Part of the service

Indeed, when precision manufacturers are narrowing down their choice of potential suppliers it becomes a critical factor in the machine tool decision making process.

But delivering great customer service isn't something that can be achieved overnight. It requires a companywide ethic, a definitive mindset and clear and unequivocal leadership from the top.

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland has built a team from director level to field-based engineers that it claims is driven by a desire to provide the best support in the business.

“Our commitment to delivering world class aftersales service is what differentiates Mills CNC from the competition, and goes a long way to explaining our success,” explains Mills' operations manager, Nigel McLean. “The range of aftersales services we provide to customers is extensive and includes not only machine tool servicing and maintenance and spare and replacement parts, but also ancillary equipment, training, applications and technical support, and logistics.

“These services are constantly reviewed using customer research and feedback and improved to ensure that what we provide and deliver matches the quality and value of the machine tools we sell. That's why over 60% of the people we employ at Mills are involved in developing and delivering our service offering.”

Mills has an installed base of Doosan machine tool customers numbering 5,000 and to provide fast and effective machine tool maintenance and service whilst minimising machine downtime, Mills employs 19 skilled regionally-based service engineers.

“Directly employing our service engineers rather than relying on subcontract arrangements, means that customers receive a reliable, consistent service and, because of our competitive hourly rates, capped travel expenses and rapid repair times, our pricing remains very competitive,” says Mr McLean.

Mills' Operations Centre at its Leamington Spa factory functions as the central hub for customer service operations and is home to a technical helpdesk staffed by engineers as well as the focal point for training, spare or replacement parts and maintenance. Mills holds over £1 million of parts on the shelf at its Leamington facility and all are available for same day/next day delivery.

The Operations Centre is Mills' ‘mission control' and it's an accurate analogy. A large electronic whiteboard dominates the Centre and provides staff with a real time, visual representation of workload and priorities, and prevents customers from becoming lost in the system. Another screen monitors the response time to customers' telephone enquiries. “No customer wants to be left hanging on the line or be given vague assurances about when their particular issue or problem will be looked at or be resolved. That's why at Mills we employ skilled staff to address customer issues quickly and why our systems and processes allow us to be proactive and to give customers definite and precise answers to their queries,” adds Mr McLean.

The ongoing commitment to providing a first class aftersales services saw Mills launch its ‘360' Training Academy in September last year. The initiative provides CNC programmer training courses for both Fanuc and Heidenhain controls for Mills and non-Mills customers as well as operator and maintenance training.

Other new service initiatives include the company's ‘on-line' spares and replacement parts ordering service, and its soon-to-be-launched ‘360' All Inclusive machine tool service contract –covering scheduled machine service and maintenance; breakdown and accidental operator damage, fixed call out charges and discounts on spares and replacement parts.

Mills CNC
www.millscnc.co.uk