How did you first come to work in the field service industry?

After working as an electrical apprentice in a chemical plant, I decided in 1984 that computers were the way forward and got a job as a trainee computer engineer for a small business called ETC in Warrington. With customers as far apart as Edinburgh and Plymouth service was challenging, but fun.

What did you most like about it?

I enjoyed the challenges of learning new skills every day with the rapid changes in technology but I was also motivated by the people side of the job and interested in how the customers’ business worked. B2B products are now better designed to minimise time on site, so the required skill sets for engineers has migrated away from deep technical knowledge toward the softer skills required to ‘fix the customer’ as well as the product.

What else would you have done?

As a boy, if something broke at home I would always have a go at fixing it. Most of the time I would destroy it in the process, but as a schoolboy I worked for a local electrician in the holidays, so when I left school I wanted to be an electrician and run my own business.

Who has been the most influential person in your professional life?

It’s difficult to say as there have been so many, from the first service director I worked for, who introduced me to the commercial and financial side of business, to my current boss who introduced me to six sigma skills. I am a firm believer that I can learn something from everybody I meet.

What is your most notable example of field service?

As a teenager, my first installation job was a simple installation of 3 EFTPOS devices in a hotel in Blackpool on behalf of a major high street bank. Not scary at all, normally two hours installation and a short training course for two or three people. But when combined with brand new functionality (which didn’t work) and being put on stage in front of 50 people, including the hotel group’s senior mangers plus the national account managers from their bank, it turned into a much more intimidating experience. After this installations were plain sailing!

Name the most important issue for your company

With our recent change of ownership we now have clearer control over our business, in that we are able to streamline the complexities and be a still more responsive organisation. There is, of course, pressure on margins but by also improving productivity we can develop and safeguard future revenue streams.

The most important issue for the service industry in general?

As products have become increasingly commoditised, service has been heralded as the new profit engine. In the B2B space this has led to a growing trend for customers to negotiate aggressively on price rather than recognised value. There is a point at which service levels will diminish if the focus is too heavily placed on ‘lowest cost’.

Driving productivity to protect margins is essential, however the industry must simultaneously keep focussed on the needs of both customers and engineers.

How will the industry develop in the future?

The importance of service will grow across the board as products in all but business critical areas become more and more commoditised. Independent of the maturity of the market you operate in, your business needs to consistently deliver what is promised cost effectively, be easy to do business with, and ensure they deliver tangible customer value.

What stands your company apart from its competitors?

We are world experts in our field with a rich technical and service inheritance. Talaris aims to deliver products, service and expertise to drive not only our revenue streams, but also our customer’s profitability and productivity

Should there be more training for engineers, and if so, in which areas?

Engineers should receive the best quality technical training to enable them to resolve issues as efficiently as possible. However, increasingly important are the soft skills required to deliver a totally positive customer experience. Service engineers should be able to provide knowledge of other products and services your company provides, benefiting the customer and promoting your business in terms of its competitive strengths. Well informed and motivated engineers will deliver great customer service and create customers who are ‘raving fans’.