Fifteen years ago, the industry began recognizing the immense benefits of a well-designed winter service program. These programs offer a win-win for both dealers and their customers by saving time and money through proactive measures. However, with the current shortage of technicians, dealers often face more service work than they can handle. The focus has now shifted to making off-season service programs more efficient and targeted toward loyal and profitable customers.

We spoke with Adrian Powell, Ag Guard’s Director of Claims and Reliability Analysis, and Robbie Denholm, Ag Guard’s Product Support Manager, to gather their insights.

Book Early

• Identify Profitable Customers: Prioritize your most profitable (or potentially profitable) customers.
• Offer Early Bird Discounts: Consider exclusive discounts for early bookings.
• Personal Touch: While digital communication (direct mail, texts, and email) is effective, nothing beats a personal phone call or an in-person conversation during field service.

Add Value

Instead of discounting winter inspections below cost, focus on enhancing the service experience. Here are some ways to add value:

• Extended Service Contract: Protect customers from unexpected breakdowns. Customers often don’t differentiate between a repaired part’s failure and a new failure after inspection. An extended service contract can protect them from both, preventing frustration and maintaining loyalty. While manufacturers provide warranties to assure customers of defect-free parts and assembly quality, some defects appear after the factory warranty expires. An extended service contract allows the machine’s owner to extend many aspects of the warranty.
• Beyond Basic Inspections: The primary goal of winter service is to prevent failures and downtime. Off-season inspections give customers added confidence and allow you to find and repair hard-to-discover issues before they become costly. Therefore, the inspection should be comprehensive.
• Preventative Inspections: Mechanical failures can be greatly reduced with preventative actions. Based on thousands of claims processed by Ag Guard, our experts identified the top issues that must be addressed:
  1. Normal Wear: Machines and their parts have a lifespan that depends on application and usage. For example, bearings are wear parts that will fail once their life ends. Annual off-season inspections can identify looseness in bearings, minor seal leaks, wear and tear of components and fluid contamination, reducing the risk of catastrophic failure and allowing for lower-cost repairs.
  2. Defective Materials or Workmanship: While manufacturers provide warranties for defect-free parts and assembly quality, some defects appear after the factory warranty expires. An extended service contract allows the machine’s owner to extend many aspects of the warranty.
  3. Operation/Application: Machines are designed for specific operations and conditions. Dealers can help limit failures by educating customers on correct implement choices, proper weighting or ballasting, and appropriate maintenance. Helping your customer understand when a machine is being pushed beyond its limits can create sales opportunities while protecting them from preventable expenses.
• Avoid Checklist Mentality: The goal isn’t just to check boxes but to systematically inspect the machine like an investigator looking for clues to avoid future failures. Inspection forms are generic, but many failures are specific to a region or brand. Focus on typical failures and closely inspect parts of the machine that would help avoid those failures.
• Cleaning & Detailing: A clean machine makes work easier, improving efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Winter Storage: Offer secure storage for machinery during the off-season. Storing machines ensures availability throughout the winter, allowing for more efficient work staging.
• Pick-up & Delivery: Convenience matters. Offering pick-up and delivery services allows for efficient scheduling.

Streamline Your Offerings for Maximum Efficiency

Many dealers already offer the products listed above individually. By bundling them, you can leverage efficiencies and target your most loyal customers, who are more likely to appreciate the added value. Catering to their needs will enhance both your efficiency and profitability.

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• Making More Money When Times Are Tough: How Loyal Customers Can Help 
• An Overlooked Tool for Managing and Selling Used Equipment
• Tying it All Together: Winter Service Programs
• The Best of Dealer Winter Service Promotions
• 6 Tips from Manufacturers on Promoting Winter Service Programs