The start of April saw the start of several ABUS customer visits planned to strengthen and build understanding of what makes ABUS cylinder production so special. ABUS have always sold its cylinder systems by endorsing the USPs that make ABUS cylinder suites special: Unrivalled patent lengths endorsed by trademark protection, curved key profiles, a unique 13mm wide cylinder housing, coupled to a modular system, which can be integrated across the ABUS 83 padlock range, all combine to give lock specialists a choice of product that is firstly highly secure, and from the distributors’ point of view, offer a profitable and convenient solution to commercial security.
But while our sales team do their best to make these USPs understood there is no substitute for seeing first-hand the ABUS investment in plant and production that goes into literally making the best cylinder suites available. Sales Director David Hudson commented:
“We have of course seen our factories as part of our training, and that knowledge and confidence in our product becomes part of our DNA. But as professional sales people, we recognised that selling our confidence via our distributor network would be so much better endorsed, if like us, our customers could see for themselves what it is that makes ABUS cylinder production so special. The solution was simple – organise customer factory visits.”
Easier said than done, as the ABUS cylinder factory in Pfaffenhain, Saxony is some 2 hours from the nearest airport, and UK customers are not all living near an appropriate UK airport. But the seed was sown, starting with a productive bespoke factory visit for a committed customer in March, which was quickly followed up by a combined trip accommodating 10 top locksmiths visiting ABUS’ Pfaffenhain plant in the first week of April.
Travel and accommodation organised between ABUS UK and ABUS Pfaffenhain had the clear objective to not just bring key customers to see ABUS cylinder production, but also to bring customers together. The trip included sightseeing in Prague (including a bridge full of ABUS ‘Love Locks’) and with the trip open to partners too, the social side of this factory trip became as key to the success of the event as the insight it gave to ABUS top quality production.
New ABUS UK MD Peter Romanov commented further:
“As a newcomer to ABUS, my first job was to see and understand what we make and how we make it. It is very clear when anyone sees first-hand the ABUS production investment and methodology they are sold into our range, but what we also realise is the unique opportunity these trips offer for us to know our customers, and for them to know us and each other. We are so pleased with the ringing endorsements David has received from our delegates on these trips so far. It is a template we will be keen to use in the future.”
ABUS UK has a further 8 confirmed locksmiths customers scheduled in for the next ABUS Pfaffenhain factory visit at the end of April, and are very keen to set up further visits throughout the year.
If you would like further information on the ABUS range, or on possible ABUS factory visits please contact ABUS UK via either
Email: sales@abus-uk.com
Telephone: 0117 204 7000