Capital Equipment News August 2018

SERVICES

In recent years, truck suppliers have taken a more proactive approach when it comes to service.

The future of service

From a service perspective, there is so much talk about giving customers a “complete offering”, not only in the truck sector, but across many industries. But, what exactly does a complete service offering entail? Mark Erasmus, GM Services at Scania South Africa, shares his vision of the future of service. By Munesu Shoko

I n a world where service has become the buzzword of every industry, it has come to epitomise a means of delivering hassle-free value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve. As everyone tries to grasp the fundamental concept of service, the industry has somehow idealised the “total service provider” model, known in some circles as the “complete offering”. But, what does this entail as service, especially in uptime-driven industries, such as the truck sector, continues to take different forms and shapes? Speaking to Capital Equipment News , Mark Erasmus, GM Services at Scania South Africa, says service has evolved over the years, and while everyone talks about a complete offering, there is so much more that needs to happen before the industry can start talking about having achieved the total service provider operating model. However, he agrees that the truck industry, in particular, has made some strides in terms of its service offering. He is of the view that while the old adage, sales sell the first truck, and service sells

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