Expert Talks with Alessandra Celegon: winning on service, not price

Alessandra Celegon's journey: from the sales office to the field

Daniele: Hello everyone, I'm Daniele Delle Case and this is Expert Talks, the Things5 podcast about technology and smart products with industry experts. Today we're joined by Alessandra Celegon, Area Manager Italy at DIHR. Hi Alessandra, good morning, it's a pleasure to have you here with us. Would you like to tell us a bit about the path that brought you here, to DIHR today, and about your career in general?

Alessandra: Well, I graduated in Public Relations and I started at DIHR 15–16 years ago, joining the sales office. So I started with an internal view of the company: I didn't come in right away in a “front-facing” role, as a sales manager, but by first getting to know the product and the company environment. We do everything in-house, from the small dishwasher to the large one, so it was very useful for me to “learn the ropes”, let's call it that, inside the company.

In recent years, given the growing need (especially in the Italian market) to also have a presence in the field, we kept working with our agents, our trusted people who are constantly out visiting customers, but the need emerged for someone to be their point of reference. Someone who could go with them to customers and bring back to the company any needs and requirements that might come up. That, in short, is the path that led me to the role I have today.

How to compete when the market becomes a price war

Daniele: In your day-to-day role, what are the main challenges you face in your work?

Alessandra: It's certainly not easy, because the market is more and more competitive. Sometimes it becomes a price war that doesn't let the customer make an informed choice. More and more we see beautiful catalogs, but behind them there isn't always the same quality as a company that manufactures in Italy and does everything in-house. The challenge is to make the customer see what's behind the product: our presence, the fact that we provide reliability because we've been on the market for more than 40 years, that we offer an available service team, structured after-sales service, a dedicated spare parts area. So it's not just “the product”, but a whole world behind it. And this can't be handled solely on the basis of price: you also need to make people see this added value.

Daniele: So in your view the history aspect carries a lot of value in corporate storytelling. From the standpoint of technological evolution, on the other hand, how much can it be a differentiator in your value proposition, in what you bring to market and in setting yourselves apart from other companies that think more in terms of price?

Alessandra: It's essential. Technology makes it possible to guarantee services that otherwise couldn't be offered. For example, always having the manuals available, ordering spare parts online, having a service center available, up-to-date technical data sheets and catalogs. Technology is also helping us enormously with all the connected machines, because it lets us be even closer not only to our distributor – we sell to distributors, who then sell to end customers – but also to the users.

This breaks down barriers: we can see how the machine is working at the end customer's site and, when the installer or the service technician calls us, we're already “on top of it”, we already know what's going on, we can interact and help each other. This is essential because, as we were saying earlier, it's no longer a question of price, but above all of reliability and service longevity.

Operational continuity and local presence: what matters beyond price

Daniele: The concept of service you just introduced is closely tied to the quality and availability of data, which let you understand what's happening on the machines. Today, how important is data-driven operational continuity in your business, and what, in your view, are the key things you need to guarantee to ensure that continuity?

Alessandra: Operational continuity is essential. We live in a hectic world where you need to be there all the time. Venues have to guarantee certain hours and certain services. With a set of tools we can be reachable and provide answers even on Saturdays and Sundays: through the manual, through the spare part, by already being able to interact with the service department, or by being able to organize the service call quickly.

The goal is to provide fast, targeted, quick service, because today speed has become a constant for everyone: if you have to make an offer they want the machine the day before; if there's a service problem you have to be quick in providing an answer, spare parts and technical support as soon as possible. This is an absolutely essential point that we're focusing on a lot: it creates that extra value that's essential today, precisely because of the speed of our times.

Daniele: So we move from the concept of quality to the concept of product reliability, right?

Alessandra: Quality has to be there, it's essential. As far as we're concerned, product reliability is well established: we've been doing this for many years and every now and then I get calls about machines that are 16, 17, 18 years old. We're very confident on that front.

Then there's the issue of presence: beyond everything else, it's important to give that feeling of closeness, of constant presence alongside our dealer and above all the end customer who will use the machine.

Daniele: Have there been moments or practical examples showing how service quality and product reliability were decisive in a sales negotiation, to win new customers or retain existing ones?

Alessandra: Yes, absolutely. As I was saying, sometimes we find ourselves competing with big offers coming from foreign manufacturers, maybe from Eastern Europe, with much lower prices because they follow a completely different production logic from the European or Italian one.

In these cases it's essential to be able to guarantee local presence. Being present and being able to go out with DIHR agents directly to the customer to do a site survey, for example, is a great value. We often go to see a facility to understand how to put an offer together, especially when there are major projects; for example, we also sell conveyor dishwashers for hospitals and very large canteens.

