Equipping a Laboratory: A Study in Customer Service Excellence
When Mark Fuller was an imagineer for The Walt Disney Company, he reached out to Cole-Parmer for scientific equipment. Later, when he founded Water Entertainment Technologies (WET) and built a laboratory for the development of innovative water technologies, he directed his purchasing staff to once again contact Cole-Parmer to help equip the lab.
His request was routed to West Coast Area Business Development Manager Mike Gilchrist. “I initially met with Mark and, later, his director of purchasing. Mark had taken a Cole-Parmer catalog and identified every item he wanted for his lab. He was familiar with Cole-Parmer’s reputation for quality and service,” said Gilchrist. “Together, we developed a list and began negotiating price points for a large purchase of capital equipment and other items, including an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, gas chromatograph, chromatography cyclograph, refractometer, trinocular and metallurgical microscopes, recirculating chiller, and much more.”
To service the order, Sandy Belongia, Customer Service Manager, and Kevin Wood, Customer Service Supervisor, earmarked Maryam Payne, Customer Service Representative at the time, to work with Gilchrist in providing personalized service to meet the client’s needs.
“I contacted vendors to source the various products, but time was critical,” said Payne. “We were nearing the end of the year and the client required that the order be placed and billed by year-end for capital expense budgeting purposes. Within the primary order, there were 13 separate orders and, on December 23, I was cranking through them. We managed to get the orders out before the New Year’s holiday.”
Next, the client requested quotes for chemicals and glassware, and later for countertops, and fixtures for the new laboratory. “I did quite a bit of research with vendors to make sure the items we found were correct and available,” said Payne. At one point, Payne sourced 180 chemicals through Fisher Scientific, Columbus and RICCA.
As the day grew closer for the new laboratory to open, a final inspection was scheduled with Los Angeles County officials. The custom fixtures chosen for the lab and ordered from Cole-Parmer had to be in place before the inspection. Invitations for the grand opening event were sent, the media had been alerted, and there was a possibility that even California’s governor might stop by.
“I was working with our supplier to get the particular color of fixtures and knobs that the client requested. I arranged to have the fixtures moved up in priority to meet the looming deadline,” said Gilchrist. “Our supplier, in turn, was working with a third supplier. To expedite the order, I began communicating directly with the third supplier.”
When the order was assembled, the crate containing the fixtures was too heavy to be sent via FedEx air. Instead, it was erroneously sent by UPS Freight and arrived?much later than required?by rail.
“The fixtures arrived at a UPS Freight depot in Rialto, California, a remote desert area, the day before the inspection,” said Gilchrist. “I borrowed my wife’s minivan and drove 150 miles to Rialto to pick them up myself, then delivered them to WET. The purchasing director and CEO himself were waiting on the loading dock when I got there. When they opened the crate, they loved the fixtures. But, the adventure was not over yet! When we counted the quantity, three were missing. I had to quickly call and have the remaining three shipped immediately.”
With the clock ticking, the missing fixtures arrived, the laboratory passed inspection, and the grand opening ensued.
Back in Vernon Hills, Maryam Payne took on new responsibilities and transitioned her role to Tiffany Hurula. “Providing this level of personalized service was an awesome learning experience,” described Payne. “It really helped me to think outside the proverbial box.”
The orders from WET continued to come as additional supplies were requested. Hurula sourced and prepared quotes for another 120 chemicals, and placed a large order for glassware, incubators, hydrometers, and lab safety items.
“WET is a priority account,” said Hurula. “We make sure we take the time to accommodate their needs. I develop comparative pricing, working directly with our source vendors to put together the best package for them. I prepare precise and meticulous responses for their team and try to anticipate their needs.”
Now a Group Leader, Hurula serves as a consultant for the account. “I’ve learned more about building relationships with vendors to serve our clients and developed patience within the process. To provide great customer service, you have to be resilient and forward-thinking,” she said.
And Mike Gilchrist continues to serve his West Coast client as well. “Knowing WET’s design and fabrication capabilities with hydraulic and pneumatic systems led me to refer them to two other clients. This provided WET with opportunities at a San Diego aerospace company and a compounding pharmacy company with facilities throughout the U.S.”
When customer service like this inspires loyalty, the story continues to develop. Much like the sparkling water spectacles that WET fashions, the mutual respect keeps flowing.
Water Entertainment Technologies (WET) creates “fountains” that invoke motion, color, and flow in a synchronized choreography. Their unique water displays can be viewed at the Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Dubai Fountain, PetroChina Headquarters, and many other venues.
