Every once in a while I am compared to David Horowitz. Perhaps it is the styley hair or snappy suits he wears. I hope, however, it is because of the work we do helping vets sort out their issues with digital radiography vendors. A superhero I am not. My powers of good lie far below those of the Green Lantern, Hawkeye, The Escapist, or even Dynomutt. In most cases, I only own the power of getting frustrated and scratching my head wondering how things can go so wrong in a digital radiography sale. This is a tale that left me scratching my head till it bled. There are thieves among us.
Meet your characters
Dr. K: Dr. K is your average veterinarian who busts her ass trying to do the best she can for her clients. One day she decided to upgrade her veterinary hospital to digital radiography and did her research. She even found a reputable company to do business with.
Company A: Company A is a company with a fairly long track record in veterinary digital radiography. Their clients are invariably happy and they are known for their good service.
Sales Rep X: Sales rep X worked for Company A when Dr. K went researching for a digital system. He is a despicable and dastardly individual who has worked for just about every digital company in the vet market.
Company B: Company B is a newcomer to the veterinary digital radiography scene. We do not have much data on them.
Story Time:
Dr. K decides on a digital radiography system from company A. She is fond of Sales Rep X who is working for Company A. Sales Rep X carefully prepares the paperwork for Dr. K who then carefully evaluates the paperwork. She even sent it to us for review. After some negotiations, Dr. K purchased the machine.
The machine was installed and the installation went relatively uneventfully but there were some problems. Dr. K. called the service number she was given and it soon became clear that the person on the other end was not able to offer her adequate service. After a while the person on the other end stopped calling back.
Dr. K then contacted us and we contacted Company A which was the company on the top of the paperwork Dr. K signed. It turns out, however, that Company A had never heard of Dr. K.
It soon became apparent that Dr. K was swindled and she never really bought a system from Company A. Sales Rep X used the paperwork from Company A to get her money and then went to Company B to buy a system. Sales Rep X then went on to give Dr. K his cell phone number and tell her it was the service line for Company A.
This would have been good and well, however, Company B was not informed about this and their policy is that they do not provide first line support. In systems they install, the salespeople who work as outside contractors (e.g. Sales Person X) are responsible for support*.
So what is the point of all of this?
This is not just a story about how one vet got swindled by a renegade salesperson. It is a reminder to keep on your toes when buying a digital radiography system and know who is responsible for service and support. It is a story about how many levels of sales and support can be hidden in a veterinary digital radiography sale.
This story underscores how important it is to know who will be doing your service before you purchase a digital radiography machine. If you are buying a system from a company that will not be providing your service, call the service engineer and get a feel for them before you buy your system. Remember, your salesperson wont be there for you. They are there to sell NOT support you in the future. Do not buy your sales person. Buy the company and let the buyer beware.
*Epilogue: in the end things turned out OK. Company B offered to support the product. If this did not happen, Dr. K would have been left holding the bag and contacting her lawyer.
