Tell us about your new AfterCare programme at HARSH?
We recently introduced HARSH AfterCare – our singular ‘umbrella’ programme offering customers a fully-focused and carefully tailored range of post- sale support services, applicable to all products sold by HARSH in the UK.
The key elements of AfterCare are Parts Supply, Service Requirements, Technical Support and Vehicle Handover & Training.
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.
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.
Describe the parts supply service that HARSH offers as part of AfterCare?
Parts availability is often the No.1 aftersales issue for truck operators, which is why in the last year we doubled the parts warehouse space and stockholding at our York HQ, whilst also introducing a wholly new parts operation working out of our all-new 4 acre site at Downham Market.
Going forward from a strong and established base, we are now aiming for a minimum 90% parts availability within 24hrs, covering all the core products in our range including tipper hydraulics for tractors and rigids, as well as skiploader/hookloader bodywork and sheeting systems. Parts can be either be despatched by courier, delivered locally by our vans or collected over the counter.
What about the service offer from HARSH?
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 HARSH workshops in the north and south 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.
How important is the technical support element from HARSH?
We encourage both truck operators and chassis dealers to work closely with us 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 is particularly relevant to customers purchasing second-hand vehicles such as standard-spec tractor units.
Also, how valuable is the human support factor?
When introducing new truck types into a customer’s fleet, HARSH endeavours to deliver a professional handover to ensure full customer knowledge as to their correct and safe operation. Similarly, HARSH is happy to provide further driver training when and where required.
Rob Geesing
Aftersales Manager, HARSH
