••••
SERVICE MANAGER: WORKSHOPS
T RADE N E W S
Jacques wants to steer
workshops in a new direction
JACQUES PRETORIUS IS THE NEW SERVICE MANAGER:
WORKSHOPS AT SENWES EQUIPMENT. HE WAS APPOIN
TED IN THIS POSITION AFTER ANTOON SMALBERGER,
WHO HAS BEEN IN THE POSITION SINCE 2010, WAS
APPOINTED AS THE NEW JCB SALES MANAGER.
AUBREY KRUGER
T
his position, which he has
been filling since May this
year, is a new challenge to Jacques
and he was definitely the right
choice - he has been involved with
Senwes' workshops since 1997
and has 20 years' experience in
this industry.
Jacques wants to bring about a
total change to the workshops. He
wants to steer the workshops in
a new direction and his objective
is "to bring about change in the
workshops and to improve service
levels, since there is always room
for improvement.”
What makes him particularly
suitable for the position is that
he has been the technical advisor
for the Senwes Northern Region
for the past two years, with eight
workshops reporting to him. This
was excellent preparation for the
fact that he is now in control of
the total Senwes Equipment ser-
vice area, which involves 17 work-
shops and three technical advisors.
A number of actions have
already been taken to improve
service levels. Firstly he now has
three technical advisors. Senwes
Equipment has also launched an
investigation into the workshops
and Jacques and Ferdie Pieterse,
Executive Manager of Senwes
Equipment, are working closely in
26
finding ways to service customers
more effectively. "The objective
is to create technical depth in the
business.”
Jacques has his roots firmly
planted in Senwes. He com-
menced duty directly after school
in 1997 as apprentice at the Parys
branch, where he qualified as
technician in 1999. He worked as
technician from 2002 until 2013,
followed by a promotion to work-
shop manager at Parys in 2013.
He was appointed as technical
advisor of the Northern Region
in 2015. He also worked as work-
ing foreman for Carb and Motor
Repair Services in Parys from
2000 to 2002.
His excellent work resulted
in positive growth at the Parys
workshop within two years. The
titles of Workshop of the Year and
Workshop Manager of the Year in
2014 bear witness to this fact. He
also knows how to work with cus-
tomers. “Although one will never
quite understand, I think I know
how producers work and which
aspects should enjoy priority
attention,” Jacques said.
MESSAGE TO PRODUCERS
His message to customers is sim-
ple: “Although we are not where
we want to be, our objective is to
improve service levels by 100%
over the next three years, to have
AUG/SEP 2017 • SENWES Scenario
technicians available to assist
customers immediately and to
create the necessary depth in the
company.” He also says that the
most important focus will always
be to put the customer first. We
endeavour to give our very best
in a sustainable manner and we
believe that we will be successful -
“We have a young team at present
and we form a good unit,” Jacques
said passionately.
This 39-year old Klerksdorp-
born man grew up in Wesselsbron,
attended Sandveld Primary School
in Wesselsbron and matriculated
at HTS Sasolburg in 1996.
His father worked as silo mana
ger for Senwes for many years. His
wife, Alta, is a small-scale cattle
farmer on the farm of her father,
Hennie Fourie, and she is also
Senwes' grain marketing advisor in
Parys. They have been married for
14 years and have two children,
Hencú (8) and Jancú (11).
He reassures customers that he
is always available to solve prob-
lems. “Remember, we can only
do something about a problem
if we know about the problem.”
Customers can contact Jacques at
082 455 8590 or 018 464 7334
or send an e-mail to jacques.preto-
[email protected].