PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2014

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Häusserstr. 36 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Kay Barton Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Waldemar Schmitke Ilona Trotter Wolfgang von Schroeter Anthony Withers MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@hbmedia.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@hbmedia.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 France, Italy, Spain, UK Elisabeth Maria Köpke phone: +49 6201-878925 fax: +49 6201-878926 koepke@hbmedia.net LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur Matthias Gaumann | www.exprim.de READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@hbmedia.net PRINT Chroma Druck & Verlag GmbH Werkstr. 25 67354 Römerberg Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | w ww.petpla.net PETplanet insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 12/14 www.petpla.net You have spoken through the ballot box – the overall winner for the best Service Performance in developing countries goes to Husky. Further awards in a range of categories go to Husky, Netstal, KHS, Krones and Sidel, and to all the winners we extend our heartiest congratulations. The old adage still applies: the vendor sells the first machine, service sells the rest. There seems to be a grain of truth in this, as our winners all boast high market share in their sectors. At this point one might ask why this should be so? Is it the case that a large number of machines on the market earns the money to fund a good after-sales service? Or does the opposite apply, that the after-sales service is so good that more machines are sold? Whatever the case, our investigation also highlights the fact there is still much room for improvement, even for the winners and despite all the euphoria over the awards. In every sector, customer expectations outstrip the performance of the suppliers. Pricing of spare parts looms high on the list, but equally important are more basic concerns such as the approachability and friendliness of the customer service department. And there is a further surprising outcome to the study. The marks for service in the case of injection moulding machines are significantly higher than for stretch blow moulding or bottling lines. Could this really be the case? Or is it purely and simply that bottlers have higher expectations? After much thought and lengthy discussion, I tend to go for the second explanation. Yours Alexander Büchler dear readers,