What to look for in a bisoafety cabinet? 5. Services

5. Services

Photo credits from:
www.escoglobal.com

You may miss this out. Usually, after you get your brand new biosafety cabinet, you will no longer think about after-sale services, right? You are too excited to work with it that there is a high tendency for you to forget about the services you can avail after you got your cabinet.

Well, think about this. You may miss some important things that you need when your biosafety cabinet breaks up. You need to look for a company that has a good record in terms of after-sales service. Here are what you should check up for:

1. Warranty. Yes, yes. The biosafety cabinet is new, and you do not expect it to break down in the near future. But what if it does break down? Then it will be another expense for you. That is the purpose of the warranty. It is just like your insurance. It will greatly lessen your expenses, if your cabinet breaks down or malfunction. However, some companies provide a limited warranty period for the products they sell. Some companies offer additional fee when you want to extend it. So better take a look on how long will the warranty last. 

   

   Photo credits from:
   www.ohiocargirl.com

2. Free service. Some companies offer free services - delivery, installation, assessment, testing, certification, calibration as part of the warranty. These may not be tangible but are definitely of value. Some companies do not offer these services, and in worst case scenarios, you may opt to outsource for these services. You may save much money when the company offers free services.
3. Advice on how to use the product. It is possible that a laboratory personnel may not be knowledgeable enough in operating a biosafety cabinet, or what are the safety measures to do when using one. Well, a company that sells a biosafety cabinet has employees knowledgeable enough on how to properly use the product, and they may give some pieces of advice on how to preserve the quality of the biosafety cabinet. The company employee may provide an end-user seminar - operations and troubleshooting - which are valuable in using correctly a biosafety cabinet.

But why should you look a company that has a good record in terms of after-sales service?

Because if a company has a good track record in terms of customer service, it means you will not be stressed in contacting them in case your cabinet malfunctions. But how will you establish this? 

Here are some of the questions you should be able to ask:

First. Where is the company located? If it is located within your country, then it's good. You can easily locate and contact them should you have any problem with biosafety cabinet. But what if the company is overseas? Oops, if that's the case, you need to further investigate. Does the company send dedicated engineers to customers overseas for the after-sales service? If no, then try to look for another company. If yes then ask them how long does it take for them to come to visit your cabinet once you reported a problem. You may opt for a company that provides fast service so that you can lessen downtime of your cabinet. Will you pay for their travel expenses? So are you overwhelmed of these questions? Are you thinking of buying a cabinet from a company that has a domestic office from where you are? Just kidding.

Photo credits from:
www.a3.mzstatic.com

Second. Are the dedicated service engineers certified by NSF, EN, etc. If yes, then their credibility is established. If no, you need to investigate further. For sure, you don't want your cabinet to be checked by a unqualified personnel, right?

Third. Does the company offer other services such as filter replacement, calibration, and certification? You should opt for someone who is capable of doing any service related to biosafety cabinets - that will save you time and money.

Once you have determined these things, you will surely identify which company to choose. 

Remember, you should not only consider the price of the biosafety cabinet per se. Be aware of the money you will spend and save if you buy a particular biosafety cabinet - warranty, services, electric bill, etc. Well then, choose wisely.