Yes! The station should have maintained the service manuals, schematics, CD-ROMs. But they didn’t. And that brings us to the point of this article…not the stations’ errors but the manufacturers who purport to have equipment websites but really have only interactive equipment sales tools.
Broadcast is different from other electronics areas. It’s called 24/7 and when you’re down, you’re down. And you need to get back on the air.
While it’s understandable that some manufacturers can’t support a ‘round-the-clock engineer-on-call, if the company makes mission critical items (defined here as ones which, if they fail result in an off-the-air status) they need to provide every possible level of informational help on the website.
When the GM is looking over the engineer’s shoulder as minutes of commercial time tick by, the last thing one needs to see is a splash page for a new transmitter. Instead, he should be able to get to the “info and downloads” page for his piece of gear as directly and quickly as possible.
Once there, a service technician should be able to download the service manual without entering serial numbers, dates of purchase or other info that slows down the process. Attached to the manual should be a log of changes, adjustments, previous fixes and related information. Too often, after trying to implement a repair, one finds that, in fact, the gear was updated/upgraded without current owners being notified. Or – that the company is aware of a simple fix or a chronic failure that can be easily repaired. Neither of these needs to be discovered by waiting through the night until the factory or parts department opens at, “…eight o’clock central time…”
Then there’s the dreaded “email us” link. It may open your email client preaddressed to their info/service department. OR…it may open a form, again requiring way too much information (ever get the “Valid Zip Code Missing” return because you didn’t see the asterisk?) for the moment. NOT user-friendly.
Even if it opens your email, it may point you to their sales department. Nine times out of 10 that means it’s going to the wrong person. And by the time it gets to the right person, you’ve found some other solution or decided to “decommission” the gear with a Louisville Slugger.
Another note on emails: If you want to be a broadcast equipment manufacturer with a web page, respond to emails…promptly. Too many times we are charged with creating solutions to problems and, in the course of research, contact manufacturers with questions about their equipment. And almost just as many times, manufacturers fail to respond. I have one on my “bring up” file that has had four phone messages and five (count ‘em) emails to “info@” with a simple question. No answer. Nada. Not even a parting gift. You have to respond if you want to keep the business going.
Let me stop to give credit to a couple. 1) Broadcast Tools. Same day response to every email I’ve ever sent them. Courteous. And, in one case, the response was a recommendation that did the job better than I had asked…and for the same money. 2) Delta RF Technologies. Have a question about RF pallets used as power amplifiers? You get an answer. And, again, maybe “another way of doing it.” Thank you both for a breath of fresh air in the CO2 world of emails.
Bottom line: Broadcasting is 24/7. Manufacturers have to come as close to that as possible. It can be done – and for little money. Try it. Remember that consultants and contract engineers have a LOT of input into purchases. Give it a little time to win those guys over. Watch the business grow.
No comments:
Post a Comment