Shimadzu TOC is a Lemon
The following email message was received by us on June 24, 1998:
To: concerns@oocities.com
From: identity withheld
Subject: Here's a survey I sent to Analytical Consumer
1a) What kind of company/institution do you work in?
>>> academic
1b) What type of lab?
>>> research
2) What kind of TOC analyzer do you use?
>>> Shimadzu (and I'm sorry I bought it!)
3) How long have you used it?
>>> 4 years too long (and it has required constant maintenance and
troubleshooting for 3.5 of those 4 years - what a waste!)
4) Why did you buy from that supplier?
>>> Shimadzu claimed to be the best vendor BUT THEY'RE NOT!
5) Are you satisfied with its performance?
>>> IN NO WAY AM I SATISFIED WITH THIS SHIMADZU TOC ANALYZER!
I wouldn't call it an analyzer of any kind period! It's a LEMON! I'm buying a new TOC
analyzer from Anatel and trashing my Shimadzu gleefully!
6) Are you satisfied with the support from the supplier?
>>> WHAT SUPPORT?????????????? They don't return phone calls!!!!!!!!!!
All they want to do is to send someone to my lab (travel time equals about 4 hrs one way @
$160/hr) and charge me $160 per hour once they get here (parts extra)! What a way to do
business.
7) What kind of work do you do?
>>> analysis of fresh, salt and waste waters
8) Where are you located?
>>> withheld
n.b. Just chalk this up to another dissatisfied Shimadzu customer whose
ready to trash his/her Shimadzu TOC analyzer. Where does customer satisfaction fall in the
scheme of things on Shimadzu's corporate ladder? It does make one wonder out loud!
n.b. Does it really cost Shimadzu $160 per hour to pay some service tech a fair wage to
drive 60 miles in one hour? The government allows a mileage charge of approx $0.32 for
each mile driven. Using this figure, this would compute to $19.20 to drive 60 miles in one
hour on an interstate highway. It's hard to believe that the service tech is making more
than $20.00 per hour in wages. This leaves more than $120 which is leftover to line
Shimadzu's pockets. Are they worth this exorbitant amount.... HELL NO!!!
n.b. It's been reported here that Shimadzu doesn't return phone calls. Another researcher
commented in one of the www.deja.com/usenet
newsgroups that Shimadzu doesn't answer email queries. Just how does this organization
communicate with its customers? We seem to recall that Mr. Shingo Takimoto (President,
Shimadzu Scientific) remarked during PITTCON '97 that there was a new corporate emphasis
placed on responding to customer inquiries.... sounds like there are a few gapping holes
in that net! It would appear that there is a lot more than just Hazmat training which
continues to "slip thru the cracks" at Shimadzu!
n.b. We portrayed the vices of a Shimadzu TOC in this forum previously.... check them out!
n.b. Have we asked you: Why are you doing business with this outfit???
Expect Less Value and More Disappointment from Shimadzu
This page was last 
12/31/00