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148 
THE AFTER SALES SORE
Page 82
Page 83
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STARTS IIEHE by Gordon
The need for vehicle manufacturers to provide fast and competent after-sales service from both factory and distributor/dealer networks is today more important than ever before. The transport legislation of recent years has resulted in more attention being paid to maintenance, and too much is at stake for operators to underestimate the value of this crucial aspect of their business. Manufacturers are equally aware of the part their after-sales service plays in the new scheme of things.
ERF after-sales service falls into three main categories: the supply of replacement parts; the provision of vehicle repair and maintenance facilities; and the backing of a technical advisory service. The company confidently claims that it provides an after-sales service equal in every way to its contemporaries, and in some aspects better.
The hub of ER F's service facilities is the new £500,000 centre which stands on a 10+-acre site at Middlewich. This is conveniently situated only four miles from Sun Works at Sandbach and was opened by Mr John Peyton, the Minister for Transport Industries, last November. Reaching out from the hub the service is carried by 40 distributors and dealers to the customers; I have met a number of transport men who testify to its worth.
Whether the repairs attended to at Middlewich are the results of normal wear and tear or accidents, the staff can put a vehicle right from front grille to rear bumper. Between centre and distributors ERF carries every spare part for every ERF model on the road and a complete range of reconditioned units is immediately available off the shelf.
Already the Middlewich service centre is building up a reputation for its service to operators who do not have the facilities either to prepare their vehicles for test or to modify them to meet new legislation. Together with this complete repair service ERF has launched through its distributor network a component reconditioning service which it markets under the name of Sunpar. In a workshop occupying 7000 sq ft the Suripar units are reconditioned. They include transmission assemblies, engines, brakes and steering assemblies. These items are reworked to their original specification. They are available on exchange basis with the damaged or worn parts and carry the manufacturer's guarantee.
The service section has a capacity of between 30 and 35 vehicles, employs 50 fully skilled engineers and has eight pits varying in length from 20 to 34ft. And every modern service aid.
In the spare parts store 20,000 different items are in stock at all times and these are fed out to customers through the distributor /dealer organization. The chain of control of spares movement after it leaves Middlewich is from distributor to dealer and service agent or repairer; the customer can buy his spares at any one of these four points.
The third ' aspect of after-sales service is supplied by fleet engineers based at Middlewich. They comprise a team of advisers and troubleshooters who link the factory; the distribution network and the customers; their territory is the entire country, and Middlewich is strategically placed for road, rail and air transport.
ERF claims to be the first independent manufacturer of heavy goods vehicles to introduce a microfilm parts listing system. It has been installed at Middlewich and already has provided the solution to many problems in spares identification. Frequently a mechanic's description at a stores counter hundreds of miles from the factory
bears little resemblance to the part which he is seeking. The microfilm system takes the guesswork out of spares supplies. At the same time it simplifies both the handling and compiling of stores' documentation which all too often occupies as much space as the spare parts. Complete details of all models showing part numbers, locations and servicing requirements are microfilmed and the film images of the vehicle documentation are mounted on a 6in. by 4in. card of film called a microfiche. Each of these holds up to 60 page images mounted side by side in document order an six rows of 12 columns, and in this way they contain the complete build up of material for one vehicle. Microfiche copies appertaining to all ERF vehicles are held in a single filing tray measuring approximately 8in. by 6in, so that every distributor or dealer can hold complete documentation for every model. Using a microfilm viewer any member of an ER F distributor's staff should be able to identify a part within seconds.
I am sure it is not coincidental that ER F's highly sophisticated accident repair service should be located so close to M6. The service provides for the recovery of a damaged vehicle and thereafter for the rebuilding of any part or all of the vehicle which will put it into a condition ready for inspection by the assessor of the insurer.
Contract maintenance is becoming increasingly popular as a result of the requirements of the operator's licence application. ERF has been quick to recognize the potentialities of such a service, and the company is now perfecting a scheme which very soon will be ready to be offered to customers. Vehicles will be maintained at a standard which will ensure that they not only pass the DoE annual tests but any roadside checks.
ERF could rightly claim to be attending to its customer from the cradle to the grave. Undoubtedly its services must prove attractive to hauliers who are finding it difficult to cope with the requirements of today's legislation.