Claims
- 1. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:
forming an association of construction equipment manufacturers; and providing a service agent of the association, wherein the service agent refers a service need to a service dealer, wherein the service agent is not an agent of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is provided at a commercial construction job site to service the need of a contractor at the construction job site.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service dealer is a franchisee of the association.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising training the service agent to understand equipment manufactured by the construction equipment manufacturers in the association.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is not employed by or an independent contractor of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is employed by or an independent contractor of the association of construction equipment manufacturers.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the association comprises a plurality of light construction equipment manufacturers.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light construction equipment manufacturers comprise a manufacturer which manufactures soil compaction equipment.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the construction equipment manufacturers sells equipment in a first product group and a second of the equipment manufacturers sells equipment in a second product group, wherein the first and second product groups are in different product lines.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent is employed by the association.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agent refers the service need to an independent service dealer.
- 13. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:
forming a consortium of construction equipment manufacturers; and providing a service agent, wherein the service agent is an employee or independent contractor of the consortium and the service agent refers a service need to a service dealer.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the service agent is not an employee or independent contractor of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.
- 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the service dealer is a franchisee of the consortium.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the service agent is provided to a customer's facility, a job site, and to an equipment dealer's facility.
- 17. A method of servicing construction equipment, comprising:
providing a service agent who is an agent of an association of construction equipment manufacturers; and referring a service need with the service agent to a service dealer, wherein the service agent is not an agent of the service dealer to whom the service need is referred.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the service agent is employed by or an independent contractor of the association of construction equipment manufacturers.
- 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.
- 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the service agent refers the service need to the service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.
- 21. The method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of members of the association are light construction equipment manufacturers.
- 22. An organization for a service system for construction equipment, the organization comprising:
an association of construction equipment manufacturers; a service agent for processing service needs, the service needs being for the construction equipment; and a plurality of service dealers, wherein the service agent is hired by the association and selects one of the service dealers to provide for the service need.
- 23. The organization of claim 22, wherein the association is formed by contractually binding a group of independent construction equipment manufacturing companies.
- 24. The organization of claim 22, wherein the service agent is provided at a commercial construction job site.
- 25. The organization of claim 22, wherein the service agent refers the service need to a service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.
- 26. An association of construction equipment manufacturers comprising a computer system configured to facilitate purchase orders between a service dealer and a manufacturer and further comprising a service agent, which is an agent of the association, wherein the service agent refers service needs to the service dealer.
- 27. The association of claim 26, wherein the construction equipment manufacturers are bound contractually in the form of a consortium.
- 28. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent is employed by the association.
- 29. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent is not employed by or an independent contractor of the service dealer.
- 30. The association of claim 26, wherein the service agent refers the service needs to the service dealer who is a franchisee of the association.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/456,664, filed Mar. 21, 2003.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60456664 |
Mar 2003 |
US |