Part of that education might be advising the customer that they don’t need a brand new Challenger 3500 or Global 7500 aircraft, but are better suited for the time being to a certified pre-owned jet. Bombardier airframes are built to far outlast the trends and technologies of their interiors—meaning that with a retrofit, older aircraft can look like new again. That’s where the Certified Pre-Owned program comes in. “The beauty of the CPO program is that especially if you’re price sensitive, you get an aircraft at a very good price and you have the feeling of a new aircraft. That’s very important. And we’re the only OEM that does that. We’re the only OEM that has such a program,” says François Ouellette.
The customer-centered approach is all about building long-term relationships and offering continuous support, as opposed to the experience with brokers or even competitors, which can be very transaction-focused. And transparency is key: The sales team, for instance, will inquire about the customer’s typical use of the aircraft and clearly set out how they can expect the aircraft to perform in those particular circumstances. No cookie cutter approach here; every client is special, every use is unique. It’s important to combat misperceptions around such a significant decision. And complete confidentiality throughout the process is a contractual baseline—for everything from customizations that might be requested on an aircraft, to the identity of the buyer.
Likoray and Ouellette,
complemented by a team including Emmanuel Bornand, Frank Vento, George Rependa, Michael Anckner, Peter Bromby and Stéphane Leroy, offer guidance on this most exciting of purchases. And Likoray points out that you will be in good hands after any sale. Whether you’re acquiring a new or pre-owned aircraft, he says there’s a clear handoff between sales and customer service: “And that happens at the time of delivery, where everybody’s made aware of everything that they need in this company to help them support their airplanes. But there is always a touchpoint from my side, because at the end of the day, we want to sell them that next airplane. We want to stay close to them.”