Colmar--Dedicated to Customer Service

Colmar USA’s parent company has a tradition of customer service that dates back to the 1950s. However, American consumers tend to have higher expectations in this area, Julian Marceglia, Colmar USA CEO, says.

"We have always devoted the utmost attention to customer support," Julian says. "Nevertheless, when we came to the U.S., we immediately realized that what we were doing was still not enough for the average American customer."

Therefore, Colmar USA sought to strengthen its customer support team. The company employs two technicians at its Wheatfield, N.Y., headquarters who are dedicated to fielding customer questions and three field technicians who make service calls. Colmar is also in the process of hiring a fourth field technician.
Julian says Colmar also has a nationwide network of subcontractors who conduct initial troubleshooting.

Julian says Colmar USA’s approach to customer service can be summed up in a simple phrase: The customer is never alone.

Colmar’s support begins at the installation. "Every time we sell a unit we send one of our techs to do the startup of the equipment," Colmar USA’s Vice President Lisa Bresolin says. "We go through the complete operation cycle together with the customer, completely train the operators at the customer’s yard and supply them with the equipment user’s and spare parts manuals."

While the company’s rapid growth resulted in a brief period of inconvenience for its customers as Colmar USA encountered problems with parts availability, the Americanization of the equipment’s components has corrected this problem. Colmar also stocks a $1 million parts inventory at its Buffalo, N.Y., and Harrison, N.J., locations, meaning that parts are often available within 48 hours.

The results of a recent customer satisfaction survey (see sidebar at left) show that Colmar’s attention to customer satisfaction has paid off. Colmar’s equipment and customer service department received positive remarks, as did the company’s technical support capabilities and parts availability.

"We believe in our equipment and we work hard every day to make our customers happy and the name of our company stronger in the market," Lisa says. "We never let any customer down, no matter if it’s after 5 p.m. or the weekend. We are there for them always."