Re: Service from PE/PerSeptive Biosystems

Katheryn Resing (Katheryn.Resing@Colorado.EDU)
Thu, 14 May 1998 08:46:32 +0000

Hi Janice,
We also have had problems with service on our DE-STR. We were told
going into this that PerSeptive had a lousy record on service, so we knew
what we were getting into. I have found that the salesperson has been very
helpful in getting things straightened out (sales people have a vested
interest in getting the service problems fixed).
One problem right now seems to be that Perkin-Elmer is trying to
institute new procedures for servicing mass spectrometers and there is
still a lot of miscommunications among all the various people involved.
When I put in a service call to Perkin-Elmer, I get the reference number
for the service request, the name of the person who logs in the service
call and the name of any technical support people I talk to at that time.
I ask who will be my service engineer (they may not be able to tell you at
that time). The service engineer is supposed to call back within 4 hrs of
logging the service request. At 4 hrs and 5 min, I call back and ask to
talk to each person that I talked to in the first phone call. I also ask
that the service tech be paged as well. This usually works well. I also
get the voice mail phone code for anyone who gives me a card. If I don't
get satisfaction from the dispatch people within 24 hrs, I call everyone
who has given me a card and leave a POLITE, but aggrieved message (I
operate on principle that the squeaky wheel gets the grease).
One additional problem you may have is that the "official name and
phone number" for your instrument is your supervisor. It is worth making
it clear when you log the service call, that they are to call you. If you
are going to be in two places, leave both phone numbers where they can
reach you, then stay near the phone until you hear back from the service
tech. If they can't get you immediately, you tend to drop lower on their
priority list.
However, there are times when they don't have enough service people
available (for example, just before, during and just after a big meeting,
around the time of their training sessions, and at times when a lot of
people are on vacation). As their policy seems to be to give preference to
those instruments that are already installed, installs can drag on for a
long time, particularly when there are serious problems as it sounds like
there was with yours.
Katheryn Resing