Good service training isn’t measured by how much material is covered in a room — but by how confident technicians feel when they’re back on site, facing real situations.
Earlier this month, SIGI conducted a full-day service training session with Anglia Handling Services, one of our key UK service partners with strong regional coverage across the east and south-east of England.
The training was initiated in response to Anglia Handling’s wish to further strengthen their service structure and support a group of newer technicians. The objective was to bring the team to a solid intermediate level, covering installation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance and regulatory compliance — with a strong focus on safety and EN 1570.
A balanced training format
The day ran from 08:30 to 16:30 and was deliberately structured to move back and forth between theory and hands-on work. Rather than separating classroom and workshop into fixed halves, topics were introduced in the material and then immediately explored on the actual lift table.
There were plenty of questions during the day, especially once the group moved from the document to the machine. The final part of the session focused heavily on troubleshooting and real-world service scenarios.
Training material designed for real use
The SIGI Site Service Training document formed the backbone of the session. It was used both as a printed manual during the day and as a mobile-friendly PDF that technicians can later refer to on site.
The guide covers product identification, safety fundamentals, installation procedures, preventive maintenance and troubleshooting — giving technicians a structured reference they can rely on when they’re out in the field.
Key outcomes
One thing that came up several times during the day was confidence:
- ability to troubleshoot independently
- ability to work proactively with maintenance intervals
- ability to identify non-compliance and raise it early
A key learning for the group was preventive maintenance — not only how often checks should be done, but how a proactive approach creates value for customers and opens up service and upgrade opportunities. It also highlighted the importance of closing the gap between service and sales through stronger product and standards knowledge.
Feedback from Anglia Handling
Feedback from Anglia Handling, based on both a follow-up survey and direct feedback after the session, highlighted clear practical benefits from the training.
As Ryan Burgess, Anglia Handling Services Ltd., summarised the feedback on behalf of the team:
“Early feedback has been great — the training gave us the tools needed to easily identify problems and what steps to take to resolve them, which will save us an enormous amount of time on site.”
Key learnings from the session
From the session, a few things became very clear:
- mixing theory and practice throughout the day worked extremely well
- avoiding “death by PowerPoint” increased engagement
- the duration and level were right for intermediate service training
- safety and standards remain the strongest foundation for effective service support
The session also highlighted opportunities to build further on this approach — for example by sharing short, practical “service solution nuggets” based on real issues seen in the field.
Strong partnership engagement
Anglia Handling closed down their workshop for the full day to prioritise the training, underlining the strength of the partnership and their commitment to developing their service capability.
As Aaron McKie, Sales Manager UK & Ireland at SIGI, summarised the outcome:
“We reached the goal. The team knows who to contact, understands the machines and standards better, and has the confidence to resolve the majority of issues themselves — increasing efficiency for everyone involved.”
