After-sales support the key to business success. We spoke to Cameron Thompson from Stump Pro Stump Grinding about his experience as a customer.

Stump Pro Stump Grinding in Brisbane is able to handle jobs others can’t, mainly because of the equipment they own. Here, we spoke to owner, Cameron Thompson, about what it was like starting his own business, the importance of purchasing premium equipment, and the impact after-sales support has on his own business.

Starting and running your own business is stressful and difficult at the best of times. Founder of Stump Pro, Cameron Thompson, took the leap into small business in 2007 when he ventured into
the stump grinding market. With limited startup capital and being the single father of three, Mr Thompson was taking a risk to start a business. The risk was a calculated one, said Mr Thompson, who already had experience in the industry, and had identified a need in the market.

“I was working as a sales rep for a Woodchippers company at the time and had a lot of contacts in the industry. I saw a gap in the market for people to do large stump grinding, so I purchased my first stump grinder ten years ago and began building the business,” said Mr Thompson.

Having the right equipment and support

In 2016 Mr Thompson purchased his first Vermeer product – the SC552 stump grinder. He was so impressed he purchased a SC40TX stump grinder a month later and has since bought three more Vermeer products. Mr Thompson said he has known Craig Baillie from Vermeer for more than fifteen years and appreciates the way he, his team, and the rest of the company, does business.

“I could tell right away that Vermeer were genuine and actually cared about my business needs. They were there to help, and showed an interest in what we could do and where I wanted to take Stump Pro.”

The service he received after his first purchase from Vermeer made it easy for Mr Thompson to continue buying equipment from them. He said knowing the level of after-sales support available makes a big difference for small businesses.

“If I had a problem or question, I could contact the local rep, Daniel Krafft, or the Vermeer workshop, and someone came straight out to fix it. Nothing was ever a hassle.

“Daniel did training with us on our first day with the product, but his customer service went beyond that. We weren’t forgotten. He called to follow up and made sure everything was okay.

“That’s why I bought more of their equipment; purely because I feel confident that the backup is there,” said Mr Thompson.

Click here to read the full article in the Feb/Mar edition of The Australian Arbor Age