Unfortunately, shipments from any dust collection supplier you work with can sustain damage during transit. While you cannot control what happens in-transit, you can control how you respond to freight that arrives damaged.
How Damaged Freight Affects Your Bottom Line
Shipping claims and getting replacements for damaged freight can be a frustrating to deal with, but the true price tag of this issue can cost far greater than just a few broken boxes or lost product. Other costs to your business may include:
The U.S. Air Filtration logistics team understands that packaging can play a role in the potential of damaged freight. Your shipment will be handled by many people along the way. So we keep this in mind when we prepare your dust collection order for shipment in the U.S. Air Filtration warehouse, and we follow a system of best practices that can help protect your items as much as possible.
Inspection –To avoid shortages we inspect, count, and match up the items to your packing slip.
Right Packaging – Our team makes sure that the box is suitable for the item that is shipping.
Proper Seals – We distribute tape evenly to ensure your product stays fully sealed in its package. For palletized items, we shrink wrap your freight multiple times to ensure all boxes remains together.
Appropriately Sized Pallets – Our warehouse team makes certain that the right sized pallet, also known as a skid, is the right one for the weight and size of the shipment.
Clear Shipping Labels – Labels are legible and durable. Paperwork such as a bill of lading or packing slips are placed inside of a protective sleeve.
How Do I Receive Freight?
There is one golden rule of receiving freight that every receiving dock should follow. Do not accept or sign the bill of lading before checking freight for damage, concealed damage, or missing parts.
It’s critical to pay close attention and inspect all details when you receive a freight shipment. You have the right to record exactly what is missing or damaged. If damaged freight is not recorded, you may not be able to file a successful freight claim.
When you receive freight, here are the steps you should take.
Box Count & Damage Inspection
Count the number of boxes received. Compare the box count to the bill of lading for accuracy.
Inspect the shipment for any visible damages. Ensure all packages are consistent.
Are there any damages present? If yes, then take immediate action with the following steps.
Accept the shipment as damaged.
Write down all damages or missing box count on the delivery slip.
Take photos to showcase the condition of goods when received.
TIP: Do not refuse a shipment or discard any damaged freight. Your shipment may get damaged further, or worse, lost in storage. Without your dust collection products in-hand, getting replacements or a freight claim solved can take several weeks longer.
TIP: Keep a copy of all related documents like the bill of lading, packing slip, and copy of your invoice.
Communicate Issues
TIP: There is a limited window of time to submit a freight claim for resolution.
Report any damages to your supplier within 24 hours of receiving your shipment and they will help your take the next steps. If your shipment was from U.S. Air Filtration here is what you can do:
Contact your account manager directly or the USAF main line at 1-888-221-0312.
Send all photo evidence and a copy of the delivery slip to USAF.
USAF will help start the freight claim process and get you replacements ASAP.
Damaged freight is a headache that no one wants to deal with. They strain your time and bottom line. If you would like to get help with your damaged shipment, submit your information with our interactive receiving checklist below. Once your information is received, a U.S. Air Filtration rep will be in touch to help.
• Industrial Dust Collection buyers place high importance on customer experience when making purchasing decisions
• Customer experience is defined by the interactions a buyer has with a company before, during and after a sale.
• There are five things industrial buyers value most in their purchasing experience: Product knowledge, Responsiveness, Service, Relationship, and Educational Resources
If you were to ask most people what’s most important to them when making a purchase historically it’s come down to three things – price, quality, and service. But as buyers have become more savvy and have less time to spend on purchasing, customers now place equal if not more importance on customer experience when making dust collection purchasing decisions. In fact, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for agreat customer experience. And a recent Walker study found that by the end of 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
Customer experience is defined by the interactions a buyer has with a company before, during and after making a purchase.
What makes a good customer experience when purchasing dust collector parts
We recently sent a survey to our customers to understand what they currently value when making purchasing decisions and to learn where there may be gaps and opportunities for improvement.
By understanding our buyer’s perspective it helps us build an experience tailored to the different needs and wants of our customer.
