Generator sets, diesel and compressed natural gas engines, filtration products, lubricants—all specialized products which, to the average consumer, do not seem to need marketing since customers that need them will go out of their way to purchase them.
Yet, Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc. (CSSPI) has been “aggressively” marketing just such products since the company was incorporated in 2001 as the wholly owned subsidiary of US-based Cummins Inc., CSSPI general manager Nestor Martin C. Marfori says in an interview.
Marfori says Cummins has been a well-respected company among industrial clients so it was not difficult to get the subsidiary going. Still, he adds, keeping Cummins top of mind as clients grew and needed more products and services is challenging.
How CSSPI keeps clients calling all these ten years despite changes in trends and technologies, Marfori says, is a testament to the “personal touch” that the company’s representatives provide.
“We stay close to the customers, make sure that there is face-to-face communication aside from making calls or sending e-mails. And the engagement becomes even closer after the sale as we keep our people on call so that the clients can get maintenance or repair works done as soon as these are needed. We make it so that the clients’ operations go smoothly,” Marfori says.
That way, he says, clients think of CSSPI as they grow.
Cummins Inc., which is based in Indiana, USA, has complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service electrical power generation systems, engines and related technologies including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration and emission solutions.
Power products, power service
CSSPI is perhaps most well-known for its engines and its diesel-powered generator sets, Marfori says, making industrial giants turn to the company. Cummins engines drive well-known machinery and industrial equipment brands made in the US, Europe, Japan, and Korea, among others, Marfori says.
Marfori cites the Zuellig building, which has achieved gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEED), as a client with five units of Cummins power generation sets.
The MDC 100 Building in Libis, Quezon City, Insular Life Building in Cebu and the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang are also among the buildings being powered by CSSPI, Marfori adds. CSSPI also rents out generator sets for industrial or government use, Marfori says.
Aside from the diesel engines, Cummins offers Fleetguard Nelson filtration products and systems for highway heavy and medium duty trucks, stationary power units and equipment for the construction, mining, agriculture, and marine industries. Nelson also provides exhaust and air intake systems for diesel powered equipment.
Engines need lubricants, and for this Cummins has Valvoline as a partner for the Premium Blue 2000, which is specially blended for Cummins Engines.
Besides offering industrial products, CSSPI also extends the life of Cummins engines with so-called Quality Rebuilds, which is backed by a warranty that assures minimal downtime if and when their engines encounter difficulties, Marfori says.
CSSPI also packages its products with total “after-market support,” which includes an open line to a so-called QuickServe Team available 24/7.
“As soon as we get a call for the Quick service team, we spring to action. If our people have to fly across the country, that’s what they will do so that as much as possible, our clients never have to experience any downtime,” Marfori says. He further states CSSPI specializes in preventive maintenance and service contracts for generator sets, marine, and industrial engines.
CSSPI assures clients that its service representatives have undergone the so-called Cummins Certified training. Training modules can even be customized to meet specific customer requirements, Marfori says.
Looking ahead, Marfori says CSSPI is already asking existing clients how the company can be of further service in the future. Cummins does not mind investing in advance to design and manufacture new products, according to Marfori, just to make sure the company can readily serve clients’ needs.
“We always want to be ‘top of mind,’” he ends.