PROMOTION
Gulfstream’s Service Center in Westfield, MA
BY TONY VELOCCI
Building Customer Value Companies that excel at delivering value to customers tend to have some things in common. For example, they are able to identify and clearly communicate the value of their product or service. They also have a keen understanding of how to optimize the total customer experience. Gulfstream Aerospace, one of the most iconic names in business aviation, is a case in point. The product support that Gulfstream provides its customers is as much a part of the company’s DNA as the family of aircraft it has been producing for 50 years. Small wonder that pilots and operators have consistently named Gulfstream the top-ranked productsupport provider more than any other original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
An Inherent Sense of Urgency All of Gulfstream’s 4,000-plus product support professionals are empowered to take ownership of a problem and respond with a sense of urgency to resolve it to the customer’s satisfaction as quickly as possible, explains Steve Cass, Vice President, Technical Marketing and Communications. “We know we have to earn our customers’ trust 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” he says. “As a result, we continue to look for ways to differentiate ourselves and deliver greater value to our customers, and product support is a way we do that.” As important as Gulfstream professionals are to sustaining an extremely high level of
product support for the more than 2,500 Gulfstream aircraft operating worldwide, no less critical is the unique infrastructure that Gulfstream has built. The manufacturer maintains the largest company-owned product support network for business jets, which includes a $1.6 billion spare parts inventory and 11 company-owned service centers worldwide. General Dynamics Corp., Gulfstream’s parent company and one of the aerospace industry’s most successful enterprises, helps make these global resources possible, according to Cass. “General Dynamics’ financial strength allows us to invest in what it takes to meet our customers’ expectations,” he says.
Gold Standard As part of its larger commitment to supporting the Gulfstream fleet, the company implemented the Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST). This mobile support network is on call 24 hours a day to speed a rapid-response technical team when an operator encounters a mechanical problem. Two dedicated G150 jets in Savannah, Ga., along with specially outfitted utility vehicles located throughout the U.S. and Europe, can
transport technicians and spare parts directly to the customer. Such quick-action support is an innovation that Gulfstream introduced to the industry nearly 15 years ago.
Personal Interaction Proactive communications is yet another tool the company uses to support and stay connected with its operators. It hosts customer forums throughout the year on issues affecting safety and dispatch reliability, as well as the operation and maintenance of Gulfstream jets. “Last year, our team traveled to 17 cities around the world and gave operators the opportunity to have contact with even more Savannah-based technical experts through a live feed from our broadcast studio, Studio G,” notes Tim Steinhauser, Director of Customer Relations. “Using this advanced technology, we bring our product support, programs and engineering teams face-to-face with our customers worldwide.”
www.gulfstream.com