Chuck Norris Has Nothin’ On Us

On a typical day with an Okuma CNC machine, most users are not worried about parts. But things can (and do) happen, and when they do, you’ll likely go into full attack mode to get the parts you need. So do we! It’s all part of our Okuma CARE program, and we have options for both New Parts and Certified Exchange Parts too. In reality, CARE is not just a program, it’s an action-packed, high-stakes lifestyle. (Chuck Norris has nothin’ on us.) So I’d like to give you a sneak peek at the action behind the scenes right here in our parts warehouse in Charlotte, NC.

CARE On Steroids

Myself, I’m standing ready at the warehouse till 8:30 p.m. (EST) every day. During that day our parts team has shipped out about 200-250 packages, some of them urgent. Then, every once in a while, after I’ve gone home, maybe around 11 or 12 p.m., I get the call. Someone has a down CNC machine, and they’ve gotta have a part. Believe me, when we hear down machine, we ramp right up to “caring” on steroids. If I’m the guy on call, I come back into the warehouse in the middle of the night, pack that part up, and the customer will have it first thing the next morning if that’s what they need. Sometimes, depending on when the call comes in, we can even get it to them the same day.

Holiday Horror Stories

Sometimes we hear about customers who work with other builders, and they can be told “Sorry, it’s a holiday, we’re closed. You’ll have to wait.” No way that happens here! First of all, we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Yes, including holidays. And when we hear a machine is down, we explode into action…immediately. We might even throw in a few roundhouse kicks. We know it and we feel it – a down CNC machine means you’re losing money.

Going The Extra Mile

Whatever it takes, we’ll help make it happen. One time I had a customer who realized it was cheaper for him to fly in to Charlotte to pick up his part, because this avoided expensive freight charges. I came in late at night to receive the part for him. By the time I was done checking it in, he was knocking at the door. He picked up the part and headed right back to the airport, relief close at hand.

The Culture of Caring

I have 25 years of service with Okuma. When I came in for my first day, they were still pouring the floor for the warehouse. I helped set up the original racking systems for the parts. Why have I stayed so long? Because this company takes care of its employees. It’s impressive. And in the parts department, we always make sure we take great care of our customers. If you ever have a time of need with parts for your CNC machine, we’ll show you just how much we care.

Have any parts stories to share? Feel free to comment below! Or contact us, or your local distributor if you need any help with parts.

Carlos Neal is Material Handler, Okuma America Corporation.