Customer satisfaction is a key priority for any business, and then you have customer loyalty a level above that. When it comes to customer loyalty, one need look no further than Jeff Trackson and his decades-long professional relationship with Vermeer Australia.

With his company, JR & LM Trackson Pty Ltd, specialising in directional drilling across the whole of Australia, Jeff bought his first Vermeer drill more than 26 years ago, and since then has purchased 33 Vermeer drills, with the latest being the D100x140 S3. Plus another 100-plus pieces of ancillary equipment, including HDD locators, cable locators, mixing systems, cable ploughs, trenchers, recyclers, and more than 30 vacuum excavators.

For Jeff, his search for top quality, reliable equipment is what first led him to Vermeer all those years ago. And just as important to Jeff as the equipment itself is after-sale care and service.

“I was looking for reliability, service and customer support.”

Jeff said that alongside Vermeer Australia’s incomparable service and customer support is the team’s extensive, in-depth knowledge of the equipment.

“A lot of the guys have been there just as long as I’ve been buying gear, so 20-plus years.”

“I can ring a fitter in Adelaide and he’ll help me get through the problems that we might have with the machine. They’re very good, and very knowledgeable in the machines that they sell.

“There are some good guys there that live and breathe Vermeer.”

A Vermeer Australia team member that has worked closely with Jeff for more than a decade is Sales Manager, Nigel Dobier.

“I’ve been at the company for 14 years, and I’ve known Jeff basically ever since I started in the spare parts department back in 2008.”

Nigel understands the importance of prioritising customer support and satisfaction, and taking a hands-on approach to customer service, working to uphold this across the various roles he’s held over the years.

“Jeff trusts our company overall, and I’ve been that person, among others, that he trusts. So we’ve always maintained the relationship no matter what position I’ve been in.

“It’s been an important thing for us to ensure that Jeff stays comfortable with us. He knows that he can pick up the phone to me or others within our business, and he’s going to be looked after.

“We’re going to keep his gear running and keep the pipe going into the ground, because that’s how he feeds his family, and the families that are employed by the Trackson Group of Companies.

“And that goes for all Vermeer customers.”

It’s a sentiment that is echoed by Vermeer product specialist, Steve Batchelor, who has been working at the company for 30 years and first encountered Jeff early in his career at Vermeer Australia. Steve has worked hard to maintain a close working relationship with Jeff ever since.

“I got to meet him when he was a very small operator. I’ve had a lot of out-in-the-field experience with him, and we have a great relationship with him.

“Every time he bought a drill, I’ve been there with the installation to train his team, and make sure the machine was in great working condition.”

Together with the rest of the team at Vermeer Australia, Steve has kept abreast of Jeff’s expanding business and has guided him through the various equipment groups to help him grow his business.

“He’s had a lot of different trencher models and some ploughs. So he’s been a very big end user of our brand. [He relies] on us because obviously, as their fleet numbers grow, they need good support around them to maintain them.

“He’ll talk to us and communicate what he needs and we’ll let him know what we’ve got coming, or what we’ve got second-hand, or possibly around the country that might help him fulfil that obligation.”

Vermeer prides itself on offering its customers equipment that is not only state of the art, but is dependable and reliable as well.

“They work in a lot of remote areas, and it might be a case of us not being close by, but being able to help them out of trouble over the phone or get parts to them in a hurry, and help identify what that issue might be and organise the part that’s going to get them back up and running when they’re in the middle of nowhere.

“The technology that’s in the equipment that’s evolving is the latest, most innovative tech.

“Our locations, the fact that we’ve got good coverage across the country. And we’ve got a strong parts inventory, which is very important that we’ve got parts on the ground when customers need them.”

Jeff’s most recent purchase is an S3 model of the D100x140 and is the first of its kind delivered by Vermeer Australia in the country. Steve said this purchase has a lot of relevance for the team.

“We sell off the back of success, and they’ve come off an older model. We’re eager to see their reaction to a lot of the technology in the new drill that’s going to save them time on the job and more than likely boost their productivity.”

Alongside being proud of the equipment Vermeer provides its clients, just like Nigel, Steve places a great deal of importance and significance on customer service.

“It’s the difference between [Jeff] coming back and buying from Vermeer Australia or buying from our opposition. It’s everything.

“It’s one of our values that we try to live by as a company. It’s one thing selling a customer something, but it speaks volumes when that customer keeps coming back, buying the same brand, time and time again, because there’s plenty of opposition out there, and plenty of options for them to go to.

“So we have a lot of pride in the fact that he’s been coming back to us for a period of almost 30 years now.”

Jeff would like to extend a very special thank you to Peter Pullan, previous co-owner of Vermeer Australia and current Executive Director of RDO Equipment Pty Ltd, for the personal advice and support he has provided him over the last 26 years.

“Enjoy your time in retirement. You deserve this time.”

A very special thank you from the entire Vermeer Australia team to Jeff, Linda and the whole Trackson Group of Companies team for your loyalty and support over the years. Our partnership is one not only we, but the Vermeer global team, holds with incredible value.