push has led to growth. Meerholz also provides automotive lift inspections, and that’s another capability they are starting to push andmarket. As of this year, their technicians are certified by the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) to service and install automotive lifts, as well as provide all the necessary training to operators. According to Dan, no matter the service, clients come to Meerholz for the same reasons – and those reasons are many. To start with, their quotes are “clear and concise,” they are “very transparent,” and “our pricing is very fair.” That’s what first attracts clients’ attention. When it comes to the cranes they build and sell, the next thing clients notice is quality, Dan explains. Meerholz usually has a step up there because “we use quality components from the US, we don’t buy anything from oversees,” and “we have aligned ourselves with suppliers who have very strict quality standards.” “It’s our quality and our honesty,” Dan sums up. “That’s why people go with us.” On the repair and maintenance side, meanwhile, Dan says their transparency is what clients really value. “That’s something I’ve really focused on,” he says. “Transparency with a client is so important to me. We’re such a niche industry and there’s a lot we could get away with. For example, we could tell someone the flux capacitor of their crane has failed and we have to sell them a new one – and a lot of people would say ‘okay,’ because they’re not crane experts, they don’t know what they don’t know. But that’s not how I want to operate.” To facilitate the transparency that Dan advocates, the company recently brought in a reporting system that utilizes an app on their technicians’ phones or tablets. When a technician finds a fault or deficiency in a crane, they take a picture of it, they circle it in red, and they write a comment. When the report comes to the client, they get all that information, including the picture with the circle. “So everyone is on the same page,” Dan explains. “We’re showing them the fault. They don’t just have to trust us. I think that’s been one of our biggest drivers for growth, honestly. I think clients have really responded to that transparency.” “We always try to keep the customer’s best interests at heart,” he adds. “We don’t just want them to choose the course of action that makes us the most money. We want them to have the best product for the best value. We want to earn their trust and get repeat work. That’s more important to us than making the most amount of profit off one transaction.” In Dan’s time with Meerholz, that strategyhas paiddividends: “Wedon’t doa lot of advertising,” he says. “Almost all of our new clients have come from word of mouth. We’re doing good work for people. We’re staying honest, we’re keeping our quality up, and we’re making sure our customer is satisfied at the end of the job. That’s what’s powered our growth.” OCTOBER 2022
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