Web-based warranty system cuts paper trail for Goodman Manufacturing
By Jim Fulcher, contributing editor (jimfulcher@comcast.net) -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 10/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
One way to extend customer engagement and maximize revenue streams is to establish processes for extended warranty sales. But for manufacturers, it's a goal that's not quite as easy as it sounds.
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"Not only were we drowning in paper-based forms, but processing extended warranty paperwork was laborious." —Rachel Cater, extended services manager, Goodman Manufacturing |
“Not only were we drowning in paper-based forms, but processing extended warranty paperwork was laborious,” says Rachel Cater, manager of extended services at Goodman Manufacturing, a Houston-based maker of residential air-conditioning and heating products. “We had a four-part consumer application form that included one copy for the consumer, one for the dealer, one for the distributor, and one for Goodman. Once we received our copy, we had to key all the customer data into our system.”
Today Goodman uses the Extended Warranty Solution introduced by ServiceBench last summer. The hosted, on-demand system helps manufacturers establish, market, and manage extended service agreement programs for their products, says Michael Dering, CEO of ServiceBench.
“Increased competition and shifting buying behaviors are challenging manufacturers to find new methods of developing more profitable customer relationships while reinforcing brand loyalty,” says Dering. “The Extended Warranty Solution simplifies the process of selling and managing extended service agreements, which gives manufacturers a deeper connection to their consumers while adding a new profit center to their businesses.”
Goodman implemented the solution last June, and Cater anticipates benefits across the board.
“We see extended warranty as a value-added service that makes our equipment more appealing than our competitors,” Cater says. “Streamlining the extended warranty process will increase our sales—and those of our distributors and dealers. Customers know an extended warranty offers 10 years of better product performance.”
