Independent Analysts Rate Service Providers
In March 2009, IMV Ltd., an independent health care market-research company, released the results of its 2008 ServiceTrak survey, which analyzes service trends in the imaging industry. In the CT system service category, Toshiba America Medical Systems received the top ranking in 21 of 34 service attributes, including overall OEM service performance and overall value.
In June, KLAS ranked Toshiba as the #1 Medical Equipment Vendor in the “2009 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Medical Equipment” report. Additionally, Toshiba products were named Best in KLAS in CT 64 slice and greater (Aquilion® 64), 1.5T MRI (Vantage) and Ultrasound (Xario™). For more information, visit www.KLASresearch.com.
Through Spring of 2009, Toshiba was ranked number one by MD Buyline, another third-party analyst, in the CT category for the sixth year running. The company’s service quality was a major contributing factor to its high ranking.
Loretta Loncoske, a clinical analyst for MD Buyline, explains that the company arrives at its vendor rankings by surveying customers about specific technologies on a quarterly basis, then comparing their responses, which involve rating various aspects of vendor performance on a scale of one to 10, with five being average.
Ratings are based on a target of 30 active calls per vendor and technology over the course of a year. Questions related to applications, technical support and service and support account for two of nine categories and assess factors including:
- the type of telephone response time that you typically experience;
- if you need more advanced support, how long it takes for that to happen;
- how well service personnel communicate what is wrong, what they did to correct the problem, and any indication of what caused the problem in the first place; and
- whether the service representative accommodates your patient schedule for non-emergency repairs and/or after-hours calls.
Loncoske says MD Buyline’s survey respondents have commented specifically on Toshiba’s rapid response times and consistent parts availability, as well as on the quality of its training programs. “What I’ve seen, over the course of two years now, is they will send the same person to the facility for training,” she notes. “This ensures consistency—the trainers know where they’ve left off, and they know the capabilities of the staff they’re training, offering a more consistent experience.”
Respondents also emphasized the company’s customer-driven approach to service. “Because it’s a smaller company, it’s more like a family,” Loncoske says. “It really takes care of its customers. It’s a very personalized approach.”
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Tags: KLAS
Category: Education & Training,Medical Equipment —