Third Quarter 2008


There's Always Room To Be Better
PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE
Jack Phelan
2008 MHEDA President

“Achieving Service Excellence”
FROM THE DESK OF. . .
LIZ RICHARDS
Executive Vice President MHEDA
   
 
An archive of questions asked of the MHEDA Board, All Answered!
Need an Answer?
Check out the
Asked & Answered index.

THIRD QUARTER 2008

COVER STORY
At Your Service
From an inside look at distributor service departments to the philosophy behind selling service capabilities, MHEDA Members have myriad perspectives on the issues and hot service-related topics affecting the industry. Learn what members are saying about diagnostic software, recruiting technicians, providing incentives, fixing conveyors and selling parts.

Selling Excellent Service
By Don Chance

Inside The Service Department

Survey Results reveal the ideal traits of
a service technician
.

Going The Distance
By James Holmes

Incentivize Your Technicians
By Lars Flink Jr.

Me And My Service Truck

The Ultimate Service Vehicle

Proprietary Software
By Clark Simpson and Dave Nicolette

Diagnostic Software Forum

The Other Side of the Coin

Servicing Conveyors
By Chuck Frank

As Doors Close, Windows Open
By Tim DeMarse

The Meaning Of Service
By Ken Cooper


MHEDA MEMBER PROFILE
VBS Inc. Material Handling Equipment
Celebrating 80 years in business

YOUNG LEADER PROFILE
At Your Service
AHS, Inc. Project Manager Matt Witte works hard so customers don't have to.

DEALER RECOGNITION
Best Of The Best
MHEDA Distributors receive supplier accolades.

STORAGE & HANDINLING
How Liable Are We?
Understand the capacity of wire mesh pallet rack decking.
By Craig F. Chamberlin

AFTERMARKET CORNER
Aftermarket Parts Sales In A Slowing Economy
Oppurtunities for up-selling and cross-selling.
By Bill LeMeur

GREEN INITIATIVES
The New Power Of Green
On-board charging of forklifts
By Mannix O'Connor

Converting To Electric Trucks
Distributor offers tips to help customers make the switch.
By Michael Sain

Remanufacturing Meets Material Handling Equipment
Giving equipment a new lease on life.
By Tonya Byzewski

 

HUMAN RESOURCES
5 Ways To Recruit Top Talent
Avoid the two most common hiring ruts.
By Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., and Patrick Sweeney

SALES & MARKETING
Overcoming A Selling Slump
Improve your sales in any economic conditions.
By Christine Corelli

Hiring A Sales Trainer
Distributor explains the options.

By Daren Froeschle

MONEY MATTERS
Benchmarking For Sucess
Hanging tough in tough times.
By Albert D. Bates, Ph.D.

TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY
Online Networking
Social networking sites make transition to business.

Internet Marketing Techniques
Get yourself out of the old-school mentality.
By Art Arellano

ANNUAL CONVENTION
Snapshots From Orlando
MHEDA's 54th Annual Convention in pictures

BEHIND THE SCENES
Membership Is Their Business
Kathy Cotter and Luann Alm work closely with MHEDA members.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
MHEDA Welcomes The Next Generation
Two Convention attendees describe their experience.

 
  •  The Distributor Service Department
  •  Engineered Systems Repair
  •  VBS Turns 80
  •  Selling Electric Forklifts

The MHEDA Journal is published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Subscription rate is $40.00 annually.
Not-for-profit and charitable organization rate is $40 annually. MHEDA members receive this magazine as part of their dues.

• Managing Editor Liz Richards    • Senior Editor Carole Jesiolowski     • Editor Christopher Powers
• Contributing Editors  Daniel Vest  • Christopher Baker  • Susan Freibrun  • AnnaMaria Kendall  • Joanne Piacenza • Cindy Thoren
 • Creative Director Paul Brunell     • Production Editor  Clyde Wolford     • Online Designer Briana Viel

Editorial correspondence should be sent to Liz Richards, Managing Editor, Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association, 201 U.S. Highway 45, Vernon Hills, IL 60061-2398; telephone 847-680-3500; fax 847-362-6989. Advertising correspondence and materials should be sent to Judy Flanagan, Data Key Communications, Inc., 5794 Widewaters Parkway, Dewitt, NY 13214; telephone 315-445-2347; fax 315-445-9336.

As the official magazine of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), a non-profit organization, this publication carries authoritative notices and articles in regard to the activities of the Association. In all other respects, neither the Association nor the publisher of The MHEDA Journal, Data Key Communications, Inc. is responsible for the contents thereof or the opinions of the contributors.

Entire contents are Copyright © 2008 by Data Key Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers. Data Key Communications, Inc. reserves the right to print portions of or all of any correspondence mailed to the editors without liability on its part and no such correspondence will be returned.

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