Domino refocuses UK service offer

Domino Printing Sciences has appointed a new sales director and a new service manager in a bid to improve service for its UK customers.

Sales director Mike Hurst, whose previous roles within the specialist inkjet printing firm include sales channel development director and product director, will head a national team of area and regional managers as well as business development and key account managers.

Hurst said he would initially focus on building a clearer understanding of the UK market and the sectors and customers the company serves.

He added: "We know that for many of our customers coding is a necessity and not something they see as part of their core business, and so it is important to them that the coding is as automated and seamless as possible.

"We also understand that many of our customers are under pressure, both internally and from external competitors. Therefore they need solutions that boost efficiency and enable them to remain competitive both in the UK and overseas."

Ian Cockett meanwhile, Domino’s new UK service manager, is heading the firm’s team of field-based service engineers, as well as the technical team based at the company’s Cambridge headquarters.

Joining from Bosch UK, Cockett is implementing a new system of customer training through Domino service engineers to enable them to fix basic technical issues without the need for an engineer. He is also charged with improving focus on customer needs on their initial contact with the company.

Domino UK general manager Will Edwards said: "The appointments of Mike and Ian will help us move to the next level in terms of offering our customers the best possible service in a challenging and demanding environment, not just when a customer installs one of our products, but all the way through that product's lifecycle."

In March, Domino revealed in its interim management statement that overall sales across its core business had increased by 11% year-on-year in the four months to February 2013, with equipment and consumables growing 9% and spares and service revenue up 13%.

Its performance has been hampered however, by the performance of North American egg coding and traceability business TEN Media, in which Domino invested $50m (£33m) in 2011.

The company said in its statement that it would not be committing further capital at that time, although remained supportive of the venture.

Its outlook for Europe was also cautious although the company was confident in the future of its N600i colour inkjet label press, the first of which was sold in January, as well as its K600i black and white overprinting system.