August 15, 2022

The Road to 100% Customer Sat

After experiencing tremendous growth in 2021 — a considerable achievement given that growth in metal tank manufacturing was expected to be 4.3% annually over the five years to 2021 (IBISWorld July 2021) — Newberry Tanks and Equipment faced a challenge: continuing to provide our award-winning level of personal service during this explosive growth.

How did Newberry attack this challenge? We listened to customers. And then doubled-down on our commitment to customer satisfaction with strategic implementation of customer-centric programs, key technology, and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

1. Create Customer-centric Programs

Communication is a critical component in the steel tank industry. Construction schedules change frequently depending on weather, subcontractors, and material availability. The delivery of steel tanks requires time and financial investments for cranes, inspectors, work crews, and proper permits. A lack of communication in this process, no matter how small, can add up to significant time and money lost.

Customers say it best:

“I’ve been talking to Newberry’s customer service ever since my rep closed the deal. And Trevor and Nancy are phenomenal. If my customer has a question, I call them, and they get back to me in 15 or 20 minutes. With other companies I sometimes wait hours.”– 

Major Fluid Storage and Handling Solutions Provider

Newberry’s unique Preferred Customer Program (PCP) supports customer satisfaction by eliminating delivery guesswork. Jointly planning demand with Newberry results in:

  • Order fulfillment/delivery in 24-48 hours versus weeks and months
  • Immediate replenishments by maintaining an agreed upon min/max level of stock on-hand
  • Locked-in, competitive pricing
  • Regular Stock Reports, providing customer insights of dedicated inventory

“Response time in getting them built was excellent during the pandemic. Everybody was way out there, and Newberry really put themselves on the map being responsive to customer demands during a tough time.”– 

Large Convenience Store Chain

2. Put Technology to Work

Customer satisfaction is all about the customer experience. Newberry utilizes technology to aid the process:

  • Online Customer Portal – Offers one-click access to personalized favorites list and order tracking via a customized dashboard.
  • Salesforce CRM integrated with Sage ERP – Provides transparency on orders, customer interactions, and delivery. Now customer service, sales, and production have the same information to answer customers immediately.

“We get a personal call from their sales rep once a quarter and nobody else is doing that or they are rarely. They are courting us!”– 

Owner, Equipment Company

3. Implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Newberry’s first EOS corporate “Rock” aimed to facilitate communication with the “Tank Tracker” three-call order process. A Newberry Order Administrator calls a customer three times during the order and manufacturing process, ensuring order accuracy and on-time delivery. Customer service call volume has been reduced by 90% while maintaining the personal touch and resulting customer satisfaction.

100% Very Satisfied

Newberry continues to listen. And we like what we hear. In our 2021 Customer Survey, commitment to quality was mentioned most as Newberry’s defining strength. An astounding 100% of our customers surveyed in 2021 reported being “Very Satisfied” with Newberry, up from 79% in 2018. And 64% of customers, when asked unaided for advice, gave Newberry a huge compliment “keep doing what you are doing.”

2 2022

Author: Newberry Tanks