We’ve organized our findings into five core components that customers valued most:
Top 5 Key Components to a Customer Service Experience
Expertise and Product Knowledge
Responsiveness
Service
Relationship
Educational Resources and Tools
Dust Collection Expertise and Product Knowledge
Expertise and product knowledge were voted as the most valued component in a dust collection customer service experience. Dust collection needs vary significantly even within the same industrial application. Today buyers value sales reps who function first as product experts who understand their specific dust collection challenges. Finding the right dust collection products that will optimize performance requires vast technical knowledge on a filters, valves, troubleshooting, dust collection engineering and more. When a sales rep delivers and establishes their expertise, this evokes trust and assurance to the customer that their buying journey and partnership will be successful.
“I had a very good conversation with internal sales, Mark. Sharing technical knowledge and information is always helpful!” – Customer Testimonial
Leveraging Technology to Improve Responsiveness
Responsiveness is critical to industrial dust collection customers in order to keep their system running at peak performance. A customer may need dust collector parts for an upcoming inspection, an unexpected explosion, or replacements for broken or underperforming parts. To help solve issues before they turn into more disruptive maintenance problems, it’s vital to get a response back to the customer promptly.
To improve response time, companies can leverage technology in innovative ways that cater to the customer.
For example, at USAF our sales reps can be reached through multiple channels including direct phone line, email, online quote request, online chat, email nurturing and marketing automation, or via the main line where a live person will answer and direct your call immediately. Investing in several channel options allows USAF to communicate with customers quickly, using their preferred communication method.
Further, as more of the buyers journey moves online, and as more buyers now prefer online communication over phone and face to face contact, particularly in response to COVID-19, companies need to adapt by investing in technology that will streamline the buyers journey by moving more customer interactions online. This could include any or all of the following solutions:
Chatbot Artificial Intelligence
Call Center
Marketing Automation & Email/SMS nurturing
Content marketing – Includes videos, blogs, eBooks, case studies
“The products I purchase are specialized and by me contacting Patty and her quick response back to me works for our relationship and I wouldn’t change it. She does a fabulous job!” – Customer Testimonial
Service
Customers face so many choices when it comes to where they purchase dust collector parts. One key component to the dust collection customer experience is service. Great service isn’t about being short-sighted and merely searching for the next opportunity, instead it’s about prioritizing solving customer problems and focusing on long term wins.
Today’s industrial buyers expect a service experience that combines one on one human connection with the efficiency that technology brings. An example of this could include the following touchpoints that combine technology with personal outreach:
Regular phone call check ins by sales rep before, during and after a sale to help the customer identify the right product and confirm successful delivery.
Email nurturing that includes how to advice and relevant educational information on dust collection.
E-Commerce product catalog for direct online sales
Post-sale shipping and tracking notifications by email or text
Post-sale customer satisfaction survey by email
While technology has changed the way we do business in critical ways, particularly through e-commerce, the need for human connection will never go away. Companies who can master this hybrid model by finding the right balance of human vs. technology touchpoints will be the most successful in the future.
“I think you’re already doing a great job. Bonnie is always fast to respond to my emails (always within an hour, often within minutes). On top of that she calls me periodically just to check up. She is a true professional and you should consider her a major asset to your company. Without her being my sales person I cannot guarantee that I would be even purchasing from you, there are local guys that I could buy from but I keep coming back to USAF because the service is so good.” – Jake Z.
Relationship
The main goal of establishing a relationship between the customer and their sales rep is to create a consistent experience across all touchpoints in the dust collection journey. The sales rep is the direct connection from the company to the customer, and to ensure the process is as smooth and positive as possible the sales rep should be a customer’s first go-to contact for orders, questions, or issues.
Have you ever called a customer service line for a large retail or phone company? You often find yourself frustrated at being bounced around through several different departments before you even speak to the right person. A direct sales rep for a company keeps an eye on the customer’s entire journey to ensure their experience is positive and to also help mitigate any issues that may cause a bigger problem down the road.
“Bonnie was incredibly kind, helpful, and persistent (in a good way) with our last order” – Thomas J.
