Developing a Dealer Customer Support Center Strategy
Jarah (Casten) Hauger, Gardner, defended her thesis, “Developing a Dealer Customer Support Center Strategy,” on April 30, 2014. Hauger is a Dealer Development Specialist with John Deere Company in Olathe. She is a spring graduate from Kansas State University with a Master of Agribusiness (MAB) degree.
To develop useful support tools and resources for dealers, Hauger was tasked with gathering information on the types of assistance offered by John Deere Dealer Customer Support Centers in North America. She surveyed Integrated Solutions Managers within North America to learn what dealers are currently offering and determine the barriers to offering additional customer support services.
“Customers with more technologically advanced products are requiring more support from the dealerships. Finding out what types of customer support dealers offer and which approaches work best will position John Deere to provide resources and support its dealer channels,” Hauger said.
The survey results reveal most dealers use a combination of several different methods to support customers including call centers, dedicated staff, data management services, and Remote Display Access.
Dr. Vincent Amanor-Boadu, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics and Hauger’s thesis advisor, said, “There is no doubt that when dealers have the right support systems in place to provide first-class customer service, the whole ag equipment supply chain benefits from effective productivity enhancements.”
