment shortages continue to disrupt the market, ensuring a supply of quality used equipment is beneficial to your dealership. When you handle the customers’ preventive maintenance plans, you know the equipment has been properly cared for and is up to date on all manufacturer-recommended scheduled maintenance. Not to mention, your customers will have peace of mind and confidence in purchasing from your dealership knowing the maintenance has been taken care of on-site. Furthermore, by becoming the customer’s equipment solution provider, it is likely you will get to take this equipment on trade at a fair market value, allowing you to better develop an accurate pricing strategy. Having access to the service records adds value to any used machine.

Finding the Right PM Solution Doesn’t Have to be Complicated

Ranging from skids and trailers up to Class 8 lube bodies, Sage Oil Vac mobile lube equipment is built to meet your dealership’s requirements for tank size and capacity as well as licensing restrictions. The more efficient the lube system, the more oil changes that your dealership can perform every day reducing the need for a high volume of employees to execute this offering. Our pump-free, vacuum system provides efficient fluid exchanges, less mess and ongoing repairs for so you can keep PM schedules moving with a lower cost of ownership.

And who better to speak to the time savings and ROI a reliable mobile lube solution can provide then one of our customers?

Michigan Cat discovered the benefits of investing in a Sage Oil Vac system to assist their preventive maintenance services. They used to transport two 55-gallon barrels of oil to the jobsite for generator maintenance, switching out oil manually and returning used oil barrels to a central shop. This averaged almost three hours per oil change. After investing in a Sage 1C5F-2100 preventive maintenance trailer, the Michigan CAT techs were able to complete the same task in 69 minutes. This left technicians with enough time to conduct an extra oil change every day. With this increased efficiency, you can make a profit performing preventive lube services while exceeding customer expectations.

Contact us today to learn how we can turn your dealership into a PM profit center. And don’t forget to check out the comprehensive guide that breaks down the benefits in more detail.