Why Details Make the Difference

Key Takeaways:
• Turn commercial cleaning equipment maintenance and repair into recurring jan/san revenue.
• Use service excellence to create cross-selling opportunities and stronger customer loyalty.
• Streamline equipment service with QR-code support, part-number tracking, proactive triage, and transparent communication.

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Hand in hand with training, jan/san distributors are leveraging equipment maintenance and repair services to create recurring revenue streams and solidify partnerships.

For customers who depend on cleaning equipment every day, convenience and fast turnaround are critical. Preventive maintenance and timely repairs minimize downtime, extend equipment life, and keep custodial teams productive.

Robert Hoey, Service and Parts Manager at Sanitary Supply Corp., attributes customer loyalty to the company’s quick turnaround times and ability to transport machines and parts to and from its facilities.

“Most of our customers are already ordering paper and chemicals, so we’ll pick up their machine for repair on a regular delivery and bring it into the shop,” he explains. “And if they need filters, we’ll put them on the next truck headed their way. Transportation costs can add up quickly, so they appreciate the service.”

Sanitary Supply Corp. service contracts include scheduled preventive maintenance, and Hoey encourages customers to take full advantage of this to keep machines operating at peak performance and extend their lifespan.

“Repairs are more profitable, but if you’re serving customers with regular preventative maintenance, they’ll bring the machine in when they have a problem—as long as you’re taking care of them,” he says.

That ongoing service relationship builds trust—and often opens the door to additional business beyond equipment maintenance or repair. Hoey recalls having a customer who regularly brought an autoscrubber to Sanitary Supply Corp. for preventive maintenance. Impressed with the quality of service, the customer eventually began purchasing replacement parts from Hoey as well.

“We try to not only be machine experts but product experts,” shares Hoey. “If a customer has a swing machine that they’re using for polishing, I’ll recommend a polish that we have in stock and refer them to a sales rep for additional help.”

In the Details

Often, it’s the little things that earn a customer’s loyalty. When feasible, Hoey provides buyers with a list of replacement parts and tags each machine with corresponding part numbers. Customers can simply call in or email the part number, eliminating guesswork and speeding up the ordering process.

Similarly, Davis places QR codes on equipment for customers to scan and submit service tickets or ask questions about the machine. For repairs, tickets are routed to the operations team to schedule pickups. By streamlining the process, customers can request service or get operational support in seconds.

“The most important part of the process is the retrieval and triage of the equipment,” says Davis, who dispatches specialized trucks outfitted with lifts to recover equipment on site. “The industry is driven by productivity, so the more downtime they have, the worse off they are.”

While distributors strive to provide fast, reliable service, delays and unexpected issues are inevitable. Hoey’s advice: Be honest and keep customers in the loop.

“Because we are so busy, we set the customer’s expectations before they even drop off the machine,” he shares. “Let them know you’re X days out and ask if they mind waiting.”

Clear communication becomes even more important when problems occur during the repair process. Rather than trying to cover up a mistake, Hoey believes transparency goes a long way toward preserving customer trust.

“We’ve had situations where a machine was in service, and one of our workers knocked it over and broke something,” says Hoey. “We try to be honest with the customer and tell them what happened.”

Whether through training or equipment service, the goal for jan/san distributors is the same: helping end-user customers succeed. When distributors become trusted problem-solvers instead of product vendors, loyalty and sales often follow.

“I don’t know everything, and I don’t claim to, but I’m able to find customer answers—and find them in a fast, efficient way that helps them succeed,” says Payne. “We’re all driven by sales, but the sale is the organic result of the relationship and trust that your customer has in you.”

Kassandra Kania is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a frequent contributor to Sanitary Maintenance.

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Why Post-Sale Services Pay Off for Jan/San Distributors