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Why Onsite Visits Still Get Problems Solved Faster
Remote support has transformed how quickly we can respond to customers. A phone call, screen share or Teams session can often resolve a technical question and get somebody back up and running without anyone needing to leave their desk.
But complex measurement equipment doesn’t always lend itself to a five-minute conversation.
Sometimes the system behaves differently depending on the component. An inspection process has gradually changed. Software hasn’t been updated. An operator has developed a workaround nobody else knows about.
That context can be difficult to understand remotely, which is why we still place so much value on spending time with customers onsite.
Not because our engineers particularly enjoy sitting on the M1, but because sometimes the quickest way to understand what’s happening is to stand beside the customer and see it for ourselves.
Good Customer Support Doesn’t Start with a Support Ticket
At Measurement Solutions, we don’t see customer support as something that begins when a machine stops working or a request lands in an inbox.
Most customers don’t have time to contact us about every minor frustration. If something stops production, they’ll call. But an inspection process taking slightly longer than it used to, a software feature nobody is quite sure how to use, or a workaround that’s gradually become part of the daily routine may never become a formal support request.
Those are often the things that surface during a regular visit.
Our Creaform Application Engineer, Ned Black, recently spent a week visiting customers across the UK. Some visits were regular check-ins, allowing customers to run through questions that had accumulated since we last saw them. Others began with a specific reason for being onsite but uncovered additional areas where we could help.
It’s where the familiar “while I’ve got you…” conversations happen, and they can be some of the most useful ones we have.
Sometimes You Need to See the Application
Remote support is often the quickest and most efficient option. If somebody has a clearly defined software question or an issue we can diagnose through a screen share, sending an engineer halfway across the country makes little sense.
Other situations need more context.
Measurement equipment sits within a wider production process involving operators, components, software, inspection requirements and production pressures. A support request doesn’t always capture everything happening around the immediate problem.
During one recent customer visit, the original reason for being onsite was simply to deliver some accessories and check in with the team. Once the conversation started, questions emerged around inspection processes and software updates, both of which could be dealt with during the same visit.
On another occasion, a question around a live job could potentially have been resolved remotely. Discussing it beside the actual application made it much easier to understand some of the wider challenges surrounding the process.
Sometimes customers can simply show us what they mean, rather than trying to explain it through screenshots, emails or a call.
Customer Requirements Change
Understanding the customer is just as important as understanding the technology.
The measurement solution originally supplied may still be working perfectly, but the business around it can change considerably. Production volumes increase, new components are introduced, teams change, and equipment purchased for one application gradually gets used for something quite different.
Regular contact helps us understand those changes, and sometimes that leads to additional training or an improvement to an existing process. Sometimes there’s a feature the customer didn’t realise they already had. And sometimes everything is working perfectly, and nothing needs changing.
That’s absolutely fine too, but the purpose of a customer visit shouldn’t be to find something to sell. It should be to make sure the customer is getting what they need from the technology they already have.
Knowing When to Get in the Van
None of this means every question needs an onsite visit; good customer service is also about respecting people’s time and choosing the most effective way to help. Sometimes that’s a five-minute phone call, a Teams session with an application engineer or remote access to resolve a software issue.
Other situations are simply easier to understand in person, and sending an engineer hundreds of miles to change one software setting isn’t particularly efficient. Spending three days exchanging emails about something that could have been understood in ten minutes beside the application isn’t particularly efficient either.
Technology has made remote support easier and more effective than ever, and that’s something we absolutely embrace. Onsite support complements it when seeing the application, talking to the people using it and understanding the wider process will help get to the answer faster.
Sometimes we go to site to address one question and answer several more while we’re there. Sometimes we identify something that will save the customer time later. And sometimes the most useful part of the visit is simply understanding what they’re trying to do next.
Good customer support comes down to knowing the customer well enough to choose the right way to help.
Looking for the Right Metrology Support?
Whether you’re already using measurement technology or considering how metrology could better support your manufacturing processes, having access to the right advice and expertise can make a real difference.
At Measurement Solutions, we work with manufacturers to understand their applications, challenges and wider requirements, providing support that can range from technical advice and training to application development and on-site assistance.
Talk to our team about your measurement requirements and how we can support your business.
