I would like to start a thread dedicated to the equipment service engineer, especially as I'm doing some planning in this area, and might have a few questions later for all you road warriors out there. So here goes:-

The key to efficient technical support in the field is the man on the ground - the importance of the service engineer should not be under estimated. Of course there must be sound administration, efficient technical backup and thorough planning, but all of these will be wasted and management policies mere wishful thinking unless the service engineer carries them through to the customer.

The service engineer bears the brunt of customers' problems and complaints; he invariably gets called in when things have gone wrong! He meets people who are rarely seen by salesmen and is the person who forms the identity of the company in the eyes of many. Also, and unlike the salesman, he is expected to do something there and then (ie, to perform)! He has an obligation to solve (or at least "action") the problem of the moment efficiently and with dispatch.

Obviously he needs to be technically competent and ideally be trained and experienced in dealing with the particular type of equipment in question. He should also be communicative and willing to explain what he is doing; able to operate the instrument and demonstrate its serviceability before leaving.

The service engineer is in constant face-to-face contact with the customer; not just the decision makers, but the people who actually use equipment. He is often in an ideal position to recommend to customers a course of action which generates business. Customers tend to listen to the service engineer as a technician, an engineer, an expert, not as a salesman who is bound to be biased in favour of what he is selling (be it spare parts, repairs, maintenance contracts, customer training or new equipment). It follows, therefore, that the service engineer must be well aware of his company's business model, the level of quality it is trying to achieve, and be properly motivated if he is to be commercially, as well as technically, effective.

Amen to that. Tell it how it is brother!
With out over egging the cake, I've felt for years that the humble service engineer has had a pretty raw deal. First as a Field Service Engineer for 25 years for various large companies and now in EBME.
It's the old: Engineer= man with oily rag!
We are expected to be Mr Fixit, Mr Ambassador for the company, Mr Peacemaker in disputes betwixt company and client, and a shoulder to cry on for the customers.
I've always said that you could largely remove the "Management" and "Support" staff. They are largely desk jockeys that are just an overhead!
But cut into the Engineering staff and that's when you see a tangible effect.
Still I suppose if we want large salaries and "Respect" we could always put on a suit go into management and have our brains removed....

Depends on the management Steve - I still have my brain intact.

You must be at the level of management just before the labotomy is mandatory!

Geoff

You seem to pretty much sum us up. At some companies (not my current one, as they may read this ) the engineer is a cheap Mr Fixit whilst the sales force get the credit. I honestly think that the engineer is very important; if the engineer is poor it can help to persuade a hospital to buy a product from someone else

Steve, I think I have the respect, just waiting for the other bit! Fingers crossed they are reading this

At Corning we used to say that a poor salesman could loose a sale but a poor service engineer could loose a customer.Annoyed the sales department no end.

H’mmm … much as I thought. OK, here are the first two questions (taking the UK as our example):-

1) Is there enough money to be made from repairs and servicing for a business to survive without resorting to equipment sales as well, or should servicing operations be forever linked to sales organisations (with all the "benefits" mentioned in the posts above)?

2) Assuming an even scattering of customer locations (whether hospitals, medical centres, dental surgeries or veterinary practices etc), how big a territory should each service engineer cover? Obviously, large centres such as within the M25 are special cases, but, in general what sort of "diameter" in miles should our "circles on the map" have? How far should be the maximum journey be? (assuming that we’re looking for an efficient service and a guy with enough energy left to do the work once he arrives!) Or, if you prefer, how many bits of kit should each service engineer cover (let’s assume six-monthly PM visits plus a reasonable number of call-outs)?

Along Time Ago-In a World Far Far Away, When life was Good, I was a Visionhire Colour Television Field Service Engineer ( The very best job I have had Ever !!!) The figure in those days was 750 sets per Engineer. The ethos at that time was a Tatty Engineer reflects a Tatty Company, so keep your Estate car Clean and yourself Tidy & Presentable, because YOU are the Company, in the Customers eyes.

Remember also the Salesman sells Tomorrow Dream, the Service Engineer reaps Todays Nightmare.

I must stop my eyes are full of tears, where did it go ???

Read 'em and Weep, old Mate! And thanks for your input. But we have to keep at it, do we not? So, how many customer bases per service engineer, do you reckon?

PS I think you can assume Tatty Biomedical Services, ha, ha!

I almost forgot Geoff, as I am graded Master on this site, I was a Master Tech at Visionhire, I took my exam on a Philips G9, find 5 seperate faults in 20 minutes. Wonder how all these Academics would fare these days ???Eh

see also http://www.transdiffusion.org

Halcyon Days indeed,and a good way to raise a family. God Bless Em.