Referring to Your PSSR

You've been taking calls from the same contractor for the past few weeks and each time, it's another part for the same machine: a hydraulic cylinder seal kit, then the cylinder itself, then a hydraulic pump. Each order is handled well, but there's a bigger picture forming: this machine might need more than piecemeal repairs. If someone from your dealership could get eyes on it, they might be able to put together a comprehensive plan that saves the customer time, money, and unplanned downtime.

That someone is your PSSR, your Parts and Service Sales Representative.

What a PSSR Does

A PSSR is your dealership's presence in the field. While you serve customers from behind the counter, PSSRs go to the customer visiting job sites, inspecting machines, and building relationships on the ground. They do walkarounds, identify maintenance needs before they become failures, and develop service plans that keep machines running.

Your relationship with your PSSR is a way of extending parts sales out into the field and providing your customer with a deeper level of personal service that they can't get from a parts catalog or an online portal.

When to Connect a Customer with a PSSR

Not every transaction calls for a PSSR referral. But certain patterns should get your attention:

Repeat orders for the same machine. When a customer keeps ordering parts for the same unit, it may signal a machine that needs a comprehensive inspection rather than one-off fixes.
Large or complex repairs. When the scope of a repair grows beyond a few parts, a PSSR can assess the full picture on-site and help the customer plan the work rather than discovering additional needs mid-repair.
Customers new to your dealership. A PSSR visit is one of the strongest ways to build a relationship with a new customer. It shows that your dealership doesn't just fill orders, you can also come to them.
Proactive maintenance opportunities. When a customer mentions upcoming jobs, seasonal changes, or fleet expansion, a PSSR can help them plan ahead by scheduling maintenance, staging parts, or recommending appropriate service contracts.

You can say it like this: "It sounds like you're ordering quite a few parts for the same system on this machine. Would you like me to contact your PSSR to schedule a walkaround so we can make sure everything is covered for you?"

You're not pushing a service, you're recognizing a pattern and connecting your customer with someone who can help them at a level that goes beyond the parts counter, and potentially save them time and money in the long run.

Try these practice scenarios:

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Scenario 1 of 3

Scenario 2 of 3

Scenario 3 of 3

Responding to PSSRs with Urgency

PSSRs will call you from the field, often standing in front of a customer with limited connectivity and needing answers fast.

Your PSSR's reality? 30 seconds feels like 30 minutes when they're standing in front of a customer out in the field. When your PSSR calls from a job site, they're not just asking for a part number. They're standing next to a customer who is watching, waiting, and forming an impression of your dealership in real time. Your speed in that moment influences how that customer feels about doing business with your dealership.

When a PSSR calls from the field:

Treat it as urgent. They may not be able to look things up themselves due to poor reception and/or no workstation access. You are their tools and resources in that moment.
Be ready to quote. The PSSR needs the same four questions answered that any customer does: availability, cost, lead time, shipping.
Understand the stakes. Your response time doesn't just affect the PSSR, it also affects the customer standing next to them, and that customer's impression of your dealership.

Your Parts Counter, Extended

Think of it this way: your PSSR is your presence on the job site. You can't leave the counter, but through your PSSR, your parts expertise reaches machines and customers you'd never see otherwise. And your PSSR's ability to serve those customers depends on how fast and accurately you can support them from the counter.

When this relationship works well, it generates revenue that would never have reached your counter on its own. The PSSR finds the opportunity in the field. You fulfill it from the counter. The customer gets a level of service that no online portal can match.

Think & Reveal

Think about this situation:

Your PSSR calls from a customer's job site, and you can hear the machine idling in the background. "Hey, I'm out at Henderson Excavating. They've got a PC210LC with a leaking hydraulic cylinder. Customer's here with me. Can you get me a price and availability on the cylinder seal kit?"

Consider:

What does this moment require from you, and why does speed matter here?

This is urgent. Your PSSR is standing next to the customer, and your response shapes the customer's experience of the dealership in real time.

Pull up the PC210LC in My Komatsu or S-BOM using the serial number (ask the PSSR for it if they haven't given it), find the cylinder seal kit and get the pricing, availability and costs including shipping.

Give your PSSR complete answers to all four questions plus mates and relates so they can turn to the customer and present a clear and accurate picture on the spot.

Your PSSR extends your reach beyond the counter and into the field. Knowing when to connect a customer with a PSSR, and responding with urgency when a PSSR calls you, are both part of how you generate revenue and build lasting customer relationships through the parts department.

This wraps up Module 3: Selling Parts. You've covered how revenue flows to your counter, the tools that help you serve customers quickly and accurately, how mates and relates turns a good transaction into a complete one, and how your PSSR relationship extends your dealership's reach. Up next: the module quiz to check your understanding of these concepts.