Looking for a better way to order parts? Tired of returning wrong parts that you ordered from an outdated catalog? Owners of Multiquip products can now order parts, view detailed product specifications, troubleshooting information, bulletins and safety information at the MQ Parts section of the company's Web site, www.multiquip.com. Literally anything related to a given piece of equipment can be accessed and ordered using the company's new MQ Parts function.
As a result of the new service, Multiquip expects to greatly reduce the number of parts returns it receives on wrong orders made based on outdated information. According to Roger Euliss, president, 95 percent of parts orders are shipped within 24 hours, but prior to the launch of MQ Parts there were a lot of returns because customers were ordering from a catalog that was out of date. Now the company hopes to increase the accuracy of ordering to match.
“MQ Parts will always be the most current source of parts and safety information for Multiquip products,” Euliss says. “We update as we go,” says Euliss. “As a general rule we'll do mass updates on a monthly basis. If necessary though, updates can also be done on a day-to-day basis.”
Ordering parts via the new service has several benefits, according to Euliss, the biggest of which is ordering accuracy. “It's very easy to click on the page with the parts diagram. It should keep users from overlooking a component they may not have seen in the catalog,” he says.
The company is also offering additional discounts to established customers as an incentive for using MQ Parts because not only will this save the customer time on the front end of the parts order, but it will also save the company time from processing wrong order returns on the back end.
Additionally, parts orders made through the MQ Parts service will receive priority over phone and fax parts orders, Euliss says. In fact, the company is now working on implementing Phase 2 of the feature, which will allow the customer to see his or her account online, view pricing and discounts, find out when the parts in an order will be shipped and receive a confirmation e-mail of the order automatically. “The whole process will be tremendously expedited,” says Euliss. The targeted completion date on Phase 2 is about 6 months out.
According to Euliss, Multiquip began looking at developing an online parts ordering feature before the tech bubble burst. “What we zeroed in on is what we feel is most critical to our customers' operations and to minimizing their downtime,” he says. “We felt this would be a building stone for our business operations in the future.”
MQ Parts is powered by e-CommercePro, a program specifically developed by Norwalk, Conn.-based SmartEquip to serve the parts and service support needs of the construction industry. The service offers instant access to parts information, which was critical, says Euliss, in making the selection. The technology also allows a user to do everything on one platform and with one entry. Customers can do their parts ordering and research in one place.
Since its rollout July 1, Euliss says feedback has been very positive. “Customers are amazed at how easy and how quickly you can make an order,” he says. And with any luck, without the hassle of returns.
If you have a Web site you would like to see featured in RER, please contact Brandey Smith at [email protected].
