Malvern instruments - Repair and Service.
Coming from a group of the Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, DK, a Zetasizer uV light scattering apparatus is a central fixture in the laboratory - applied for protein 'purity' assessment. A great device for sample quality control prior to crystallization. This review covers two distinct encounters with Malvern Instruments - neither convincingly positive:
Aspect 1 - Repair: The temperature regulator/controller of the apparatus was found broken early this year (2016). This issue required and inspection by a technician, whose diagnose upon arrival demanded a shipping of the instrument to the repair shop in England. This, now costly, journey ended up taking nearly four times longer than promised, i.e. without any voluntary update from the technicians part (representative of the Malvern Instruments!).
The slow responses to several enquiries concerning the apparent delay(es) in the repair/shipping/whatever process was themselves delayed or unanswered. At one point, in frustration, I handed over the case to the principle investigator of my group.
By now, it is safely back and works perfectly. But, yet again, not until it breaks, you may painfully learn how customer service is prioritized.
Aspect 2 - Service: Directing a question via email (actually an on-line form) to Malvern concerning the OmniSEC software - for which an answer seemingly wasn't to be found in the manual - it took more than a month for a reply. This response time is totally unacceptable (more than a month). Working in a competitive laboratory environment, where deadlines are an essential part of the everyday and where investigative tasks relies to a great extend on hardware, it is of utter importance to be able to have a rapid correspondence. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean one or two days, but a week is already stretching ones patience.
If I was writing from a production line in the private sector, this means loss of production, thus potentially turnover. I will let this comment speak for itself.
Also, it is dissatisfying to be writing via form. It becomes impossible to complaint over any already passed message or question. However, I have to emphasize that the the answer, when one was returned, was fully covering the forwarded question. Therefore, it is only a note on the response time.