Educational Dust Collection Resources and Tools
Expertise, product knowledge, responsiveness, service, and a relationship are all important to the dust collection customer service experience. Providing additional educational resources and tools throughout the purchasing journey is crucial to building trust and long term partnerships. Examples of successful educational resources can include:
eBooks that provide in depth analysis on a key topic such as dust collection design
Regular blog posts that answer common questions customers ask
3D animated product demo videos
Instructional maintenance videos – includes installation, assembly, how-to and troubleshooting advice
Engineering drawings of products
Detailed spec sheets
Project case studies
Here are the most popular dust collection resources USAF has complied over the years that are most valued by our customers.
There are many variables that impact dust collection lead times, particularly during a pandemic. Whether you are returning to work, ramping up production, or are planning a change-out during this holiday season, consider the following factors that can have an impact on your lead times.
Media Availability: Specialty or rare media is usually not in-stock and may need to be sourced or fabricated. Examples include media such as PPS, P84, PTFE on PTFE, Fiberglass, Basalt, and Aramid (depending on seasonal availability and media weight requested), etc.
Custom Features: Dust collector parts with features, dimensions, or accessories that are not common. This can include oval shaped cages, uncommon weights for filter media (e.g. Aramid 16 oz.), and more.
Production Schedule: Dust collector change-outs and maintenance are often seasonal depending on factors such as location and industry. Production schedules can get backed up when an influx of orders are received around the same time. For example, change-outs in the Northeast region of the U.S. are commonly scheduled in the spring or fall season. This is because a large percentage of customers want to avoid conducting change-outs in the extreme temperatures of summer and winter months.
Holidays: Holidays can impact everything from production to shipping. If you have a scheduled change-out during a long holiday weekend, it is best to cushion in additional time to receive and inspect your order.
If you are returning to work after a long hiatus, we have created a return to work dust collection start-up guide and a dust collector maintenance eBook that you can download below to help get your dust collection system started safely.
Dust Collection Shipping
Shipping will continue to change and evolve, especially during the holiday season. We want to help you get what you need, when you need it. We also want to be as transparent as possible and provide the most up to date changes regarding dust collection lead times and shipping. The standard procedures and guarantees that you may have been used to with shipping, may have been modified. Below are some of the top changes that directly affect a large portion of businesses.
UPS
Changes to the UPS Service Guarantee: Effective March 26, 2020 and until further notice, the UPS Service Guarantee is suspended for all shipments from any origin to any destination. Commitment times for some services have also changed.
Is UPS slowing down delivery service? The majority of UPS services continue with the same expected delivery timeframes customers have come to expect. While UPS has suspended their Service Guarantee, they are committed to providing timely and reliable service.
For more details and answers to some of your other questions, we highly recommend checking the UPS website for the latest changes and service alerts: UPS Notices and Service Alerts
Fedex
Changes to Fedex Money Back Guarantee: Earlier this year and until further notice, FedEx suspended money-back guarantee for all FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Office services.
Do I need to sign for my package? Until further notice, Fedex has suspended Signature Required for most shipments.
For more details and answers to some of your other questions, we highly recommend checking the Fedex website for the latest changes and news: Fedex Notices and Alerts
Freight Carriers
This year multiple freight carriers have minimized their workforce or altered their protocols as businesses slowly ramp up production or remain closed in response to COVID-19. Many carriers adapted quickly and implemented safety measures for their remaining staff to maintain continuity of shipping services. As freight carriers navigate through ever-evolving changes and face the upcoming holiday season, you may experience a delay in general delivery times.
To get more detailed information about a specific carrier, please check their website directly for the latest updates or changes.
Warehouse Management
Should businesses’ and warehouses ramp up holiday hours, we want to help you avoid costly delays or complications. Implementing a comprehensive receiving process is one way to eliminate added time or delays to your dust collector start-up or change-out.
To get a comprehensive receiving check list, access and download our guide below.
Once the receiving process is complete, and as soon as you are able to, you can access our filter bag check list below. The check list will help guide you through the process of verifying product count, fit, and what to do should you encounter any issues.
Well, the secret is out! We’ve launched a subscription program to help save you money and time when it comes to re-ordering parts for your dust collector. We designed this new subscription program to make ordering your replacement parts headache and worry-free.
