It's an understatement to say "the world has changed" over the past 25 years. Aside from the multitude of external factors surrounding our lives, the traditional method of transacting business has changed, but not all of it is helpful for engineers in the sensors world.
For an engineer, the wealth of product information available with just a few keyboard clicks is empowering yet overwhelming. We see the value our website brings to customers with the ease of finding products and respective technical information. However, many sensor providers fall short of providing the accessibility sometimes needed when questions arise. We also noticed the diminished use of the telephone when customers have questions. Email, chat boxes, and forms are the primary methods when customers have questions. Creating relevant, useful content on both our website and blog has proven to be of utmost interest to our audience. Nevertheless, we encourage our customers to continue to chat one-on-one (telephone, online meeting, etc.) because often a 5-minute conversation can make a difference when choosing a part number. With the plethora of choices available, it is very easy for an engineer to overdesign (and overpay) for a part or accidentally pick the wrong part for their application.
To stay relevant, Servoflo focuses on providing useful, application-specific information for our audience. Additionally, the value of relationships plays a vital role in helping customers choose the best part for their needs. Some examples of where direct relationships play an important role include:
- Working with purchasing to maintain and manage inventory requirement
- Connecting customers to suppliers to discuss in-depth technical understanding
- Customizing a physical attribute of a sensor such as providing special packaging or terminations
- Modifying sensor performance to focus on the specific range of high performance needed by a customer
Servoflo provides the one on one service that has fallen by the wayside in today's world. Our core values keep us focused on providing customers what they need when they need it. Founded by engineers for engineers in 1968, these values include:
- Only offer those products and services which provide our customers BOTH high value (price/performance) and reliability
- Always make it easy and simple for engineering and purchasing professionals to work with us
- Never take an opportunity to work with a new or existing customer for granted - treat every application with thoroughness and urgency
- Never misrepresent the capability of any product we carry
Our goal is to stay true to these values while adjusting the delivery of these values to meet today's business models.
While it may feel "easier" to browse anonymously online for parts without feeling pressured by salespeople, we ask that you remember at Servoflo, we pride ourselves by focusing on YOUR needs and requirements. We promise that you will save time, gain efficiency, and obtain the best possible solution for your application. A few minutes can save you significant amounts of time and reduce endless browsing.
Please reach out to us to let us know what you see happening in engineering design decisions by contacting us or leaving a comment below!
