Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Growth Hacker Marketing’
Happy’s Tech Talk #38: Novel Metallization for UHDI
It’s Only Common Sense Mastering the Follow-Up—The Key to Closing More Deals
Knowledge: At the Heart of Great Customer Service
May 26, 2023 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
David Thomas, master IPC trainer at EPTAC, says that the more you understand the work and technology that go into your processes and products, the better you can serve your customers. That includes knowing the basics.
Barry Matties: There are a lot of approaches to customer service, but I’m a firm believer that content knowledge is the foundation of great customer service. Service is a process, but understanding technology certainly is a benefit. What are your thoughts on that?
David Thomas: There are cases that I’ve personally experienced in which someone knows how to speak the language, but they don’t know how to apply it, and vice versa. They may come in and talk about something. They think they’re speaking as an educated person but are saying something completely wrong. For example, they need to know the basics, from the difference between a resistor and a diode, to how a resistor pack, timer, and an EPROM operate. If you go to a conference or talk with a customer, you need to have basic knowledge so that you’re on the same page as them. They should be able to see that you’re not the person putting the solder to the application.
Matties: What advice would you give someone who’s looking to retool their customer service department or their approach to customer service?
Thomas: First, gain knowledge on the things you’re working with. You can often gain a good understanding by taking, for example, a basic soldering class. Even if you don’t use that knowledge, at least you have it. You were there, you did it, and you saw what it takes to do it. You have a better understanding. I find that many engineers who are at the design level want something done to a certain degree, but they have no idea what they’re asking for. It makes no sense at all because they aren’t there, trying to put it together. Customer service improves when people speak the same language and have a good understanding, whether it’s the engineer and whoever is doing the work, or a customer and a company.
Matties: David, thank you so much.
Thomas: Thank you.
This article originally appeared in the May 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Indium’s Karthik Vijay to Present on Dual Alloy Solder Paste Systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/06/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Karthik Vijay will deliver a technical presentation on dual alloy solder paste systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference, May 20-22 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
SolderKing Achieves the Prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
05/06/2025 | SolderKingSolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd, a leading British manufacturer of high-performance soldering materials and consumables, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise, one of the UK’s most respected business honours.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
05/07/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileIn electronic assemblies, the integrity of connections between components is paramount for ensuring reliability and performance. Gold embrittlement and dissolution are two critical phenomena that can compromise this integrity. Gold embrittlement occurs when gold diffuses into solder joints or alloys, resulting in mechanical brittleness and an increased susceptibility to cracking. Conversely, gold dissolution involves the melting away of gold into solder or metal matrices, potentially altering the electrical and mechanical properties of the joint.
'Chill Out' with TopLine’s President Martin Hart to Discuss Cold Electronics at SPWG 2025
05/02/2025 | TopLineBraided Solder Columns can withstand the rigors of deep space cold and cryogenic environments, and represent a robust new solution to challenges facing next generation large packages in electronics assembly.
BEST Inc. Reports Record Demand for EZReball BGA Reballing Process
05/01/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, is pleased to announce they are experiencing record demand for their EZReball™ BGA reballing process which greatly simplifies the reballing of ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) devices.