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Service & Support

http://www.channeltimes.com/story/service-support/

That quality of service can make or break a company was made amply clear over the last few weeks when channel partners across the country took up cudgels against several manufacturers to protest against their apathetic attitude toward support service. And in each case, the manufacturer saw sales plummeting to unexpected lows till it promised to rectify its service support infrastructure.

What made the situation even more interesting was that each of these manufacturers are acknowledged leaders in their space and are known to take service and warranty issues seriously.

However, not many manufacturers have service centers of their own. Most outsource this requirement to third-party service providers. And therein lies the problem.

While manufacturers do ensure that it partners with an established service provider, most leave it at that. No action is taken to ensure that quality standards are maintained at the promised levels and do not deteriorate over a period of time. Nor do manufacturers invest energy into investigating whether the new branches set up by its service partner adheres to similar quality standards.

Manufacturers need to introduce a system to monitor and regularly evaluate the performance of their service providers.

Manufacturers also need to analyze the service providers growth strategy. While maximum reach is a concern for most manufacturers, tying up with a service provider with a large number of branches may not necessarily translate into better service. Mere reach means nothing. You need technically skilled and capable service staff to convert the reach into an actual advantage.

If the service provider is in an expansion mode, the principal needs to analyze whether new branches are being set up after consolidating its operations in the existing ones. If the service provider is not able to meet its commitments then the principal needs to get involved in the process.

However, the manufacturer can take the initiative to train the new staff in its products and technologies. It can also train its channel partners in tackling basic service issues. Mentoring partners interested in advancing their skills would be a value addition that will be looked upon favorably by channel partners. And in the long run, this skill base can pay rich dividends.

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