Final Customer Buying from the Product Producer
Maintain Steps: Maintain steps include all activities required to keep the product in working order. These steps include the costs the customer incurs to diagnose and correct product problems.
A.
Knowledge: Add knowledge
2.
Process where product is used – Explain how product can or should operate in customer cost system
d. Maintain
Answer questions during use
| No. | SIC | Year | Note |
| 1 | 2813 | 2004 | Air Liquide, the French producer of industrial gases found a way to produce gasses in small plants on-site at customers' factories. Staff is stationed permanently at client sites -putting them in a prime position to help customers improve operating efficiency and increase output quality. These teams are given greater autonomy and able to act on new opportunities. These high-margin services constitute about 25% of Air Liquide's revenues. |
| 2 | 3571 | 1991 | Compaq significantly shifts distribution strategy: will have special, highly-trained dealers and start charging customers for services. Computer industry's distribution channel is experiencing a painful evolution. |
| 3 | 3694 | 1988 | Telxon has a 24-hour hotline for customer service. |
| 4 | 7372 | 1991 | WordPerfect's 5.1 upgrade gives users "help" in whatever feature they are currently using, instead of having to return to the "help" menu. |
| 5 | 7372 | 1997 | Few companies are as diligent as Microsoft in monitoring the moves and statements of customers and competitors and responding quickly with a call or email. |
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