In the last lesson, you learned that every transaction comes down to four questions. Your ability to answer those questions quickly and accurately depends on how well you know your tools. Komatsu provides well-developed platforms and resources designed to help you find the right part, verify it's correct for the machine, and give your customer the information they need to make a decision.
This lesson gives you a high-level overview of those tools so you know what's available and when to reach for each one.
These are the platforms you'll use daily to look up parts, verify fitment, check pricing, and place orders. Each one serves a specific purpose, and knowing when to use which tool is part of what makes you fast and accurate at the counter.
[D2L drag-to-match knowledge check to be inserted here after descriptions received. Drag the information you need to the platform that contains it]
Your tools help you find parts and place orders. But the parts landscape changes often: new products, updated compatibility, pricing adjustments, promotions. Two resources help you stay current:
Parts Marketing News (PMN)
A hub of updates and resources that directly affect your work at the counter. This includes:
When a customer asks about something you haven't seen before, you can often find the answer in PMN.
PPLs (Parts Policy Letters)
When pricing changes or a new program launches, a PPL is how Komatsu communicates that to you.
You can access Parts Marketing News and PPls in the Parts Community in the Komatsu Global Portal
Even experienced PCRs run into situations where they need support: a part that's hard to identify, a shipping question, a technical spec that isn't in the catalog. Komatsu has specific contacts for different types of questions, and knowing who to contact saves you time.
Knowing these contacts and reaching out when you need to isn't a sign that you don't know your job. It's how you make sure your customer gets the right answer instead of a guess.
You and your customers also have access to MyKomatsu which extend your dealership's reach: customers can build shopping carts that you can review before finalizing their order for them, save parts lists and check part availability without tying up a phone line.
This doesn't replace what you do. It handles the most straightforward, routine transactions so you can focus your expertise where it matters most: complex lookups, machine-specific fitment questions, and the kind of consultative service that builds loyalty.
Think about this situation:
A customer calls and says, "I need the filters for a 500-hour service on my PC360LC-11. What's it going to cost me and how fast can you get them?"
Consider:
Start with SBOM. The customer gave you a machine model, so you need to look up the specific filters for a PC360LC-11 500-hour service by model and serial number to make sure you're pulling the right parts for their exact configuration.
Then move to Parts Portal or MyKomatsu to check availability, pricing, and delivery options. With these tools, you can answer all four questions: what parts they need, what they cost, whether they're in stock or need to be ordered, and how quickly they can get them.
If anything is backordered or you need a shipping estimate, Ripley Customer Service can give you a more precise delivery window.
The tools and resources Komatsu provides are designed to help you answer your customer's questions quickly and accurately. The platforms help you find and order parts. PMN and PPLs keep you current. And when you need support, there are specific people to call for specific types of questions.
Knowing your tools is what makes you accurate and fast. In the next lesson, we'll look at how you use that speed to serve your customer beyond the immediate request through mates and relates.