In an ongoing bid to sustain its high customer service levels, Wacker Neuson sub-Saharan Africa recently entered into a service partnership with Craig Claasen, owner of Craig’s Repairs & Technical Services (CRTS), with the signing of a service agreement on June 8, 2020.
Dennis Vietze (right) and Lionel Hearne (left) with Wacker Neuson's newly appointed service agent Craig Claasen (centre).
When Claasen established CRTS in 2014, he moved from being part of the Wacker Neuson family to becoming a valued Wacker Neuson customer. “In addition to sharing a good relationship with Craig, we recognised the potential in his work, making our decision to appoint CRTS as the first official service agent for Wacker Neuson sub-Saharan Africa an easy one,” says Dennis Vietze, MD of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa. “We are excited and proud to welcome Craig and his team on board.”
Explaining the role of a service agent, Wacker Neuson’s national service manager, Lionel Hearne, says: “CRTS will assist the Wacker Neuson workshop when they have very high work volumes, enabling us to continue delivering the promised turnaround times to our customers. The new agreement also extends our service footprint; with CRTS based on the East Rand, customers in the area can now conveniently go directly to our service agent instead of having to travel to our West Rand premises in Robertville.”
In terms of responsibilities, CRTS will provide services as a non-exclusive service partner of products for the Wacker Neuson Group in South Africa i.e. Wacker Neuson machines as well as spare parts for the construction industry. Wacker Neuson South Africa will include CRTS in the repair, service, maintenance and support of certain customers to ensure smooth on-site service and repair of Wacker Neuson machines. CRTS will also be expected to carry certain fast moving stock.
CRTS is located in Sebenza, Edenvale, and occupies a 2 200 m² premises (600 m² under roof). Claasen who is passionate about the business and believes in a hands-on ownership style, says he established the company with a primary focus on offering on- and off-site service, maintenance and repairs of plant to a power station in Mpumalanga, the plant hire industry as well as to various independent plant owners. After ceasing operations in 2016, Claasen reopened the Edenvale facility two years later to serve customers with in-house and on-site repairs, with equipment size and urgency determining the scope of site work.
According to Claasen, the service agreement with Wacker Neuson is a major milestone that promises new and exciting opportunities for CRTS. “As a world renowned brand, Wacker Neuson products are defined by quality and reliability across the entire range; machines and equipment deliver the long life spans typically required by the South African market. We have already invested in major structural changes in order to accommodate and service all Wacker Neuson customers. As we grow in partnership with Wacker Neuson, we pledge our commitment to supplying the same excellent aftersales service that Wacker Neuson customers have grown accustomed to.”
