“With the advent of our purpose-built Downham Market facility HARSH has effectively doubled its national footprint” says Managing Director Adam Hargreaves. “In turn, this allows us the opportunity to re-appraise our wider business objectives and further strengthen our commitment to customer service.
We believe that by bringing our aftermarket activities closer together both in our mindset and in actual practise we can only enhance our performance and reputation. We are fully committed to providing the best possible aftersales support to customers in all our business sectors whether tipping, construction, waste, agriculture or environmental services.”
First, Parts Supply
Parts availability is often the No.1 aftersales issue for truck operators, which is why in the last year HARSH has doubled its Parts warehouse space and stockholding at its York HQ whilst also introducing a wholly new Parts operation working out of the all-new 4 acre site at Downham Market.
Going forward from a strong and established base, HARSH now aims for a minimum 90% Parts availability within 24hrs, covering all the core products in its range including tipper hydraulics for tractors and rigids, skiploader / hookloader bodywork and sheeting systems. Parts can be either be despatched by courier, delivered locally by our vans or collected over the counter.
Second, Service
Similar in scope to Parts, both York and Downham Market now offer complete Service facilities for all types of repair, maintenance and routine vehicle upkeep.
For the first time, the two North / South HARSH workshops can now easily handle full sized semi-trailers for fitting / repairing sheets and tipping cylinders. Similarly, installing new skiploader and hookloader bodywork on rigids can be done as well.
The fleet of HARSH Service vans providing operators with on-site support is also steadily increasing, as is further back-up from carefully selected third party businesses offering equivalent levels of support in the more far-flung areas of the UK.
The re-structuring of our internal warranty systems also makes the claims process faster and more efficient. AfterCare will also be able to provide tailor-made Service Contracts to customers wanting to have them.
Third, Technical Support
HARSH encourages both truck operators and chassis dealers to work closely with them to determine optimum overall vehicle specifications that will deliver the best possible user performance. This is important if bespoke installations of further ancillary equipment such as wet kits, catwalks and drawbar connections are required (this being particularly relevant to customers purchasing second-hand vehicles such as standard-spec tractor units).
Fourth – Human Support
When introducing new truck types into a customer’s fleet, HARSH will endeavour to deliver a professional handover to ensure full customer knowledge as to their correct and safe operation. Similarly, HARSH will be happy to provide further driver training when and where required.
AfterCare – The Real Deal
Heading up the AfterCare programme, AfterSales Manager Rob Geesing comments “HARSH has always been a people-led and people-focused business, and the closer customer contact that’s inherent in AfterCare will only add to that strength. AfterCare is really all about performance and how we can offer a fully joined-up aftersales package that fully responds to whatever the customer needs.
For operators of any size, HARSH AfterCare is the Real Deal.”