The Ins and Outsourcing of Service Work
There is a marketing maxim somewhat jokingly used with clients when discussing parameters for new projects: “Cost. Quality. Speed. Pick two.”
It nicely frames the quandary any service-oriented business faces when trying to meet customer expectations, as one must almost always be excluded for the sake of the other two. Of course, customers demand all three.
It plays out multiple times each day in heavy-duty truck garages throughout North America. The truck needs to be fixed yesterday, it needs to be fixed right the first time and it better be fixed cheap and not a penny above the estimate.
While sometimes these expectations are more realistic than at other times, every shop owner and manager strives to meet them. The risks of not doing so are just too great. You could lose future business from not only that customer, but possibly from others if word unfairly spreads that you’re unreasonable or less than competent.
This month’s cover story, “Driving Decisions (see page 18),” takes a deep-dive look at the factors behind fleets’ service decisions. We take a look at the why’s, where’s and what’s that drive the aftermarket choices of your fleet customers.
We are able to bring this research to you as a joint effort between three publications – Truck Parts & Service, Successful Dealer and CCJ – that fall within the Aftermarket/Dealer/Fleet division of our parent company, Randall-Reilly Publishing Company.
