This article originally published in Self-Service World magazine's special section, FOCUS: Retail Self-Service, July 2007.
When it comes to repairing broken equipment, service calls usually are a crapshoot. You never know whether to expect a gruff old man in a T-shirt who drives a primer-gray van, or a clean-cut, friendly face in a branded shirt and driving a matching service truck.
If the equipment to be repaired is a kiosk in a retail store, which of the two is preferred? Pitney Bowes Inc. expects most retailers would prefer the latter.
Best known for its mailing machines and solutions, Pitney Bowes also supports a Multi-Vendor Services division that services all brands of kiosks, as well as mailing machines and computers. As the self-service industry continues to expand, Pitney's self-service division is beginning to take a bigger share of service calls.
"Eighty percent of our new engagements are self-service and kiosk opportunities," said Joann Boyd, vice president of business development for Pitney Bowes.
Pitney Bowes manages a service team consisting of 1,300 customer service technicians, all of whom are A+ certified or higher.
"It's important to train all of our technicians to repair the products we're selling, but as everyone's products get more technologically advanced, certification like A+ is required," said Neal Esposito, Pitney Bowes' manager of services marketing. "The employees' certification is driven by the customer's needs."
| "Believe it or not, the decision of who to use for service is just as important as the decision of what product to use." -- Neal Esposito, manager of services marketing, Pitney Bowes |
Selling service
When formulating a service plan, members of Pitney's product development team sit down with OEMs and, as Boyd says, take a very consultative approach.
"Our services list reads like a menu at a restaurant," Boyd said. "Customers can go down the list and pick the services that are right for them."
The Multi-Vendor Services endeavor is not Pitney Bowes's first venture into the realm of self-service. The company manufactures the Mailing Kiosk, a self-service kiosk that has made its way into office parks, college dorms and schools.
Even though the mailing kiosk has been a success for Pitney, the company isn't competing with OEMs.
"We aren't trying to replace their product with ours, we just want to do the service work on it," Boyd said. "The Mailing Kiosk is just one finite vertical."
Because the Mailing Kiosk is such a focused product, Pitney does not have a significant stake as an OEM in the self-service market. Boyd says Pitney Bowes's biggest selling point is that the company doesn't sell kiosks; it competes only for service contracts.
By definition, Pitney's Multi-Vendor Services division repairs and services machines manufactured by any vendor. Multi-Vendor Services' contracts have included work on drive-thru ordering systems, DVD rental kiosks and hotel check-in kiosks.
"It's the vendor neutrality that gives us a good opportunity to be a reliable nationwide service provider," Boyd said. "Our technicians will work on any machine."
"Believe it or not, the decision of who to use for service is just as important as the decision of what product to use," Esposito said. "When making that decision, customers should take into consideration the capabilities, infrastructure and experience of their service company."
The Multi-Vendor Services team at Pitney Bowes believes good service means customer satisfaction, which results in brand loyalty. That loyalty means repeat sales, said Boyd.
"Pitney really just wants to leverage the investment the company made in the Multi-Vendor Services," she said. "We tell our customers it's the best investment they'll never have to make."
