Target Condition: Are Autorouters Friend or Foe?
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
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
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
06/26/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsMicro components have redefined what is possible in PCB design. With package sizes like 01005 and 0201 becoming more common in high-density layouts, designers are now expected to pack more performance into smaller spaces than ever before. While these advancements support miniaturization and functionality, they introduce new assembly challenges, particularly with traditional solder mask and legend application processes.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
06/25/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileTin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typically measuring a few micrometers in diameter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or compressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys.