Customer service is part of Steele’s DNA. That’s why customers around the world count on us for help in the fight against downtime.
As an example, here’s the timeline for a recent service call. It’s just how we roll.
The message comes in at 3:45AM ET
An Asian customer, making feedstock for a steel mill, can’t engage a pug sealer clutch. Minutes later, Wayne Buchanan, one of our sales engineers, responds.
He asks if the customer has checked the air supply and solenoid void. The customer says yes, so Wayne sends him our clutch maintenance manual, directing him to the clutch adjustment section.
At this point, our colleagues from Australia join the conversation.
We advise our customer to check his quick-release valves, blow the clutch out with air and change the clutch disc.
Engineering joins the conversation
6:25AM. Jeremy Kauffman, our head of engineering, sees the message thread and weighs in.
Has the clutch ever failed to engage? If not, Jeremy thinks it might be a large blockage or significant number of broken return springs. Did the problem start small and become worse over time? In that case, it could be a combination of blockage, return springs or rust building up on the tooth splines of the clutch plate.
By 7:30AM, the pug sealer clutch is functioning properly and our customer is back in business.
He’s looking at switching to 24/7 operations as his mill’s furnaces increase production. He has a simple objective — to run the world’s best extrusion facility. And he knows that the extrusion experts at Steele will always be behind him.
He tells our partner in Australia, “Thanks, guys! It’s like calling 911 when I have issues. Always there to help. Respect!”
That’s a quote we’ll put on our wall!
We invest in our installed base
We like to remind people that we’re more than a heavy machinery manufacturer. We’re a service-minded solution provider.
A sale is only the start of our relationship. When you buy Steele machinery, you can expect decades of production. And we’ll back that sale with customer service, technical support and engineering.
Customers who visit our warehouse in Statesville, NC are often surprised by all the inventory we keep on hand. We think of it as investing in our customers’ uptime.
We stock critical sub-assemblies. We keep shafts for every machine we’ve ever made in inventory. We have gears, gearboxes, auger shaft thrust assemblies, bearings and seals.
Your ally against downtime
Our manufacturing background means we understand the cost of downtime. So everything we do is designed to eliminate or reduce yours.
When you work with Steele, you can expect parts on the shelf, ready to ship. Unmatched expertise in shaping tough materials.
And people who answer the call for help — even in the middle of the night.