ABC #403

NEWS
BUS REPAIR EXPERT:
“DON’T UNDERVALUE
AFTERSALES!”
BUS MANUFACTURING quality from
new has often ‘overshadowed’ bus
collision after-sales repairs, but that
shouldn’t necessarily be the case,
says a leading Volgren aftersales
expert.
In assessing the value of quality
bus and coach after sales and smash
repairs, the Australian bus industry
has much to be proud of, according
to Volgren. Australian-built buses are
renowned for their manufacturing
excellence, it explains.
The fact is, however, that almost
all buses used in Australia are placed
under punishing schedules on
busy roads in unforgiving climates,
it says. The best engineering and
construction in the world can’t
prevent wear-and-tear, accidents
and other problems, it adds.
This is why after-sales service is
such an exceptionally important part
of any manufacturer’s operations
- but for decades the product
that has left after sales has been
overshadowed by the product that
has left the manufacturing facility.
Queensland-based Volgren
after-sales expert Brian Weller says
he makes certain the Australian
builder’s after sales is just as good as
its manufacturing.
As part of a team of 12 specialist
after-sales workers servicing buses
from Cairns to northern New South
Wales, Weller says, in the local bus
industry, the unit is perhaps best
known for the work it does for
Brisbane City Council, but its skill
and experience allows the team to
work with a range of operators across
the state.
“There’s high numbers of
Volgrens throughout Queensland.
They’ve proven themselves to be
an incredibly reliable product that
operates well in local conditions.
They’re everywhere,” Weller stated.
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
As Weller explains, one of the joys
of his 10 years at Volgren has been
meeting such a variety of people.
In his current role he works with a
team whose members’ qualifications
are as diverse as their professional
backgrounds.
During their collective careers,
he and his colleagues – among
them fitters and turners, qualified
coach and body builders, as
well as boilermakers – have worked
on a range of vehicles, from fire
engines and trucks to trailers
and trains.
Yet Weller says they all agree
there’s something special about
buses…
“[Buses] get in your blood. The one
thing that brings us together is a
shared passion for buses and getting
them back on the road,” he said.
“We all like a challenge – especially
in smash repairs. Everyone likes the
challenge of diagnosing problems
quickly and fixing the vehicles as
soon as possible.”
Above:
Volgren’s
Queenslandbased
aftersales
specialist Brian
Weller
Below:
“The one thing
that brings us
together is a
shared passion
for buses and
getting them
back on the
road,” said Weller
of his team.
MANY MAN-HOURS
Restoring a bus after an accident is
an important part of what the team
does, and work on a vehicle after a
major collision can involve as many
as 100 hours of labour, Volgren
explains. However, post-crash work
isn’t the team’s sole focus.
Aftersales service, as Weller
explains, is as much about
maintenance and preventive action
as it is about intervention after a bus
is seriously damaged on the road.
“Anyone who sells a product needs
to back it up and that’s what we do;
it’s part of what we offer,” he clarified.
“We build them every day, we
know how to pull them apart,
and we know how to fix them if
problems come up.”
Weller added that the team works
closely with Volgren’s engineers
based in Dandenong, Victoria.
“The ability to offer customers
mobile service vehicles, specialists
repairers, spare parts and access to
20-metre spray booths is a huge
advantage,” he said.
TEAM DEDICATION
Weller said that, apart from the
team’s unparalleled skill and vast
experience, it is their determination
and adaptability that sets them
apart.
“If we need to put in the hours
we do, we come in over weekends if
need be. If it is not turning its wheels,
that’s a problem for us and the
customer.
“We do whatever we need to do to
get vehicles back on the road [and]
make sure that we have a perfectly
safe bus.
“If you want technical advice over
the phone, we can help with that.
“We can send our qualified
technicians if you have a smash.”
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ABC March 2021 busnews.com.au