This closeness, not having a distant manufacturer that “makes the machine” and a small dealer who just has to place the request, but a company that's constantly in touch via WhatsApp, email, or by physically going together to visit dealers, is in my opinion one of the keys that allows us to be closer and more competitive.

An app for customers, dealers and agents: manuals, spare parts and BIM files

Daniele: So you're referring to communication channels. How much can these new channels, combined with IoT, become a new way to engage your customers and generate value from this faster connection? They let you go to market with even more strength. What's the main advantage you're seeing?

Alessandra: We developed an application that interfaces with different customer segments. There's a more sales-oriented section, where you can download technical data sheets, catalogs and product information at any time. There's a service section, where you can access the spare parts area and the manuals: whether you're a restaurant owner or a distributor, you enter the serial number and download the manual at any hour.

Then we have a more internal section, dedicated to agents, to keep them updated on machine availability and to provide tools like BIM or AutoCAD files, which customers can also download.

All this has allowed us to be much faster and ensure that the customer doesn't have to waste time calling, asking and searching: everything can be found and used instantly with a simple click. Of course, if needed we're always there to guide them, but it's true that sometimes you call a company and can't get through for hours. We try to make all the tools as user-friendly as possible precisely to guarantee speed and availability in the shortest possible time.

Connected machines: data for the installer, the dealer and rentals

Daniele: Going back to the data generated by the machines: how can it, in your view, add value in a sales negotiation, if it can?

Alessandra: Absolutely. When a customer has a connected machine, that machine records any anomalies but also how it's operating. If there are problems, the customer knows the installer can see what's happening at any time. For the installer it's a big advantage: they receive any alarm, a low-detergent alert, all the useful information. They can connect, see how the machine has been running, whether the boiler heating element is working properly, whether the cycles are regular; they can make small adjustments remotely or, if necessary, go on site having already done a predictive analysis.

Installers often have to cover long distances, maybe in mountain areas. Arriving with the right spare parts already in the van is essential: it reduces costs for the customer and time for whoever does the installation. Time, today, is one of the most important things. So arriving prepared increases the satisfaction of those receiving the service and simplifies the work of those delivering it.

Daniele: You introduced the term “predictiveness”, which is one of the cornerstones of future developments in IoT and connected products. When you talk about predictiveness, do you mean both problem solving and sales action? Your dealers can consult this data and also use it commercially (for example, to sell detergents).

Alessandra: Yes, exactly, both. Selling detergents is one of the channels: by installing a connected machine with a low-product sensor (a simple probe that detects when the detergent runs out), the dealer can be alerted, reach out to the customer, resupply them or check whether the customer is still buying from them.

Another very interesting way to use IoT is rental. More and more often customers are looking at formulas similar to the ones we already see for coffee machines: they supply the machine and the coffee, or the machine and the detergent, or they do an operating lease with a fixed monthly fee. Seeing how the machine is used is important: knowing the number of cycles, how it works, monitoring that it works properly. In rental, this lets you set the fees correctly, as well as ensuring the machine is always running efficiently. From this point of view the IoT machine is perfect, and essential.

Rental and servitization: the dishwasher that always gets its tune-up

Daniele: This reminds me of the concept of servitization, that is, turning the machine into a service. It ties in with many things you've talked about: operating leases, selling consumables together with the machine, etc. What's your view on servitization and how far are we, in your opinion, from selling fully servitized products, no longer as a simple “one-shot” sale but as a service?

Alessandra: It's actually the most widely adopted trend. We've gotten somewhat used to it thanks to cell phones and cars: more and more people talk about renting. We're used to the idea of not buying outright, but having a package that, paid month by month, gives you the asset as well as service and inspections. It's certainly an advantage, because people who buy dishwashers, unfortunately, often consider them the last part of the kitchen: they get somewhat forgotten and aren't always looked after. We insist a lot on the importance of checking the water, using softened water, cleaning the inside of the machine. Typically they buy it but then it's managed and used poorly.

A model that guarantees a machine that's looked after, with a technician who comes by once a month to check it and adjust the parameters based on how it's really working, gives the customer better use and allows the dealer to deal with any issues differently. It's like having a machine that's constantly getting its tune-up: by checking it and restoring it “like new” as you go, it lasts a lifetime. A dishwasher, if well maintained, has no trouble lasting more than 10 years. So it's a great sales lever, a tool to evaluate case by case, also from a financial standpoint.

With how quickly venues open and close, and franchising in which the equipment isn't owned but leased from the chain, dealers are being pushed to study new solutions.

Daniele: We've done various feasibility studies analyzing companies' cash flows: we've seen that, in the medium to long term, cash flows are higher than with traditional sales, because the sale becomes recurring instead of “one-shot”. Often, though, this creates turbulence in distribution: the distributor is afraid of being cut out. From what you're saying, on the other hand, it seems the distributor may be more ready than we expect and that this model could be a very strong sales lever for them.

