Kemmerer has plenty of goals in his new position as corporate service director of Hills Machinery Company.
Jim Hills (L), president of Hills Machinery, and Mike Kemmerer, corporate service director.
Mike Kemmerer has plenty of goals in his new position as corporate service director of Hills Machinery Company, but at the end of the day they all fit under one objective, said Kemmerer, “…to make sure we are a premier customer support dealership.”
Kemmerer joined the Case Construction equipment dealer for North and South Carolina in September 2015. He brings with him 20 years of experience in the service field.
“With the considerably rapid growth of our company over the last eight years, one of the challenges has been maintaining consistency in the service offering we have across North and South Carolina as we continue to add new locations and personnel,” said Jim Hills, president of the company. “In order to maintain the ability to meet customer service expectations we felt it was imperative to recruit someone with the talent Mike Kemmerer brings to the table.”
Hills Machinery opened its doors in 2007 to sell, rent and repair equipment. In 2010, the dealership was appointed the new Case Construction dealer in North and South Carolina.
Jim Hills operates the business with his brother and partner Adam Hills. Together, they run the company with a dedicated group of heavy equipment industry professionals. Over the last several years, Hills has expanded across the Carolinas and carries other lines including Bell Trucks, Terex Finlay, Gradall, Mauldin Pavers and others.
“What I enjoy most about our business is that we really get involved with our customers' businesses,” said Hills. “One of the biggest challenges for our customers is purchasing the right equipment for their needs and financing it properly. If the equipment is right for the application, the business can grow profitably and get the jobs done more efficiently. Ideally, our role is part consultant, part supplier, part financing advisor.”
One of the first initiatives for Kemmerer was to ensure that the quality of service offered at each location was consistent regardless of where a customer went in the Carolaina's, said Hills.
“We want to make sure we were repeating the same process at all of our branches so that we have the ability to give the same level of service whether you in Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro or Greenville,” Hills said.
Some of the ways they set out to achieve that was to take a close look at the hiring and training practices, to make sure the proper tooling was available at all our locations and by examining their delivery and warranty process on new purchases when customers returned. In the past 24 months, they've doubled their service truck fleet and now offer three years full warranty with all maintenance included for up to 3,000 hours. They are also proud to say about 94 percent of on-demand parts are on their shelves, and have a goal to have 100 percent available within 24 hours.
“Customers should expect complete satisfaction every time they deal with us,” Hills said. “To make sure they have up time with as little difficulty as possible due to mistakes made by the dealer.”
Part of Kemmerer's work is to learn about the business philosophy driving Hills Machinery, he said. “It's more an education on how Hills Machinery works, the Company culture what the expectations are, and then to start applying those basic foundations to my own principles of service, customer support, and service operations to begin to mold a new service department.”
“Going forward in 2016 Hills Machinery will continue to pour more resources into product support and the personnel that are essential to providing excellence in service and meeting customer expectations every day,” said Kemmerer.
“We are here to support the customer no matter what machine they operate. That's our goal, when someone asks ‘Where can I go get my machine fixed?' The answer is Hills Machinery. Not just Case but all brands.”
Lori Tobias
Lori Tobias is a journalist of more years than she cares to count, most recently as a staff writer for The Oregonian and previously as a columnist and features writer for the Rocky Mountain News. She is the author of the memoir, Storm Beat - A Journalist Reports from the Oregon Coast, and the novel Wander, winner of the Nancy Pearl Literary Award in 2017. She has freelanced for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Denver Post, Alaska Airlines in-flight, Natural Home, Spotlight Germany, Vegetarian Times and the Miami Herald. She is an avid reader, enjoys kayaking, traveling and exploring the Oregon Coast where she lives with her husband Chan and rescue pups, Gus and Lily.
Read more from Lori Tobias here.
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