Content sponsored by: Heritage Parts
As the Heritage team prepares for NAFEM, we wanted to reflect on the value of relationships –with manufacturers, certified service professionals and parts distributors. In 2016 the debate between OEM versus OCM parts heated back up. When assessing whether to buy an OEM component or OCM alternative – consider that the value of OEM goes beyond the cost of the part. Performance of the equipment, expertise of the service technician and parts knowledge of the distributor all contribute to a service experience that extends well beyond that singular moment of repair.
With all three working together – manufacturer, service technician and parts distributor – we can improve first time fix rate and minimize equipment downtime.
Let’s consider the contributions of each.
As North America’s largest distributor of 100% Genuine OEM parts, Heritage Parts will always advocate the reasons why OEM parts are superior. They optimize performance, reduce the risk of voiding warranties/certifications and minimize safety concerns. We want to highlight all the benefits of Genuine OEM.
Each piece of foodservice equipment represents a significant investment and is a key contributor to an organizations’ success, be it a restaurant or other type of foodservice operation – school, hospital, hotel. Protecting that investment requires up to date information, maintenance requirements, access to factory authorized service and overall technical support post purchase. While each is available through the manufacturer, the equipment purchase is just the initial step in its lifecycle, and maintaining its performance over the life of the unit builds customer loyalty and ultimately a like-for-like brand replacement purchase when the time comes – of primary concern to manufacturers.
Another consideration for every owner, foodservice director or manager once the warranty expires is continued quality service and repair. It’s been Heritage’s experience that 70% of equipment installs move away from factory service post warranty. That makes choosing the right service professional an important decision. Certifications, through membership in organizations like CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Service Association) give foodservice operators access to a directory of professionals with the expertise required to service and repair their equipment. With certification comes training – often directly from the manufacturers – keeping the technician current with preventative maintenance updates, parts upgrades and “watch-outs” relevant to a piece of equipment. When working with a certified technician you can be confident that the diagnosis of the problem and required repair will be done quickly and efficiently – minimizing equipment downtime and contributing to the overall ownership experience.
When a part is needed, a distributor, like Heritage Parts, dedicated to serving the foodservice industry can be a keystone in the service and repair lifecycle. Distributors are aggregators of both parts and information across hundreds of manufacturers. This access to information from manufacturers combined with long standing relationships with service organizations provide customers with a resource for more than a part - distributors become trusted partners that deliver answers quickly and confidently when equipment is down. In combination with factory trained parts experts providing parts identification assistance, top-line technical support and access to a directory of certified service technicians; a parts distributor quickly becomes the first call for foodservice operations when equipment is not running at peak performance.
In closing, when you are considering OEM versus OCM parts, consider the value Genuine OEM offers. It extends well beyond the part. OEM delivers relationships between manufacturers, certified service technicians and parts distributors that will deliver maximum equipment performance as well as customer satisfaction.
Get advice from a dedicated parts specialist today when you call Heritage at 1-800-458-5593, and make sure to visit HeritageParts.com to create your own personal online account, so you can order parts anytime, 24/7.
