By Matt Weiss & Kevin Weiss, Owner and Head of Business Operations & Strategy
One of the strongest support systems you can have with a HPLC service provider is well trained users. Some would call them power users, but in reality, a well-rounded user is the best tool you can have to get your HPLC back up and running as quickly as possible. Many service providers shy away from advanced training for users, with the thought that they could jeopardize the service contract if the customer wants to perform their own HPLC service. This perspective is unbelievably short sited.
Customer Benefits of Training Users
Common user related issues become increasingly more recognizable and ultimately avoidable. Further, most HPLC service providers will bill customers for issues of this nature.
Less severe issues related to instrumentation can be fixed quickly resulting in less downtime for the customer.
Severe issues related to instrumentation can be properly and more accurately communicated to the HPLC service provider. Getting users to this point comes with varying degrees of success, but when done right, the relative downtime potential for such issues can be dramatically decreased.
HPLC Service Provider Benefits of Training Users
Good and accurate communication can often times be a luxury in any service context, and that is especially true with service for HPLC. Taking the time to at least minimally train the users of saves both parties time and money in the end.
Having accurate information about any base level troubleshooting done by the user allows us to be better prepared to fix the problem quickly.
This can be as simple as having the proper part on hand when a visit is necessary, reduces the downtime of the instrument, and the likeliness of a return visit.
In the best case scenario, talking a well trained user through an easy repair or fix can get the instrument back up immediately.
Service for HPLC and Elite LCMS's approach
Elite LCMS Services subscribes to this idea of working toward training users to a beneficial point for both parties. Whereas a customer may decide to try their own servicing, the vast majority simply enjoy the ability to get their systems up and running as soon as possible. With a well-trained user, phone support becomes a much more powerful tool. Being able to speak the same language when taking direction dramatically improves the chances of the user being efficient, timely, and ultimately successful. If you think about a late Thursday issue, or an issue that develops on a Friday, the standard response time for any company’s engineer on site is 48 hours. But instead of being down for the weekend, an advanced user has the opportunity to take direction via phone or text support and be up and running before the day is out.
No service model works for every customer and/or user, but one of the hallmarks of Elite LCMS Services is to work with each HPLC customer individually and create a support model that works for that particular customer and to provide a positive HPLC support experience for them.
