In addition to the posting of the BD Service Survey Results (apologies for not sending my comments earlier) I would like to add that I have had excellent service from B.D.I.S. over the past seven or eight years for a variety of instruments including a FACS 440, FACScan, FACSort, the 4-colour FACScan and the FACS Vantage used in research laboratories. My experience with B.D.I.S. equipment has not been trouble-free (but I don t know of any commercial company that does not have a quality issue now and then) but when I did report problems, they were usually dealt with in a timely manner. Problems that I have encountered have varied for each type of instrument but have encompassed both major and minor issues. The telephone support help has been adequate at least and when I needed particular help with more complex problems, I was usually able to find the person that I needed to talk to. I must add that I have always had service contracts which does guarantee a 48 hour response for the research instruments and since this privilege was paid for, I expected and received such in most cases. I have also been fortunate in that the field service engineers for the geographical area that I was working in were highly trained and experienced and provided excellent service. There have been occasions when technical support and field service support was not forthcoming as quickly as I would have liked and I found that there were a couple of options that I could exercise to highlight my problem and resolve the service issue. First, try to call the Field Service Manager directly (in the U.S.A. you can get the number from the B.D.I.S. 1-800 number operator) and outline your concerns and dissatisfaction with the service that you are receiving. Otherwise, work through your Instrument Sales Specialist or the Area Sales Manager to voice your concerns. For all instances except one, that worked for me. In the event that this does not work, try contacting the higher powers at B.D.I.S. by phone and/or mail to explain your problems. I know that when you pay service contracts, one should not have to go to extra lengths to get what was paid for but it does only take a few minutes of your time and it does usually get results. Sometimes there are mitigating circumstances why service is delayed but I found that taking a pro-active approach worked to my benefit. And I know that it sometimes feels good to get on the phone and yell and scream at someone so if you can direct this at the appropriate person(s), it has better effect. The service aspect can sometimes be an important factor when purchasing a new cytometer and the commercial companies need to be reminded of that fact. Hopefully, the comments from this forum will highlight the importance of good technical and instrument service since it is ultimately to the benefit of all of us in the flow community. This is not meant to be an advertisement nor an endorsement and should not be read as such but is merely an outline of my experiences. I have always tried to maintain my instruments in the best possible condition and minimize downtime and therefore I needed the most effective method to obtain service when needed. Regards Andrew J. Beavis Manager, Flow Cytometry Core Facility Princeton University Department of Molecular Biology Lewis Thomas Laboratory Washington Road Princeton, NJ 08544 Tel. (609) 258 1695 e-mail. Abeavis@molecular.princeton.edu
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