98% of Total Lubmarine customers would recommend us to others and 99% would purchase products from us again according to the results of an independent customer survey conducted on our behalf earlier this year.
The study, conducted every three years, asked a panel of 189 customers around the world what they thought of Total Lubmarine’s products and services and why they partner with us. Nearly half of the respondents said that our good value and strong distribution network were the main reasons for choosing Total Lubmarine products. With a distribution network present in over 1000 ports and 80 plus different types of lubes for marine engines and deck equipment, Total Lubmarine is a renowned and trusted supplier.
Total Lubmarine places a strong emphasis on staff training and improving our systems and this investment seems to be paying off. 80% of our customers rated our overall performance as excellent or very good, compared to 74% in 2013 when the same survey was conducted. A closer look at the statistics reveals that 36% rate our overall performance as excellent, up from 26% in 2013.
Our focus on innovation in both the products we offer as well as the way in which we offer them also seems to be key to our continuing success. 95% of respondents said that they were very or quite satisfied with the degree of innovation which Total Lubmarine offers in its products and services. An example of this was last year’s introduction of our Tech’Care TCC iron test kit which is saving marine engineers hundreds of hours each year and providing accurate results enabling better feed-rate optimisation. We are also close to launching a new flexible cylinder lubricant for engines running different types of fuels based on ash free neutralising molecules which will be particularly suitable for ships trading in ECAs.
The work of technical support services team is also welcomed by customers expressing their high levels of satisfaction with the speed, availability, effectiveness and technical knowledge of our people. Our team of marine lubricant engineers comes on-board customer ships to assist with engine and equipment inspections, shipyard or switchover issues as well as training crew on marine lubrication. The survey also confirmed the importance of our improvement programme with more customers looking for Total Lubmarine to deliver services digitally where possible.
We are of course delighted with the results of this survey, but cannot be complacent. The shipping market is struggling against a backdrop of poor freight rates and rising costs, particularly in the container, dry bulk and offshore markets. Indeed only 14% of respondents to the survey said that they expect the market to pick up in 2016. Total Lubmarine is a long-term partner to the shipping industry and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our customers to provide effective solutions ensuring the smooth running of their operations.
Click here to download our customer survey infographic.