Decades of investment in its technical and field expertise – backed up by its market-leading spares inventory – is a key part of what sets Pilot Crushtec apart in its sector. In fact, says the company’s director of sales and marketing Francois Marais, this provides the foundation on which customers can reliably execute projects and build their businesses.
“Our reliability, skill and experience are key reasons why Southern Africa’s top crushing contractors rely on us,” says Marais. “For more than 20 years, we have built this capability with a passionate focus on superior service levels.”
This includes R250 million in critical spares and wear items in the company’s inventory, ensuring that customers get the components they need in good time. It also comes from a strong talent pipeline that is continuously sourcing and selecting the best technical expertise, and nurturing technicians until they are ready to serve customers on site.
“We take our technical trainees through four years of practical experience in our workshops, choosing the best to stay on with us,” says Marais. “This ensures that by the time they go to customers on-site, we have full confidence in their ability.”
He highlights that the service division has a key role in enabling customers to get optimal value from their machines, maximising output each day and minimising downtime as well as always trying to reduce the operating costs per tonne of material produced. They help customers to plan and predict spares requirement, using their in-depth knowledge of the machines in a range of working conditions.
Pilot Crushtec’s solid commitment to service excellence has already been recognised on the global stage. As the local distributor for Metso, it was awarded the title of ‘Best New Services Distributor’ by this leading global company after just 16 months as its distributor in Southern Africa. Metso praised the way that Pilot Crushtec focused not only on the sale of new machines, but on its stockholding and availability of spare parts, combined with training and expertise.
“Customers realise that when they acquire our products, they also buy themselves peace of mind,” he says. “We support them in a holistic way, so that they can get on with performing their contracts and building their reputation; only with this high level of aftermarket service can they earn their customers’ trust and win the repeat business that underpins sustainable brands.”
He notes that regular contact and communication with customers also helps to understand the conditions of each project, giving Pilot Crushtec the necessary insights to be an effective technical partner to its customers. This assists in predicting the likely requirement for wear parts, as well as informing product selection in the longer term.
