Murphy’s Law says that if something can go wrong it probably will. And just to be sure we get the message; it usually hits at the most inconvenient times.
We’ve all experienced it. Like when you do your best to plan for a home project but, once you start, you discover you need to make three more trips to the hardware store to finish!
We can handle delays for most home repairs but, for customers of The Macomb Group, the consequences of stalling a project because of missing parts are usually more severe.
Case in point: A power plant suffered a forced outage and shut down in order to replace boiler drain valves. They ordered the parts and fittings they thought they needed, but then, on a Saturday in August, discovered they needed an additional 22 fittings.
“Once they ripped the valves out, they found there was more damage in the piping than they had thought,” explains Macomb West Region Sales Manager Mike Boyd. “So they had to cut back farther than they expected. They needed more fittings in addition to what they already ordered for that project. They didn’t know that until they cut it out.”
Time to call on the “Weekend Warriors.” That’s the nickname adopted by Macomb’s team of 20 or so key people who stand by every weekend, around the clock, to deal with just such emergencies. They take turns in pairs, 1 month on and 11 months off, to ensure Macomb is always ready to solve crises like this.
Emergency numbers
“We take these calls and, in turn, we know who to call,” says Mike. “I have a list of probably 30 different managers on call too, emergency phone numbers that you can call 24/7.”
In this case, he knew Macomb didn’t have the required high-chrome alloy fittings and piping in stock, but he knew where to go — Pennsylvania Machine Company. He connected with them that Saturday evening.
“They stock all the materials and raw fittings and they had a guy on stand-by,” Mike continues. “He was probably having dinner with his wife when I called but he said he’d call a crew in on Sunday, pull and machine the parts and ship them out airfreight.”
He was true to his word, and the parts arrived at 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning in Holland, Michigan, ready for the power plant engineers to install.
Naturally, there was an additional cost for the service; Penn Machine had to bring in a team including machinists on Sunday rates. But this wasn’t just a matter of avoiding a delay, but also of ensuring safety — replacing high-spec parts that otherwise could put lives at risk.
Backflips!
“The only reason we get these calls is because customers expect us to do backflips in a crisis and that’s what we did,” Mike adds.
“They know there’s more reason to do business with us than just the flat costs. There’s added value in a service like ours and that’s why Macomb is growing.
“Without that, sometimes maybe they’d consider going to somebody else they think might be able to help, but because we do what we do, we’re a partner with them. And that’s the key term: partner. Partners help partners. We’re friends. When they’re troubled, we’re troubled.”
Weekend Warriors know their customers. Our team members are true partners who get to know your business — and know that when you call during off hours, your job is one that REALLY counts.
When you’re in a bind, The Macomb Group experts are here for you. Contact us by email at info@macombgroup.com or by phone at 888-756-4110.
