Ian Mitchell runs High Five Training, a dedicated machinery operator and sales skills training business based in Ipswich, Suffolk. Ian has delivered the BAGMA Installation training course to dealers, manufacturers and end users across the UK for over 20 years. Here he reviews the course and the benefits it delivers to dealer staff and their customers.

Every course begins with asking the candidates what benefits good machinery installation will bring. With their answers on a flip chart, we’ll then review the responses within the group. Typically, the following key points come up in every session:

Performance: Operators who understand how to use the machinery will get more out of it.

Safety: Operators who know how to set the machinery up correctly should have fewer incidents and accidents.

Maintenance: Operators who know how to maintain the machinery correctly are more likely to look after it better.

Reliability: Machines that are well maintained should also be more reliable.

Relationships: Spending some time installing new machinery with the customer should enhance the existing relationship with the dealer. It also, often, provides the opportunity to meet other people within the organisation, who might be useful contacts in the future.

Repeat business: Reliability and good performance are key factors in winning repeat business with any customer, they are also essential for retaining the business of existing customers.

These are all very positive reasons and reaffirm the importance of correctly installing machinery with any customer. There are also reasons to have this training in place in the event of something going wrong.

Legislation & Litigation:  In the event of an accident, it is important to able to prove that systematic instruction was carried out, using an approved system, with suitable records kept by qualified staff. That’s why the BAGMA scheme is an approved code of practice (ACOP). It’s very important to keep all customer facing staff up to date & recertified as required.

How it works

The course is made up of a simple 20-point process, covering all the key areas that can be applied to all types of machinery – from a battery Hedge Cutter through to a Combine Harvester. You just have to pull the right information out of the operator’s handbook and either explain or show it to the customer.

It is important that those attending the course book do make sure to read the operators instruction book and fully understand what all the controls do, and how to use them. You will also need to be aware of all the daily checks, basic adjustments & maintenance procedures.

Knowing this information is one thing, but being able to present this to the customer is a key skill. Our training includes role play sessions, which give participants an opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice, and to see how others handle the same situation. With such a varied list of training objectives, this course will impart so many key skills to people of all levels within an organisation – a salesperson, demonstrator or even a delivery driver! The ability to talk about the product with confidence should become second nature for all of them… and this course will get them focused on how to do just that.