Delivering beyond the sale

Ulrich Attachments' sales director Josh Copeland believes that the relationship with a customer truly begins after the initial purchase.

As sales director at Ulrich Attachments, I've seen first-hand that supplying a quality attachment is only part of the job. The service and support that follow are just as important in building long-term customer relationships.

You can manufacture a high-quality, reliable product but if the process of arranging servicing, ordering spare parts or carrying out routine maintenance is inefficient, it can quickly undermine the customer's confidence. In my experience, the overall ownership experience plays a significant role in whether a customer chooses to work with a manufacturer again.

This isn't just about good customer service—it's also good business. Research has shown that increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by at least 25%, while the likelihood of selling to an existing customer is between 60% and 70%, compared with just 5% to 20% for a new prospect.

That approach starts long before an attachment leaves the factory. A knowledgeable sales team should take the time to understand exactly how an attachment will be used, the environment it will operate in, expected duty cycles, and any application-specific requirements. Those conversations help ensure customers receive the right solution, rather than simply selecting a product from a catalogue.

Supporting customers doesn't stop once the equipment has been delivered. Providing practical maintenance advice, lubrication schedules based on usage, operator manuals and ongoing technical support all help maximise performance, extend service life and minimise downtime.

As Ulrich has brought together its design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities under one roof, we've taken the opportunity to review every aspect of our customer experience, including our after-sales support. It gave us the chance to challenge ourselves and ensure we continue to deliver on our belief that the successful delivery of a standard or bespoke attachment is the beginning of a long-term partnership.

Today, angside UK manufacturing, we offer nationwide service support with experienced engineers who repair, maintain and refurbish attachments to keep equipment working safely and efficiently.

Whether replacing worn components, carrying out structural repairs or performing preventative maintenance, our objective is always to minimise downtime and maximise the working life of the attachment.

One recent example involved refurbishing a long-serving High Tip bucket rather than replacing it. The work included shot blasting, replacing pins, bushes, bosses, cylinders and hydraulic hoses, reinforcing key structural areas, fitting a new cutting edge and carrying out hydraulic testing. The result was a fully restored attachment delivered at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new.

To further reduce downtime, most replacement parts are available for next-day delivery and, where appropriate, we can provide temporary hire equipment while repairs or refurbishments are completed.

Our support extends beyond repairs and servicing. We also provide bespoke attachment design and manufacture, on-site attachment inspections, hydraulic hose replacement, welding and fabrication, hydraulic cylinder repairs, line boring, structural refurbishments, reinforcement work, installation services and extended warranty options.

Many customers tell us that responsive after-sales support and product reliability provide genuine long-term value. While purchase price will always be an important consideration, many businesses increasingly recognise that dependable support throughout the life of an attachment can have an even greater impact on productivity and operating costs.

Customer feedback has also highlighted another opportunity. Many end users weren't aware that, in addition to manufacturing attachments, Ulrich also operates a nationwide hire fleet. Hiring an attachment can often be a far more cost-effective solution than hiring an entire machine, particularly for short-term projects, seasonal demand or unexpected breakdowns.

In response, we've expanded our hire fleet to include a wider range of general purpose and High Tip buckets, suitable for applications across waste and recycling, aggregates, construction and agriculture. The fleet also includes a comprehensive range of manual quick couplers and pallet forks.

Alongside this, we're now offering fully refurbished ex-hire attachments for sale. Every attachment is refurbished at our Hull manufacturing facility, thoroughly inspected and supplied with warranty for added peace of mind.

Both initiatives have been developed directly in response to customer feedback, whether that's providing rapid access to hire equipment to minimise downtime or offering a cost-effective alternative through professionally refurbished attachments.

For us, delivering an attachment is never the end of the process, it's the start of a relationship. By combining quality engineering with responsive support, refurbishment, hire and technical expertise, we aim to help customers maximise the value of their equipment throughout its working life.

Ultimately, we believe the true measure of any manufacturer's after-sales support is the confidence customers have to return to you time and time again.

So how are we delivering on our pledge that the successful delivery of a standard or bespoke attachment is the beginning of a relationship with Ulrich? Don’t take my word for it

• “Plant quality is paramount to us, and Ulrich products are quality with service. With them, everything is done correctly and in a timely manner. They are our go-to supplier.”

Mark Smalley, national fleet and plant manager, Valencia

• “I have continued to purchase Ulrich Attachments as we have had good performance from them and the price is competitive. I have also had good support technically and from the sales personnel. We have used a mix of suppliers in the past and we do tender work and review costs and design before making a decision. But our service contact at Ulrich, Drew, is very helpful, and we have had a positive experience overhaul with them.”

Lucy Ellis, project engineer (procurement) The Bristol Port Company

• “Whilst our fleet is mixed depending on the operations, we like to stick with what we know and like, and we find that back-up and servicing is more important to us than anything. Ulrich has been great to deal with. They listen to us and work with us to iron out any issues we have, which is the peace of mind any customer needs from a supplier.”

Dave Broster, commercial farmer