Alessandra: Yes, I've received quite a lot of positive feedback while out in the field. This option is often requested, especially for major, very large machines, like tunnel dishwashers or large pot washers, where the restaurant owner may not be able to afford the upfront outlay right away.

In some cases the installer takes on part of the cost. Then when a rental is set up, of course they charge both a machine fee and the service, so every month there's an ongoing economic return. We see it with phones: if you add up all the installments paid compared to the cost of the phone, it's clear the model is a winner from the supplier's point of view. In sales it's a winning formula because, even though it's a rental, it guarantees a return on the service you provide: it lets you be more present with the customer and better follow the life of the equipment.

Daniele: Do you think the end customer gets a clear benefit? Besides the economic and functional advantage, what other benefits do you see in models like this?

Alessandra: The biggest benefit is that the equipment's lifespan is extended. As I said, if the machine is looked after, if something is replaced before it breaks down for good, the product's life is extended. We often get called when the problem is already serious, maybe the machine is full of limescale, and at that point everything is more complicated.

With a service contract, the machine definitely lasts longer. It's not just an economic issue – I pay a monthly amount instead of all at once – but also about the quality of the asset you're using. Plus, you get a return in terms of service quality and equipment: the product works better, longer and with fewer surprises.

Sustainability and the return on an IoT project: consumption and multifunction machines

Daniele: From a sustainability standpoint, how much does the end customer perceive the value of having data and new usage models? And how much can it be an additional key in selling the product for a company like yours, which invests heavily in sustainability?

Alessandra: It's very important, because having data lets you monitor, for example, the kWh consumed. Our IoT is open and can be integrated with other equipment in the kitchen, making it possible to create optimal management based on peaks and on the best times to use the various machines.

Warewashing, for example, has a completely different energy cost if it's run at night. If you're able to automate these choices or manage them in the best way, at the end of the day you get tangible results, financially too. It may seem like a big investment at first, but in the end the investment is really small compared to the return you get at the end of the year.

Daniele: Every investment needs metrics to monitor and evaluate it, and it needs to deliver returns. From your point of view, for a company like DIHR, what are the main metrics to monitor in an IoT project on machines, and how do you evaluate the return on investment?

Alessandra: The first point is certainly checking water and energy consumption. We now have machines with heat recovery units that use the steam produced inside to preheat the water, reducing the use of the heating elements. The machine heats itself with the steam it produces and, through IoT, we can manage and analyze this data so the customer or the installer can truly optimize consumption.

We're also focusing heavily on multifunction equipment: machines that don't force you to buy a separate dishwasher, pot washer and machine for hygienic washing, but bring everything together in a single unit. That way you save space, investment costs, water, detergent and energy.

The latest machine presented at Host, for example, can wash gastronorm pans at high pressure, it creates almost a “sandblasting” effect thanks to a dedicated pump, and, when it recognizes the dish rack, it activates the specific program for dishes with dedicated arms and pump.

You no longer need to buy two machines, with double the consumption and double the investment: you save space, money and resources. You can clearly see the return at the end of the year.

Connected kitchens: why equipment will have to talk to each other

Daniele: Earlier you brought up integration between systems and mentioned that your platform is open. From your point of view, what virtuous cycles could these integrations with external tools enable? And what tools do you imagine integrating with?

Alessandra: Being out in the field and also working within the Ali Group, we collaborate a lot with those who make ovens, refrigerators and other equipment. When you supply a kitchen for a large facility, there's often a need for an upstream program that manages all the equipment. We've already seen that, using this kind of IoT platform, it's possible to centrally manage power-on, shutdown, consumption and peaks, using tools such as “peak shavers”: at certain moments you cut power to a heating element, but at the end of the day you've saved a lot.

This has to be managed centrally: one moment the oven, one moment the dishwasher, one moment the fridge. The equipment doesn't notice, performance isn't affected, but in a large kitchen you see concrete results at the end of the day. It's essential for the large kitchens of central production facilities that make thousands of meals a day, but also for hotels and restaurants that work morning, noon and night: oven, fridge and dishwasher are always running.

In my opinion it will become more and more important for equipment to “talk” to each other. We'll get there, thanks in part to Artificial Intelligence, which will enable automatic communication between the various machines.

Generative AI in after-sales service and internal processes

Daniele: What impact do you think Artificial Intelligence – and generative AI in particular – can have on managing machines and machine ecosystems?

Alessandra: You can already see that AI is becoming an everyday thing. Even those who try to ignore it run into it sooner or later: it's undeniable that it's more and more present. Internally we've talked about it often. The possibilities, especially on the website, are huge: for example, a user who goes into the spare parts area and asks a question could get an answer right away, instead of having to read through the whole manual. AI could propose 2-3 solutions and become a kind of assistant for our service team.

