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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 115��c Afters : le support GSSIWednesday Nov 5, 1986 is essential to Champion Acompany has to be equipped to assist the customer if it is serious about being a major player in the offshore business. d So reasons Rowen Baker, one of Champion's offshore experts responsible for service, performance and the warranty program in Canada and abroad. An engineer who joined the company in 1978, Baker and his team provide technical training aid, advice and service to customers around the world. The company makes extensive use of video to provide the customer with information about service and repair of the machine and over 25 productions, covering current and former products, are available in several languages. "We were one of the first to get into video and use it in this capacity and the company is doing a professional job of it," Rowen said. **But we do encourage the customer or mechanic to train here. The video • works well in the field but we like to educate the dealer and customer first." The company places great emphasis on training the customer and dealer, Baker explained, adding that offshore sales always involve a training element. "We will usually send the product in with Y rep_ ese__t. t ive who will train the end user and help eiiminaie problems," he said. "We a sent six machines to Senegal and offered a two-week training program with the operators and mechanics and we haven't had any warranty claims or problems." Baker and his staff, Mike Eperjesy, Rick Fines, Brian Lowe and Kip White, usually try to identify and assist with dealer or customer problems by telex and telephone and will only travel to the problem personally as a last resort. Education, though, goes a long way to eliminating potential problems. "Every two years or so, we will host a dealer service seminar in Goderich but, usually, the criteria is Bowen Bayer product changes," he said. "We . out how a machine is working under certain conditions or why not. We have to train and, service." Having travelled to Africa, the Far East, Australia, Europe, the iviiddie East and Iceland to assist customers, Baker is more than familiar with the reliability of the product under extreme conditions. But the way Champion reacts to the problems is the key to its service. "We have a good working relationship with the other departments in the company and we can get things changed. We are professional about the way we attack the product." Champion has introduced extended warranty and service programs and Baker and his team hope to control service and service training more effectively in the future. spend a lot of time hosting e=ustorners, training and providing produci upuatCS." Baker has travelled extensively for Champion, circling the globe more than once, and has seen the grader used in many applications. Eight machines were in use in Gabon on the equator punching a railroad through the jungle while other units are employed in the Arctic with the Canadian Armed Forces. Those crude and remote applications, are at the heart of Baker's job. "My efforts centre on how to make the product work in developing countries and to try and refine the product to make it simple," he explained. "We spend a lot of time and effort at that. We have to find 1 First Imperial Oil Depot for Goderich in 1929. mperial Oil Ltd. built its first depot in Goderich in 1929. It was located at thefoot of the harbour Hill on land leased from Canadian Pacific Railway in order to receive pro- ducts by railway and water. The main supply come from Sarnia refinery by vessels. The depot had capacity of 11/2 million gallons of oil products. The depot was operated by Imperial Oil employees delivering by trucks to house, farm and service stations for o 50 mile radius. As years went by with better roads & larger trucks, the depot was turn- ed ower t®a private ©per©tor to operate and delivery, now called Esso Sales Agency. In 1976 Imperial built a new depot in the southeast end of Goderich and for the past seventeen years, the agency has been operated by Bogie Fuel Ltd. Bogie Fuels have a second depot in the town of Wingham. Employees are Grant & Kim Phillips, Mel, Dorothy, Paul & Michael Bogie. Mel Bogie imperial Esso 377 Cambridge, St., Goderich 524-7502 E''yia�• a ,te. 105 FALCON ST. (Formerly 324 York St.) Dundas St. x A Wavell St. n .S. 'Aafalgar St. NEW GM "11 v Delco PRODUCTS Delco Radio Sales & Service Briggs & Stratton Kohler Tecumseh Wisconsin M.T.D. ENGINES AND PARTS SALES Phone Number 453.8711 WATTS 1.800.265.1954 Serving London & Area for over 60 years