Tech Deck is a column by Tony Lemma, Bell Service Manager
- Sloooow response to your service request. The national distributor in California passes your request through to the manufacturer. Eight hours later, still no response. Time is money, and a great service company recognizes that a timely response is key to keeping your practice up and running.
- They tell you to “save the boxes.” Pack up and ship your autorefractor back to Florida for service? You can guarantee it’ll be out of commission for at least a week or more. Or, you could trust your equipment maintenance to the factory-trained technicians right in your backyard.
- They’re punctually challenged. You scheduled a service call at noon to avoid taking down an exam lane during business hours. Yet, the technician shows up at 1:30 when you’re slammed with patients. Argh.
- You need a HAZMAT suit to clean up after service. Grease all over your instrument stand? Muddy footprints? The stench of day-old whiskey and cigarettes? We’ve heard the horror stories. These are the kinds of uh-oh’s that reflect poorly on a doctor, and might cause a patient to think twice before booking the next appointment.
- You’re still shocked over the bill. The last thing you expected was a $1,117.53 bill to repair an exam chair’s footrest. Worse, you’re still confused over how the charges got so high because the technician didn’t properly explain the work performed.
- Your Swiss slit lamp is now partially made in Taiwan. Non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts degrade the quality of instruments. For example, to cut costs, some service companies use generic slit lamp bulbs. The kind that could cost you a crucial diagnosis when only half of the recommended illumination reaches a patient’s eye.
If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to call Bell. 1-800-255-5929.