This would make the installer or the user standing in front of the dishwasher feel less alone: if there's an error, it explains what it is, how to use the machine, what checks to do to solve the problem. In after-sales service the impact is enormous. Within the company we're starting to evaluate the use of AI in managing orders and requests too. The doors are open: it's being integrated with email, with internal systems. Some requests, with certain keywords or phrases, can receive a pre-response, speeding up the work of the operator who then prepares exploded views, wiring diagrams or complex quotes.

The possibilities for internal management are incredible and I think it will be the future: more and more, for better or for worse, AI will enter processes and speed them up. Not because people aren't capable, but because AI handles repetitive requests faster.

Then the operator checks, confirms and moves things forward: whether it's order management, quotes or requests for complex projects, you can picture a kind of “tutor” that guides the operator step by step with key questions about the number of covers, the type of washing, the available power supply, outlining a pre-qualification that lets you be much more precise in your response.

Daniele: It sounds like you see this technology being integrated above all in customer support, in sales and, in part, in managing the product and internal processes.

Alessandra: Yes, exactly, and then there will certainly be room on the industrial side too. We have laser cutting, press brakes, robots that handle production: I imagine a whole new world will open up there too in contact with Artificial Intelligence.

Cybersecurity and sustainability: the challenges for manufacturers

Daniele: All this also brings challenges, and the first that comes to mind is cybersecurity. These tools are exceptional, but if they're not used securely they can become dangerous, especially if some outside actor with bad intentions tries to exploit them. The European Community is also working on regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act. What's your view on cybersecurity and how much can it become a sales lever in selling the product?

Alessandra: It's essential and it's one of our number one priorities. Just last week I attended a meeting on this topic.

It's extremely important to guarantee the security and privacy of those who place orders with us, those who interact with us, those who trust us in the partnership. We're investing a lot and trying to do our very best. We're lucky to be part of a large group, with “broad shoulders”, which allows us to invest seriously on this front too. I think it's essential to have tools that provide a kind of “shield”, like antivirus software was for computers years ago. I don't personally follow all the technical details, but I know we're working on it a great deal, because privacy and security are things that must be guaranteed 100%.

Daniele: Let's head toward the conclusion. I'd love to hear your view on the emerging challenges in the industry and, in general, on how a manufacturer should approach these challenges.

Alessandra: The fundamental challenge will be “green”. The product must not only be reliable, high quality and backed by good service – aspects we're working on today – but will have to be more and more environmentally friendly. We'll have to reduce consumption of water, which is a fundamental resource, and of electricity. Studying solutions to optimize consumption – and here Artificial Intelligence can help us – and increasingly efficient dishwashers, heat recovery units, systems that let the water heat itself and also deliver an environmental benefit.

We live in a hectic world, but we mustn't forget that the Earth is a small sphere: every step toward something greener will bring benefits to future generations. So yes, service is important, the product is important, but so is keeping a constant eye on the environment.

Alessandra Celegon's advice for anyone opening a restaurant

Daniele: From the end customer's point of view, as an expert in the industry and in the trends that are developing, what advice would you give, for example, to a young restaurant owner who's about to open a venue and has to choose who to work with and who to buy their equipment from?

Alessandra: Tying back to what we were saying, first of all I'd say not to rely on price alone. You need to understand how much the technologies, found not only in the dishwasher but also in ovens and refrigerators, allow real savings over time. Even if at first they seem like a bigger investment, they deliver a significant return. You shouldn't look only at the equipment itself, but also at its features in terms of energy savings, water savings, programmable cycles and flexibility of use.

Warewashing is often considered the last part of the kitchen process and gets underestimated. I'd recommend, from start to finish, making sure you have cutting-edge equipment in this respect, because durability over time is guaranteed and, over the years, you also get a financial return. That old saying, “the more you spend, the less you spend”, still holds true: quality equipment, in the long run, makes you spend less than a lower-grade one that forces you into constant repairs and replacements.

Daniele: Alessandra, thank you so much for this great conversation. We covered so many topics: technology, sales vision, sustainability, service. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience that you think is important to get across?

Alessandra: I really enjoyed talking about Artificial Intelligence, because I see it as a trend that's moving us forward. It's “absorbing” all of us: it's a bit scary because we still don't fully know what it is, but it's also an exciting challenge because it opens up a 360° view. My hope is that these new technologies lead us toward a more automated future, but also one that's more in tune with people's real needs. What seems complicated today can actually lead to simpler day-to-day operations.

I hope - and I wish this for everyone - that innovation is experienced in a positive way: if we approach it like that, it will certainly be a positive change.

Daniele: Great, thank you Alessandra, thank you for your time. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope to see you again soon.

Alessandra: Thank you, thanks to all of you. Have a great day, everyone.