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Executive Report: Taking away the hassle EHN’s power tools specialist Phil Mist talks to three hirers about their experiences with Hilti’s recently introduced Lifetime Service scheme. It is one thing to listen to someone talking about how good their latest product or initiative is, but it is quite another matter to discover the truth behind the claims. It is only after you take a close look at the facts that a balanced judgement can be made. Seeing really is believing. So it proved with Hilti’s Lifetime Service service scheme, which offers up to a two year no cost period, lifetime warranty, repair cost limits and a no repair cost period after each repair. No amount of talking with Hilti personnel can prove whether the system actually works. I needed to visit a number of hirers actually participating in the scheme and do a little probing. From the list of hirers that have bought into the Hilti scheme, I chose three hirers, two of which were already known to me, one of which was not. The first is based in the north east of England, operating from nine depots; the second is a Midlands-based operation with three depots, while the third in north London is a single branch outlet. Because of their geographic spread and differing sizes, they all have different ways of operating, different product ranges and a different outlook on what makes a good hire company. Fiercely independent In the north east, I opted for Champion Hire, a well-respected hirer that I have known for a good number of years, having on occasion trained a number of their staff. Champion is a fiercely independent hirer that has been a little publicity shy over the years, and has avoided any great mention in the pages of EHN, until now. Therefore, it was with a great deal of pleasure, but with some trepidation, that I visited Champion Hire in Sheffield and spent time with Regional Manager Shaun Roberts. I was given a frank explanation as to just why Champion had gone down the Hilti Lifetime Service route. Three basic reasons were given – and these were to become consistent across each interview. Champion wanted to keep the cost of power tool repairs within reason, maintain its fleet of tools at a high standard, thereby retaining much of its value, and to ease the burden on the company’s workshop personnel. All these are perfectly valid reasons for taking action. Even though it has only recently purchased new Hilti tools, Champion has enthusiastically embraced the necessary changes to its internal systems and, in addition, has switched a large section of its hammer fleet to Hilti products. Even though the initial cost of a Hilti tool is higher than almost any other brand, Champion decided to add Hilti products to its fleet because of the manufacturer’s Lifetime Service scheme. To date Champion has had few glitches; on most occasions Hilti sends a quotation by fax just to keep the hirer informed of the total cost of repair and, after receiving the go-ahead, the majority of tools are serviced or repaired and returned in four or five days. What has pleased Champion as much as any other aspect of the scheme is that, when tools are returned, they look as if they are in almost as good a condition as when first purchased. The second hirer visited was GGH Hire of Enfield, owned by Gerry Gardiner. His Branch Manager Paul Houlihan makes many of the day-to-day decisions, but something as revolutionary as adopting the Hilti Lifetime Service scheme required input from almost everyone in the company. Having made the initial power tools purchase, the Hilti system has allowed GGH to improve its return on capital. The company states that its workshop now never has a backlog of tools awaiting repair – because it ships them out to Hilti - allowing its fitters to concentrate on the larger equipment and compact plant it offers. In the past, power tool repairs would, on occasions, take a back seat when a mini excavator, or the like, needed attention. Gerry Gardiner also admits that the need for specialist service tools and a lack of specialist knowledge was something of a barrier to his company. He is happy that Hilti has taken away this pain because it collects the tools and returns them in around five days and the arrangement is proving “most satisfactory.” My third visit was to Construct-Equip, a hirer with three depots in Birmingham, Stourbridge and Telford. Director Karl Severn confirmed that the hirer has bought into the Hilti Lifetime Service scheme principally because the company is usually so busy that staff simply do not have enough spare time to actually take the tools for service or repair to the local Hilti service centre in Birmingham. More time for other essential repairs Construct-Equip appreciates the fact that, because Hilti collects and returns the tools, it ensures that workshops fitters have more time to complete other essential repair work. Finally, carrying out effective repairs in the timescales common at Hilti repair workshops is just not possible for most hirers, since there are a number of jig fixtures and tools that are essential for economic and fast repairs to be carried out. All three hirers were frank about their initially cautious approach to Hilti’s Lifetime Service scheme. Each had reservations about it and hesitated before taking advantage of it. Like me, they thought it seemed far too good to be true. However, in no time at all, they have each been won over, and are now receiving tools back from repair in double quick time. All seemed genuinely pleased at the removal of what can often be a whole load of hassle caused by power tool repairs. • Executive Hire News › Archives › September 2006 › Executive Report › Taking away the hassle
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