Our focus is to delight customers – Plant Pool MD
Plant Pool, an indigenous equipment supplier and service provider, is promising a revolution in customer service this year after hard work and innovation earned it some businesses and customers last year. Maxwell Akalaare Adombila of the GRAPHIC BUSINESS (GB) interacted with the Managing Director, Mr Lolu Akindele (LA), on how the company hopes to achieve that.
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GB: Generally how did JAPP fare in 2015? What were your main challenges and drivers?
LA: Our main challenges in 2015 were the depreciation of the cedi against the United States dollar and tight cash liquidity in the economy. Also, the construction and mining sectors of the economy (our major customers) faced a very tough time in 2015. Ultimately, competition increased considerably.
All these had an adverse effect on equipment sale but spare parts and after-sales service and repairs actually increased considerably.
Our generator sales also went up. By and large,
GB: Which of your products were in high demand? What could have accounted for that?
LA: Relatively, our Sinotruk trucks and XCMG Wheel Loaders were in very high demand when compared to others. Our workshop services and spare parts were also in demand.
The main reason was the high quality of these products and the affordable and competitive prices at which we offered them.
GB: What is the strategy for JAPP this year? Should we expect additions of new product lines, services and entry into new markets?
LA: Our main strategy is to introduce improved and more efficient products and services into the market. We have one product launch this week, and we’re introducing the Sinotruk T7H truck series, which is built to the highest European standards, but will be offered at a very competitive price.
We will also raise the level of our service to the customer. We intend to delight our customers this year, such that every interaction with J. A. Plant Pool will be a pleasant and unforgettable experience. Actually, the focus is to make an imprint in their minds such that when they talk about equipment, it will be JAPP that comes to mind.
GB: How is competition like in your line of business? How are you positioning yourself to beat competition, win more customers and rake in more revenues?
LA: Our target is to differentiate ourselves from the market through excellent customer service either through sales or repairs. We want to do this by also offering top quality products and services at affordable prices backed up with the excellent customer service campaign that we are starting.
We will also intensify capacity building through local and international training of our staff so that we can be well positioned to respond to challenges and changes in the industry.
GB: The power crisis has stabilised and that means less patronage of generators and power plants, which your outfit retails and services. This will obviously have a negative impact on your bottom line. What are you doing to insulate the expected impact on your revenues?
LA: I really don't agree with that position. We are happy that the power situation is improving. However, our generators are not to replace ECG but to support. They are standby power generators. And as such, organisations and individuals who realise this will continue to buy them. What we realised is that the power crisis made people know that there is a need for standby power either in the house or office. And this is where we come in.
So, by and large, we are happy that it is over but our business in standby power plants will not be affected.
GB: What is your message to customers and staff this year?
LA: They should expect a revolution in customer service, a revolution that will help grow their business. We will do that by offering our customers and staff a delightful and unforgettable experience throughout this year. For staff, they should expect good rewards for their hard work and commitment. Generally, we expect 2016 to be a good year for us and our customers.
Key business is the sale, rental and leasing of buses, earthmoving and heavy-duty equipment. It also provides an effective after-sales support in the following areas:
Repair and maintenance
Sales of genuine spare parts
Training of drivers, operators and mechanics
JAPP also represents major international heavy duty and earth moving manufacturing companies such as XCMG, Yutong, Sinotruk, Zoomlion, Weichai and Shewa.
With its head office in Dzorwulu, Accra, J.A Plant Pool Gh Ltd has branches in all the 10 regions of Ghana. It also has operations in Togo and Sierra Leone. Plans are underway to establish branches in Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.
“J.A Plant Pool is well positioned to collaborate with foreign investors and contractors because of its capacity and in-depth understanding of the local market,” the managing director said.
The company believes such collaborations would enable it to fulfil the local content requirements of their contracts.
J.A Plant Pool has a comprehensive structure for the maintenance and repairs of all its brands of equipment. The company has state-of-the-art, specialised service workshops in Accra and all the regions of Ghana to ensure excellent after-sales-services of its range of products.
The workshops are manned be well-trained engineers who are supported by expatriate representatives of manufacturers of the various equipment, thus allowing the company to offer excellent maintenance/repair facilities, which are spread across the nation to ensure that contracts are executed with minimum equipment breakdown/ down time.