It’s been a little over a year since we introduced BobCARE in the UK, our Bobcat-backed maintenance program that you can upsell to your customers. This program guarantees fixed costs for maintenance for up to 5 years, protecting against any inflation of costs during that time. Not only does it foster closer and longer-lasting relationships with your customers, but it also presents opportunities to increase your parts sales.

During a recent dealer visit, our Bobcat UK Service Manager, Barry Franklin (BF), had the opportunity to interview Versatile’s Sales Director, Barry Gass (BG), and salesman Phil Stoneham (PS) to delve into their perspective on the benefits of our BobCARE program for both themselves and their customers. Versatile, covering the London and South East region, quickly recognized this program’s advantages in enhancing their service level to their clientele. Let’s hear what they had to say.

BF: What advantages do you see BobCARE offering your customers?
BG: The BobCARE planned maintenance program empowers our customers to select a maintenance package tailored to their needs in terms of duration. With upfront fixed costs, they gain clarity on expenses, and the greatest selling point is the option to include it in their finance package, enabling them to spread the cost over several years.

BF: What advantages do you see BobCARE offering your dealership?
BG: The BobCARE planned maintenance program enables us to offer a one-stop solution to our customers. We can better schedule our workshop loading, increase our customer contact points, and generate repeat and referral business. In most cases, customers with a BobCARE package tend to spend more with us over the lifecycle of the machine.

BF: What changes or modifications did you need to make (if any) in your selling process?
BG: We now quote an all-inclusive package to all customers, incorporating BobCARE and Protection Plus. This ensures customers peace of mind and guaranteed quality from Versatile Equipment.

BF: What are the selling points/features that customers are most interested in?
PS: We tend to win this business when customers have been accustomed to hiring a machine and desire a “hands-off” approach to machine ownership. The finance argument aligns well with tax benefits and reduced operational costs compared to hiring a machine.

Generally, we extend the warranty timeframe from 3 years to 5 years with BobCARE factored in, allowing the customer peace of mind and complete coverage. The option to add this to finance (when approved by SG Equipment Finance) means a slight increase in cost, equivalent to just a few pounds [or glasses of beer] per week, for comprehensive cover.

BF: How has your sales process changed personally now that you also offer BobCARE?
PS: We’re now equipped to address customer concerns regarding maintenance and running costs more effectively. This type of product has long been standard in the car and commercial vehicle market, and it’s becoming increasingly expected in our industry as well. Furthermore, it enhances the value of their asset—after all, who would purchase a used car without a service history?

BF: Does this give you any advantages over your competitors?
PS: Typically, our competitors only offer a warranty for 2 years or 2000 hours, whereas we extend it to 3 years or 3000 hours across the majority of our range. As our brand expands and offers a wider range of equipment, we find that customers view us as a “One-Stop Shop.” I often assist with inquiries for machinery and attachments. Additionally, coupled with the Bobcat Machine IQ Telematics, our service department can monitor every asset registered to us and alert the customer of pending maintenance or high-risk machine issues.

A bit more about Phil: He has been in the industry for about 7 years and with Versatile for the last 2 years. With a background in precision engineering, he has over 25 years of experience and previously ran his own engineering company.

Outside of work, Phil is married with a 15-year-old son who is passionate about rugby. Phil and his son can often be found on the touchline of a rugby game during the weekends, where they enjoy cheering on their favorite teams.

Phil is also a keen field sports enthusiast and co-runs a small woodland shooting syndicate with 2 other people. He takes great pleasure in maintaining this syndicate and hosts around 8 events per year. Additionally, he is an active member of a local wildfowl organization.

Among his hobbies, Phil enjoys sports cars, sailing, and classic tractors. He owns an old Massey Ferguson 135, which he regularly uses when working on his woodland throughout the year.