By signing up for a subscription you can:
1. Save money by locking in your pricing for the next 2-3 years.
2. Eliminate lead times entirely with automated delivery.
3. Whenever you need replacements, let USAF do all of the work. Make your ordering process more efficient by taking advantage of our “set it and forget it” process that’s set based on your schedule
4. Avoid fines and a costly production shut down when you have a baghouse emergency.
So now that you’re in on the secret, what’s next? Do you want to take advantage of these cost-saving tips and subscription benefits? Would you like to get more details prior to enrolling?
We’re here to help you, so don’t hesitate to contact one of our sales representatives at 888-221-0312 to get more details, a price quote, or any answers to your questions.
Have you ever experienced late orders, high prices, and inconsistent customer service with your supplier?
Finding a reputable and responsive supplier is going to be important to you when you are trying to minimize production costs and emergencies while still staying within budget. Some of the characteristics that stand out when you deal with a quality supplier are:
Direct Phone Access to Dedicated Account Managers
Your time is valuable. Having your account manager’s direct phone number as well as receiving a live person when you call in is one of the distinguishable traits in a quality supplier. We hear too often people expressing their frustration that they simply can’t get a hold of a real person to talk to. In this world of voicemails, emails,and text messages it’s nice to hear a friendly voice that can help you out immediately.
In-Stock Products and Same Day Shipping
In the case of a dust collector emergency, you need a supplier who has a variety of replacement kits, valves, and filters in-stock and ready to ship that same day. You minimize production loss, avoid fines, and can solve your problem in less that 24 hour.
Warranty on Equipment and Parts
A reputable supplier is one who will stand by the product they sell. With a 1 year warranty you’ll be worry free knowing that you are able to get costs in workmanship issues repaired or replaced.
Above and Beyond Customer Service
The relationship you have with your supplier is important. You work with your supplier over the years and trust them to provide you with the best options for your dust collector at the lowest cost. A company you work with should strive for partnerships built on trust and long term customer satisfaction.
Do you have an emergency plan in place in case your dust collector catches on fire?
We’ve all been there before; one minute your production floor is running smoothly and the next you have sparks flying, an explosion, and then an instant shutdown. You’re losing thousands of dollars and you risk possible fines. What do you do now?
Here’s a real story of a dust collector emergency that happened with one of our customers and how we helped bring their plant back online in less than 24 hours.
A Baghouse Emergency
October 11, 2011 had started out as any other normal day, until we took a call from a leading industrial equipment manufacturer with a large production facility in Mapleton, Illinois. After speaking to our customer, we learned that their baghouse had caught on fire, rendering all of their filter bags useless. They had a couple more fires prior to this one, but the fires had never made it to the baghouse before. Their fires usually started because of creosolt build up in their tunnels. This cresolt build up was routinely cleaned out by their maintenance department, but this time the build up was so fast that they couldn’t keep up with it quick enough.
This baghouse fire created significant consequences in the customer’s production schedule, and it needed to be solved immediately. U.S. Air Filtration was able to help because we had filters in stock and ready to ship, competitive pricing, and customer service that went above and beyond expectations.
Above and Beyond Customer Service
From the time the customer called in we had the account manager, operations, and general manager making sure that we were able to get them the help they needed. Within a few hours after the initial conversation, our team had loaded 1870 of our 6″ x 121″ Duo Density filters onto the company truck and ready to deliver to a local airport. This baghouse emergency was so severe that the customer ended up chartering their own plane to arrive that night. To ensure everything ran smoothly, our team also provided the customer with their cell phone numbers so that they could be informed of the order’s progress each step of the way.
The Solution
Immediately contacting a reputable and responsive supplier is the key to handling your dust collector emergency. Qualities of a reputable and responsive supplier who can handle such emergencies include the following:
Dedicated account managers who can be reached directly in person by phone
In-stock products available and ready to ship same or next day if needed
Minimum 1 year workmanship warranty on all equipment, parts and filters
Experienced account managers who can help you identify the right size and type of filter you need based on your application.
