The Dark Arts of Quoting!
The Dark Arts of quoting for a gate maintenance contracts are not very dark at all. The fact is that we are constantly required by our clients to supply prices for new maintenance contracts.
As you can imagine, we're often up against short term deadlines with customers needing the price ASAP, for example; we have never heard anyone say "no rush, in your own time!" - and that’s the sort of challenge we have thrived upon these past three years.
I suppose in writing this article my aim is to make it crystal clear to our many clients as well as those looking for a gate maintenance company; to understand how we operate, underlining our commitment to our customer service is at our very core as a business.
That said, we thought it to be a good idea to explain a little bit more about how we at Pearly Gate, operating in the automated gate industry, handle these types of challenges.
We provide a fast, professional service safe in the knowledge that our clients have complete faith in the quotation we provide, knowing that our speed of service is efficient as well as accurate, which is important to both parties.
In the first instance we need to know some key details in order to provide a quotation?
- The site address and location of the gate, sounds simple, but you'd be amazed how often this vital piece of information is not supplied initially.
- How many site visits you require in a 12 month period.
- The length of the maintenance contract.
- What equipment you would like covered, for example gate; intercom etc?
Additional information is always useful, such as access codes, congestion charges ect…
Leveraging Google Maps is a fantastic aid for us, as in many cases it allows us to look at the gate in situ. This also means we can sense check the customers instruction and ask additional questions if needs be, plus confirmation of the correct location.
The Google Man can be a useful part of the team. We drop the little man on the map and check out the view. Granted it's not 100% perfect, as maps can be out of date or the gate is located away from the road, but it is a good starting point.
Nevertheless, if we cannot see the gate using Google, as long as we have been supplied with the four key pieces of information above, we can still quote with confidence.
Note: Remember, the most important reason to have any automated gate under a maintenance contract is to comply with one of the HSE recommendations for gate safety.
Once we have received instruction to proceed on our gate maintenance quotation, we will take the following action.
On an agreed date, an experienced Gate Service Engineer will travel to the site and carry out a Gate Service and Risk Assessment survey, providing a condition check and report, often on the same day.
This will include…
- A comprehensive visual check of the gate.
- Lubrication of moving components.
- Confirmation that all the recommended safety devices are present and working.
- All fixings and brackets are sound and secure.
- Access control systems are working.
- Electrical components are operational and protected.
Whilst this list is not exhaustive, it does give you some idea of what is involved. Usually, very few parts are required, perhaps a replacement battery or bolt.
There you have it! I hope the above provides you with some idea of the process we undertake to meet the needs of our customers.
Final Note: Beware of Greeks!
As prices are fixed, going with the cheapest price may seem to be the best value. However, you should consider the gate companies technical capability, reliability and customer service attitude. Saving a couple of pounds on a maintenance contract initially, but having residents complaining about the gate being out of action for weeks on end, will provide a very poor ROI.
Our Website