As a bus and coach force in Australia, one of Scania’s greatest advantages is its network of company-owned branches. This collection offers sales and service from the most knowledgeable Scania experts in the business.
This includes Scania NSW’s highly experienced state dealer director Lionel Saunders and his team that includes Prestons branch manager Danny Hagarty, Eastern Creek branch manager Chris Nobbs and Prestons parts manager Glenn Shaw.
“The NSW team that looks after our buses and coaches once they are in service have a lot of experience with the product and they are all passionate about Scania, their customers and their business success,” Saunders told ABC.
“We have been a significant player in the Australian bus market for a long time and have very well established sales and service facilities owned by the company, but we also work in concert with a network of independent authorised dealers across the state who can provide service, parts and expertise to customers.”
Saunders says a large focus is on its after sales program, which helps keep buses and coaches rolling without any unplanned stops. Its service network is designed to maximise uptime so that customers can access vehicles when they need them.
“We’re keen to advise and assist our customers who operate their own workshops at their depots, particularly those operating well away from Sydney, and we have systems in place to get parts sent out for VOR as quickly as possible,” Saunders says.
“Using the latest electronic diagnostic tools, plus the experience and expertise of our technicians and workshop supervisors, we are committed to keeping our customers moving.”
For Shaw, keeping Scania bus and coaches on the road and running perfectly can be dependent on fitting the right parts at service or repair time.
“Scania workshops fit only genuine Scania parts either when replacing worn service items or repairing damage,” Shaw says.
“We understand that a lot of operators want to use their own workshops for routine servicing, but they may not always source replacement parts from Scania and that puts their reliability at risk, using parts that have not been engineered specifically for Scania vehicles or manufactured to the same high tolerances using the same materials as original equipment.
“Our genuine parts are competitively priced, something which often surprises customers used to buying non-genuine. In addition, our filter parts often come as a full kit with all the pieces needed to make a complete refresh, including washers, gaskets and fasteners, which you may not get with non-genuine.”
Saunders says another Scania benefit for fleet buyers is its new Bus & Coach Fleet Helpdesk that assists operator workshops that are tackling tricky repairs or maintenance. It’s just another part of Scania’s offer to keep its buses and coaches running exceptionally all over Australia.
“One phone call can put you in touch with a Scania expert who can help diagnose the issue over the phone or suggest a procedure in order to resolve the problem and get the vehicle back on the road as soon as possible,” Saunders says.
“This is particularly useful for remote and regional operators who may be far from a Scania workshop.
“It’s all part of the total solution package Scania offers its customers to ensure they can enjoy maximum uptime. We’re here to help.”