Taking Care of Customers

Rebuilding Business and Machines

In Nigeria, about five million metric tonnes of UniCem concrete brand is poured every year. And, the operational equipment helping supply that five million metric tonnes was coming from Cat® dealer Mantrac. Recently. Mantrac started to see a drop in business. As it turns out, much of Lafarge UniCem’s Cat machines were being replaced by a competitor’s machines.

“We went from machine to machine so we could create a list of rebuild requirements and costs, including parts and labor. Once we fine-tuned everything, we went back [to the customer] with a value proposition to get the [Cat] machines back into service,” said Ibrahim Abeeb, Product Support Sales Representative (PSSR) for Cat dealer Mantrac.

Trying to convince a customer that taking used, dormant equipment is better value over new, cheaper machines from the competition isn’t easy. However, Lafarge UniCem not only understood the cost-effectiveness and productivity potential of rebuilding Cat machines to like-new condition, they committed to rebuilding 10 pieces of equipment with support from Mantrac engineers and the Caterpillar Support Program.

Easy to Own, Ready to Work

Customer Value Agreement (CVA) program is a service, maintenance and parts program that helps lower owning and operating costs and can also be paired with other programs, such as Cat Certified Used (CCU). Customers who included a CVA with their CCU purchase gave their reactions:

“We previously leased machines, but we decided to buy a used Cat 950GC. The price and performance of the machine are excellent. With our CVA, the equipment is always under supervision, and we appreciate the convenient and quick dealer responses. On jobsites, we get positive feedback about the ability to monitor machines, which makes it possible to fix problems immediately. The promptness of dealer technicians and parts means less equipment idle time.”

An Installation 35 Years in the Making

Swiss insurance company Die Mobiliar was founded in 1826. To help ensure that steady supply and protect their assets, Die Mobiliar had three Cat 3412 generators installed in 1986. Fast forward to October 2020, and Die Mobiliar has upgraded to three C18 generators, each creating 520 kW/660 kVA.

The new generators were installed at Die Mobiliar’s main headquarters in Bern. They are a safety measure and a back-up electrical power source for the company’s in-house data center, which stores information for all the company’s branches. “In our building it is vital that we supply our data center with electricity 24/7. We also have publicly accessible areas such as parking and lifts. So, we must ensure the integrity of our information and the safety of our customers when they are in the building,” said Beat Müller, Employee Building Services for Die Mobiliar.

For Beat, the biggest challenge was replacing existing generator sets with new ones during ongoing operations. “There was a constant exchange and support between the project managers and us, so the project progressed smoothly and we were able to work very well together with [Cat dealer] Avesco.”“We went from machine to machine so we could create a list of rebuild requirements and costs, including parts and labor. Once we fine-tuned everything, we went back [to the customer] with a value proposition to get the [Cat] machines back into service,” said Ibrahim Abeeb, Product Support Sales Representative (PSSR) for Cat dealer Mantrac.

Trying to convince a customer that taking used, dormant equipment is better value over new, cheaper machines from the competition isn’t easy. However, Lafarge UniCem not only understood the cost-effectiveness and productivity potential of rebuilding Cat machines to like-new condition, they committed to rebuilding 10 pieces of equipment with support from Mantrac engineers and the Caterpillar Support Program.

Added Value, Times Two

CVAs help customers concentrate on the job, not the machine maintenance.

Caterpillar understands customers are looking for more than just a capable piece of equipment. Today, added value that lowers owning and operating costs and increases productivity is in demand. Two ways in achieving that are with the new Cat backhoe loaders (BHLs) and Customer Value Agreements (CVA).

The CVAs offer customers three packages of services, all delivering four value promises: hassle-free ownership and maintenance, the security of expert dealer support and equipment health management. CVAs are available for purchase with a new machine and are designed to complement a customer’s preference for maintaining equipment.

Jakub Wawrzyniak is a loyal Cat customer who will keep that machine under a CVA until he is ready to sell it at a higher price thanks to the full dealer maintenance history.

“I install sewage systems, water supply lines and rainwater networks using the Cat 432. It's a safe machine with excellent visibility, performance and efficiency. It’s important to focus on doing business, not maintaining or servicing machines. I have a very good relationship with my Cat dealer and always buy the Extended Protection Plan. Now I also get the CVA because I want my equipment to work as long as possible without issues.”