UK machinery after-sales service agreements
Define response, attendance and restoration separately, then agree covered sites, access duties, spending approval, repeat-visit costs and who obtains factory technical help. Record exclusions, escalation and evidence for closing a fault. Agree the sourcing and factory liaison role with Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the service and its targets
List the machines, serial numbers, installed locations and covered work. Separate breakdown support, planned maintenance, operator training and warranty administration. State who contracts with the UK engineer and who owns each fault through to closure. Use the warranty administration guide for claims handling rather than treating warranty cover as a service attendance promise.
Define response as contact from someone able to begin diagnosis, attendance as an engineer reaching the site, and restoration as achieving agreed operating acceptance criteria. Distinguish temporary operation from a completed repair. For each target, record fault priority, reporting channel, service hours, clock start, permitted pauses and escalation when missed. Require a reason and revised plan whenever parts or factory advice delay restoration.
Specify geographic coverage and dispatch
Name covered sites and postcodes rather than accepting 'UK coverage'. Ask whether Northern Ireland, islands and remote locations have different attendance arrangements. Identify the engineer's dispatch base, subcontracting arrangements and available machine skills. State whether travel, accommodation, ferries and out-of-hours work are included or need approval. For partner selection, see our guide to appointing a UK machinery service partner.
Agree the route from remote diagnosis to site attendance, including who decides that a visit is necessary. Ask what happens when the usual engineer is unavailable or the machine moves site. Record which coverage changes require a revised quotation and whether the existing service targets still apply.
Arrange access and safe handover
HSE says plant and equipment must be made safe before maintenance starts. In the agreement, allocate responsibility for isolation, site induction, permits where applicable, escorts, lifting arrangements and a clear working area. Name the site contact who can arrange shutdown and access. Use the installation and commissioning guide for the initial installation scope.
Specify access to manuals, fault logs, drawings and approved software credentials. For remote support, agree who authorises each session, supervises machine commands and records changes. State how access failures affect attendance charges and target clocks. Agree the post-repair checks and who authorises return to production.
Control call-out approval and repeat visits
Name who may approve a call-out, diagnostic work, parts and further labour. Require a written estimate showing travel, labour, parts, freight and any factory assistance charges. Agree a spending limit and a stop-and-seek-approval point. Define any emergency authority in advance and explain how disputed warranty costs will be handled.
Set out who pays when a return visit follows missing parts, incomplete diagnosis, unsuccessful work, unavailable site access or a new fault. Require the service report to identify the reason before further work is approved. Agree how recurring symptoms reopen the existing case, what evidence distinguishes a new fault, and what correction is offered if the agreed repair fails.
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Assign factory assistance and fault closure
Name the party responsible for obtaining factory technical assistance, translating exchanges and chasing unresolved questions. Define the handover pack: machine identity, symptoms, fault logs, photographs, operating conditions and changes already attempted. Agree factory contact hours, escalation contacts and an alternative route if the factory does not respond. China-based sourcing staff can coordinate enquiries where agreed; confirm engineering attendance separately.
Specify who obtains drawings, diagnostic advice, software files and part identification, and who checks that proposed changes suit the installed machine. Coordinate stock and replenishment through the spare parts planning guide. Close the case only against agreed checks, with a service report recording the cause, work, parts, changes and outstanding restrictions. Agree what remedy follows missed targets and how unresolved cases transfer when the agreement ends.
Frequently asked questions
Does a response target mean my machine will be repaired?
Define it separately. Response should identify when diagnosis begins; restoration should identify the operating condition to be achieved. Record attendance and temporary workarounds separately.
What should UK machinery service coverage include?
Name covered sites, postcode exclusions, engineer availability and travel charges. Confirm arrangements for Northern Ireland, islands, remote sites and out-of-hours attendance.
Who pays for repeat machinery repair visits?
Agree payment by cause: incomplete diagnosis, missing parts, failed repair, access problems or a new fault. Require a written reason and approval before further chargeable work.
Who should contact the Chinese factory for technical help?
Name a case owner to obtain advice, coordinate translation and escalate delays. Specify what the factory must supply and who checks and implements its proposed solution.