Profiles: Dassault Falcon Customer Service

Dassault Falcon’s mission to be the most respected name in business aviation has certainly carried over to the service end of the business. Dassault has embarked on a multi-year plan to become the preferred and premier service provider for Falcons. "Because issues of aircraft reliability and availability are paramount, everything we do at Dassault Falcon centers around providing the perfect customer experience," said John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon.

Optimized Support

Dassault Falcon Customer Service has taken a quantum leap towards achieving the goal of providing optimal service for Falcon customers. Dassault’s new state-of-the-art Falcon Technical Center in St. Cloud, France represents a new concept in customer support and takes full advantage of the latest advances in technology. Cutting-edge communications systems will provide quick and comprehensive customer solutions and put real-time fleet and service information at the fingertips of the center’s technical support staff.

"Efficiency is of the essence when an operator has an issue with their Falcon," said Jacques Chauvet, senior vice president of customer support. "The 80 employees in St. Cloud that support the new technical center have access to the latest technology including Product Lifecycle Management databases, video and web conferencing, secure online chats and other collaborative tools." These sophisticated systems will give the support team direct access to the technical knowledge and resources of the whole company. They will be supported by a ‘wall of displays’ showing live information regarding the current location and status of the global Falcon fleet, as well as any technical or logistical information the team may need. Also, the center’s staff will have total access to an individual aircraft’s virtual history, including its wiring diagrams, aircraft and engine logbooks, weight and balance, and more.

The Technical Center provides technical and AOG support as well as spares assistance and service documentation. "The term ‘help desk’ isn’t sufficient to describe what we’re doing anymore," according to John Loh, director of technical support based in Teterboro.

"The new St. Cloud Technical Center works in concert with the current Falcon Technical Centers in Teterboro and Boise, Id. The representatives that answer customers’ calls are doing more than just ‘help’ during that initial call-in, they’re troubleshooting and providing solutions more quickly than previously possible due to the sophisticated networking and collaborative tools we now have in St. Cloud and the U.S."

Focused Programs on Spares

Dassault Falcon’s "Added Value and Pricing Guarantee" on all Genuine Dassault Falcon Replacement Parts has been a great asset to customers. In essence, Dassault adjusts the price of a spare part if a customer can find an equivalent component with the same added value from another parts supplier anytime prior to installation. The price reduction would then be in effect for all sales of that part. If Dassault can’t show a better value, the customer can return the part for full credit without the applicable restocking fee. "We have 120,000 part numbers in our inventory. It’s a complex task to ensure all spares are competitively priced," said Frank Youngkin, VP of customer service for Dassault Falcon. "Feedback from our operators is integral to fairly evaluating parts pricing." Dassault also has put in place one of the most aggressive spare parts warranty periods in the industry. "If a Genuine Dassault Falcon Replacement Part fails for reasons other than normal wear or abuse during the 30 months following purchase from Dassault or 24 months following installation, the part will be replaced at no cost to the operator.

Simplify Your Budget

FalconCare is a comprehensive support plan for new Falcons. It is designed to take all the surprises out of budgeting for maintenance operations by offering a fixed payment schedule based on actual usage. "FalconCare reflects our commitment to provide extraordinary customer service," said Rosanvallon. "It particularly addresses the needs of a growing number of customers that have never owned an aircraft before and don’t have a maintenance department. Even those with trained maintenance people, however, will find the program provides financial benefits." FalconCare is a six-year renewable support program that covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. It includes parts and labor throughout the entire Falcon Authorized Service Center network, AOG on-site technical assistance and mandatory and recommended Service Bulletins.