Ever since its
launch in 2009, CENTURION’s D5-Evo sliding gate motor has become a ubiquity in
the access automation market. Championed by installers and integrators who
appreciate the operator’s user-friendly LCD interface and smart diagnostics,
and lauded by end-users who benefit from the D5-Evo’s semi-legendary
reliability, this product has certainly earned its title as South Africa’s
favourite gate motor. But the overwhelming prevalence of the D5-Evo in the marketplace presented CENTURION with a unique challenge: keeping sites running while operators are booked in for service or repairs.
“The average turnaround time for a service is around three to five working days” explains CENTURION national technical manager, Bernard Boonzaaier. This doesn’t seem like a very long time, but gate automation is a critical part of the home security mix, and removing it potentially leaves the client’s entrance gate vulnerable from a security perspective.
Enter the Service Exchange Programme, CENTURION’s recently-launched initiative aimed at drastically reducing client downtime and expediting repair turnaround.
A pragmatic solution
The Service Exchange Programme, which saw the light of day in March of this year, is pragmatic in that it all but completely eliminates the problem of downtime by enabling the attendant installer to exchange a D5-Evo operator in need of repair or maintenance with a service exchange unit, which he can take back and install onsite.
Boonzaaier compares it to the courtesy car system offered by many insurance firms and panelbeaters.
“Think about it. If you are involved in an accident, and your car needs to go to the panelbeaters even for a short period of time, you’re left completely stranded if you aren’t able to take advantage of a courtesy car. [This is why] so many insurance companies offer this service. When your gate motor goes down, or it’s due for a service, why should you have to push your gate open for a week? It didn’t make sense to us and an exchange programme seemed like the pragmatic way of going about it”.
And CENTURION’s installers seem to share this sentiment, as evidenced by the fact that more than 200 service exchange units have already been sold since the programme’s launch earlier this year.
Installers (and their clients) will benefit
CENTURION’s passion for service excellence is embedded in the Service Exchange Programme, and the initiative is informed by the company’s appreciation for the installers who collectively form an integral part of CENTURION’s route to market.
Boonzaaier says that while end-users will definitely benefit from the programme, it is arguably the installers who have the most to gain from an efficiency perspective.
“In the end, rapid turnaround means that installers can get more jobs done which, in turn, translates into a greater profit [for the installer]. We realised that outmoded service models were frustrating [the installers], and we wanted to introduce something that would really change the way that they do business” says Boonzaaier.
Read all about Centurion Systems’ Service Exchange Programme on the company’s website: http://www.centsys.co.za/service-exchange-programme-landing-page
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