Experts in the dust collector industry can help you identify replacement and shipping options at the lowest cost while providing above and beyond customer service. It’s also recommended you have a spare set of filter bags on hand at all times so you can change out your bags and get your operation back online as quickly as possible in the event of a similar emergency. Facilities dealing with high temperature airflow created during production are at increased risk of this type of emergency and benefit from having back-up bags stocked.
Are you looking to explore cost saving options for your new Dust Collector? Here are some tips and tricks that you can take advantage of now.
On Demand Cleaning: This is a feature that comes standard on our equipment. On Demand Cleaning can help improve Dust Collector performance and efficiency while decreasing the maintenance and labor costs over time. To learn more about how it can help you, download a free “Three Benefits of On Demand Cleaning for your Dust Collector” sheet.
Subscription Program: Enroll into our 2 or 3 Year Subscription Program for replacement parts to take advantage of it’s benefits:
You can potentially save up to 20%* on your order.
Never have to worry about price inflation for the length of your subscription.
No more running around to get replacement parts the last minute! Your parts are automatically shipped to you based on a schedule you specify.
Blanket Order: An alternative to our Subscription Program, a Blanket Order for replacement parts provides you with cost savings and allows you the flexibility of a 1 year time frame.
Preventative Maintenance: By using leak detection powder as part of your preventative maintenance program, it allows you to address any issues before they become a bigger problem. Leak powder can quickly and efficiently pinpoint any leaks, holes, or tears in your dust collector filters, seams, or cell plate. If you are looking to order leak detection powder, we keep those in stock and are able to ship to you same day. To learn more about how to use leak detection powder, download our guide here.
Are you looking to explore cost saving options for your new Dust Collector? Here are some tips and tricks that you can take advantage of now.
On Demand Cleaning: This is a feature that comes standard on our equipment. On Demand Cleaning can help improve Dust Collector performance and efficiency while decreasing the maintenance and labor costs over time. To learn more, download our guide on the benefits of on demand cleaning.
Subscription Program: Consider purchasing your filters and parts on a scheduled two or three year term
Get discounted pricing when you lock in your pricing for a fixed term
Eliminate the hassle of lead times entirely by getting your parts on schedule when you need them year over year without having to lift a finger.
Never have to worry about price inflation for the length of your subscription.
No more running around to get replacement parts the last minute! Your parts are automatically shipped to you based on a schedule you specify.
Blanket Order: An alternative to our Subscription Program, a Blanket Order for replacement parts provides you with cost savings and allows you the flexibility of a 1 year time frame.
Preventative Maintenance: By using leak detection powder as part of your preventative maintenance program, it allows you to address any issues before they become a bigger problem. Leak powder can quickly and efficiently pinpoint any leaks, holes, or tears in your dust collector filters, seams, or cell plate. If you are looking to order leak detection powder, we keep those in stock and are able to ship to you same day. To learn more about how to use leak detection powder, download our guide here.
If you are looking to speak to an equipment specialist, you can contact us with any questions or concerns at 888-221-0312.
Are you having a hard time trying to find those custom panel filters, bags, cartridges, or parts for your dust collector? To avoid that frustration you can contact one of our responsive sales representatives at 888-221-0312.
Our sales representatives can you help find what you are looking for, provide viable alternative medias to help better your process, and also provide the technical help you may be looking for.
We also stock a wide variety of kits, valves, and filters in various media and dimensions.
Are you spending too much money on change outs, having to replace your baghouse filters too often, or using excessive energy to pulse your system? If you have been in this type of situation, trying out PTFE may provide a better solution for your filtering process.
Our video guide below can show you how PTFE membrane works when applied to a dust collector filter, and it’s resulting benefits. Some of the main benefits of PTFE discussed in our video guide are also listed below:
Benefits of PTFE
Longer Bag Life
Lower Maintenance and Labor Costs
Improved Air Flow and Pick-Up Velocities
Lower Energy Costs
Less System Wear and Tear
If you are looking o find more technical help or information on how PTFE can better benefit you, please contact one of our responsive sales representatives at888-221-0312. They can help you find out the best option to fit your budget and facility needs.
istent customer service with your supplier?