So, you have decided to invest in a new piece of equipment. Now what? The equipment purchasing process is something of a double-edged sword — on one side you are acquiring a new piece of equipment that will hopefully increase your efficiency and profitability, but on the other side more often than not the sales process itself is just downright painful. In today’s digital age, almost anything can be found and purchased online, and although most contractors will perform their research and due diligence online, an equipment purchase is a substantial financial investment. Most contractors will want to interact with a manufacturer’s representative prior to purchasing. This is where manufacturers really have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by not only creating a streamlined purchasing process but also following that up with a training, service and parts program that will meet customers’ needs.
From a buyer’s perspective, the specs, brand, and price are all significant determining factors in deciding what piece of equipment to buy. But the often-overlooked factors that many don’t consider are the training, support and service that come along with that purchase. It doesn’t matter how great a piece of equipment is, you will inevitably need parts and service, so if you don’t have a manufacturer willing to stand behind its product for the long term and offer service and consultations after the sale, then really what good is the equipment?
This year marks KM International’s 40th year in business, and over those 40 years we have remained committed to not just manufacturing superior products but offering a sales and service experience that does our customers justice. From the initial phone call or email conversation with the sales staff to the time you receive your equipment to everything after that, KM International firmly believes in standing behind our products and the people using them every day. Everyone at KM International takes extreme pride in what they do and genuinely have our customers best interests in mind.
KM International products are somewhat niche to the asphalt maintenance and paving industry, so we understand going into it that potential buyers will undoubtedly have questions regarding the equipment itself and where it can be used. This is where the KM sales staff excels. The KM sales staff will act as a partner to your business, asking fact-finding questions specific to your business and application to make sure they are making individualized recommendations based on your exact business needs. Additionally, we always recommend customers take advantage of training opportunities. KM International offers free training for any customers who come to pick up equipment at KM’s Michigan manufacturing facility and will additionally do training at a customer’s site for a fee.
From a service perspective, KM International has a dedicated department of service and parts technicians with the sole responsibility to ensure our customers are getting the support they need, and more importantly, to get that support in a timely manner. The KM staff fully understands that most asphalt contractors have a limited working window throughout the year, so ensuring that our equipment is up and running in the field making you money instead of sitting in the shop costing you money is something we do not take lightly.
KM International makes a concentrated effort to streamline all these processes to the best of our ability, knowing that your time is valuable. We never want to overcomplicate or add unnecessary headache during the purchasing or service process. As KM International continues to grow, these back-to-basic business principals are something engrained in our company and will not be lost. Whether we have 50 employees or 500 employees, we will remain committed to our values of customer service that have gotten us through the last 40 years in business. Each and every customer is an extension of the KM International family, and KM International and its employees will treat our customers as such.
As mentioned earlier, this is KM’s 40th year in business and we absolutely could not have made it this far without the unwavering support from our customers and the industry as a whole, so we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone.
KM International is hosting a 40-year anniversary celebration on Friday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST) at our facility in North Branch, MI. For those interested in attending, please reach out to Michael Blake at mblake@kminternational.com for additional details.
For more information on KM International & their products & services, please visit www.kminternational.com, email sales@kminternational.com or give them a call at 810-688-1234.
