Strengthening customer experience with integrated aftersales at G&O Maritime Group

Rene Olsen, 54, brings extensive experience to the new position. He graduated as a marine engineer in 1995 and spent the last two decades in sales and service roles, including 12 years at Wärtsilä’s Danish division, as well as postings in Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. Based in Esbjerg, Denmark, Rene Olsen now oversees aftersales activities at a group level for G&O.

“When I accepted this role, it was largely because of my experience in aftersales leadership in the marine industry. Also, I see significant opportunities in bringing together our strengths under a strategy for a unified aftersales organisation,” says Rene Olsen.

Unified approach to aftersales

Rene Olsen highlights that this restructuring will enable G&O to offer improved customer service through streamlined internal processes and more effective coordination among brands.

“By acting as an integrated team, we can provide our customers with better response times, enhanced services, and more structured agreements. This makes it easier and more attractive to do business with us,” Rene Olsen explains.

Customers have already started noticing improvements.

“We have clear goals, for instance to respond to customer enquiries within two days,” says Rene Olsen, emphasising G&O’s commitment to initiative-taking communication. Moreover, the company is implementing a more systematic approach to customer support, including regular follow-ups around docking schedules and maintenance planning.

“This proactive engagement will significantly enhance the customer experience,” he adds.

A key initiative under Olsen’s leadership is the increased use of framework agreements. These agreements simplify interactions with customers by clearly setting out terms, pricing, compliance with international regulations, and G&O’s code of conduct.

“Customers have actually been asking us why we haven’t done this before. And they are right, it makes perfect sense to coordinate agreements across our brands, simplifying management for customers—whether they have ten installations or a hundred from G&O-brands,” Rene Olsen says.

Cross-brand cooperation and customer-centric culture

To ensure a unified customer experience across G&O’s diverse brands and products, Olsen is focusing on creating a shared culture of excellent customer service.

“We’re aligning our teams to communicate consistently with customers, regardless of the brand or geographical location,” he says.

Success will be measured by clear KPIs, including organic growth, the acquisition of new customers, and regular customer satisfaction surveys conducted by an external consultancy.

“We are committed to continuous improvement, and that begins with meaningful dialogue with our customers, especially those who use our products daily,” Olsen explains.

“Most maritime equipment manufacturers today recognise the value of long-term service agreements and proactive customer care. Aftersales is increasingly about anticipating customer needs, being present during scheduled maintenance periods, and when equipment requires upgrades or replacement.”

According to Rene Olsen, a centralised aftersales function isn’t just operationally beneficial—it’s strategically essential.

With the new integrated after sales organisation, Rene Olsen believes his role will significantly contribute to G&O’s competitive strength:

“As we build stronger, more proactive relationships through our aftersales services, we naturally enhance customer commitment and our market position. Ultimately, this initiative positions G&O for sustained long-term growth and customer loyalty. That is what my job is all about.”