The New Year marks a new-improved department for one forklift truck attachment company

B&B Attachments Ltd, located in Cramlington, Northumberland is the leading supplier of forklift truck attachments in the UK. This January marks an exciting new time for B&B, as they take further steps to develop their business by re-launching their Hire Department. This will include a range of changes and new features, which have been implemented in order to provide their customers with the best service possible in 2013.

Established in 1980, B&B Attachments has sold a diverse range of forklift truck attachments, both across the country and internationally. As well as providing products from manufacturers such as KAUP GmbH & Co. KG, and designing their own attachments in-house, the company arranges service contracts for the maintenance of their customers’ attachments. Now, the Hire Department has received a transformation that will enable it to become as key part of the business as other divisions.

Operations Director John Lamberth explains why this decision came about:
"Our Hire Department has always existed, but we knew that more could be done to strengthen its presence within B&B. Towards the end of last year, the team met to discuss its future, and we agreed to put certain measures in place to move it forward. High-quality delivery of service, and customer satisfaction, is at the heart of everything we do, so the action points we decided upon reflected this."

The company began with the appointment of one individual to assume the full time position as Hire Controller. This was taken up by Sally Morton, who had worked for B&B Attachments for seven years in other roles. The decision also prompted the employment of additional engineering staff, both field and workshop-based, to meet the increase in demand for casual hire equipment.

Sally enthuses about the responsibilities of her new job, and talks about some of the plans they have in place:
"I’m thrilled to be appointed as Hire Controller! I was fortunate that I got to get to know the job, and the customers, prior to our re-launch- so I feel like I’ve had a bit of a head-start. The position was only part-time before, so I will be offering customers a point of contact who they can reach at all times throughout the working week. To enhance this further, I recently completed a Customer Service training course, which led me to achieve an NVQ qualification in the subject. I will also be responsible for ensuring that we are always a cost-effective option for our customers, so I will be monitoring our pricing carefully to ensure we remain competitive within the market."

Alongside new appointments, B&B have also added 50 new attachments to their existing hire fleet. This includes some of their most popular attachments, such as double pallet handlers, bale clamps and fork positioners. This will give the company a greater flexibility when responding to customers’ requests, and allow them to offer a more flexible service. Additionally, with every attachment hired from B&B, a full maintenance contract is included within the rate. Regular servicing, and the completion of necessary repairs, can take place anywhere in the UK.

John enthuses about the prospects for the B&B Hire Department throughout 2013:
"The up-and-coming months look very exciting for B&B’s Hire Department. This year will also mark the re-launch of our website, which will include helpful features put in place specifically for hire partners, to make ordering attachment an even simpler process. With all of these measures in place, and some more in the pipeline, I am confident that we can give the B&B Hire customers the best service possible."