Strong together for the customer

The security expert and the technical expert work hand in hand like a rope climbing team. In fact, they don’t just work together but also complement and support each other. “Generally speaking, the systems that customers can choose are all pretty similar,” says Huger, who, as sales manager for fire alarm, public address, and voice alarm systems from Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH, inquires about the needs of customers. “So it’s good when we can give them some extra value.” He sums up his credo: “We sell solutions and services that are backed by people. When customers opt for the Bosch brand, they therefore also buy my services as a security expert and Simion’s support as a service technician. They want to know who they’re dealing with. This is one of the secrets of our success.”

Huger and Simion are both natives of the region, where they have deep roots. Simion, who trained as a telecommunications electronics technician at Bosch 35 years ago, has been looking after the Fellhorn Lift for over 20 years. Huger joined Bosch in 2008. Both of them are convinced that personally talking with customers is one of the reasons for their success. “When you talk with one another, it’s easier to define malfunctions. Customers usually aren’t interested in the technology behind the system – that’s my job, after all. As long as they have someone to talk to, they’re reassured,” explains Roland Simion and heads for the equipment room. It isn’t always at a dizzying height, but it’s usually hidden away in a remote corner of a building. There he sometimes sets up a makeshift "office" on two upside-down beverage crates.

Simion appreciates the possibilities that digitalization opens up. Starting with the practical benefits. “Since the data are imported to the cloud, I have less work checking everything and can remotely let the customer know if a component needs to be replaced. That’s a real value add.” This combination of long-term customer relationships and transparent data also makes it easier to sell new solutions and services. Simion is able to explain which parts need to be replaced and when, and which ones might continue working a while longer.

Huger’s sales activities also benefit from this. His territory comprises the entire area between Lake Constance and Mittenwald southeast of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. When he’s called for projects that involve planning a new system or expanding an existing one, he works with the responsible service technician. “We coordinate our activities and support one another. The service technician knows the customer and is familiar with the system’s technical features and also with potential challenges for the customer, for which I can suggest appropriate solutions,” explains Huger, who often familiarizes himself with new software in order to stay up to date. It isn’t enough for him to design concepts from his desk. He wants his customers to know the person behind the solutions and services. Because of the trustful relationships he develops, companies repeatedly contact him when they need advice.

Roland Simion’s laptop is his office. He serves around 120 customers in the region. Each morning he checks online whether any problems have come up during the night; that’s when there can be surprises. Can the scheduled maintenance dates be kept or does “first aid” have to be provided somewhere, scrambling his plans for the day? The service technician has therefore made it a rule to at least keep his first appointment before dealing with other requests, in order to stay more or less on schedule. “And if I get stuck, which occasionally happens, I can turn to colleagues elsewhere in the Bosch world. I’ve never personally met many of them, but we communicate just fine digitally.” So far, Roland Simion and Michel Huger have been able to solve every problem that has come up, thus keeping their customers happy.