The certification not only reassures their clients
but demonstrates the company’s commitment to
ongoing improvement.
Superior service is another area of priority for
Kramer, which also means being responsive to
major changes in customer needs. Today, clients
prefer to rent rather than buy heavy machinery
and it’s a shift that’s growing dramatically, Perry
said. Prompted by the economic downturn of
2008, the trend continues today. “We pride our-
selves in really catering to our customers and one
of our missions is to make our customers more
profitable and we live by that,” Perry said.
TODAY’S CUSTOMERS ARE
VASTLY DIFFERENT
Whether it’s sales, rentals, service or customer
support, building strong relationships is the cor-
nerstone of the business. But it’s not as easy as it
used to be, McCrum explained. Decades ago, the
company was much smaller and deals were often
made based on friendships and trust. Over the
past 10 years, the demographics have changed.
“We are seeing more customers walk through
the doors knowing what they want, and with the
expectation of instant service and stock availabil-
ity.”
“It is just as much about relationship building as it
ever was, however, there is less time available to
captivate and cultivate the relationship, making
it more challenging,” she said. “We are adjusting
through implementation of a new sales culture.
Training and communication are key to the suc-
cess.”
Growing and evolving is the long-term plan for
Kramer as they work to increase their presence in
the marketplace. Though they have a very strong
hold in the mining industry, the focus is on be-
coming the dominant player in the province, Per-
ry said.
DEC 2014
H
business elite canada 99