We’ve been thinking a lot about customer service. We know that people (including us) pay a lot of attention to customer service in their personal shopping experiences. Who hasn’t complained about having to wait in line for even 5 minutes to check out at the grocery store? Or thought, “Am I really happy to wait 60 minutes to have a pizza delivered”?? How about calling the telephone company for a quick service call and being met with automated responses with no way around it for the first 10 minutes. We know, we’ve been there!
It is not uncommon for us to choose one store over another based on the customer service and the overall experience while shopping there. So how much attention is given to customer service in the electronics field, particularly in the PCB market?
We have worked in this industry for a very long time and have seen a wide range of customer service levels offered from different manufacturers. The one thing they all have in common is that EVERY COMPANY THINKS they are giving the best customer service around. Some do and many do not. But in fairness, we are on the other side of the desk. We have never purchased a PCB.
This leads to the next question, what really IS important to the PCB “consumer”. What attributes contribute to someone saying “I LOVE working with XXX Company for my printed circuit boards”.
What makes you feel like a valued customer?
Is it time? Quick response to RFQ’s, order confirmations, schedule changes, questions in general?
Is it the overall communication? Friendly, courteous, professional, being able to get to the right person, right away? Easy to understand answers?
Is it quality? Full quantities, no rejections, no issues about product meeting standards?
Is it design assistance? DFM, consultation and recommendations, ease of resolution to engineering questions?
Is it feeling that your requirements are important? A thank you when you place an order, follow up after shipment to make sure everything met your expectations, that your business matters?
Is it something else that we haven’t even thought of ??
What is the magic combination that makes PCB purchasing a positive experience instead of “something that has been done”??????
You can help OMNI to help you.