For more than six years, Analytical Consumer has provided prospective customers with priceless information on the pros and cons of analytical instrumentation manufactured for use in scientific laboratories all over the world. The newsletter conducts wide-ranging surveys of analytical equipment users to ascertain which instrument vendors have the most satisfied customers and why. On-going information is gathered by telephone, summarized and presented in the monthly newsletter. Analytical Consumer reports what the end-users say and ranks the manufacturers on customer satisfaction. One lab manager has characterized the newsletter's surveys as "a reality check for vendors claims." This is an excellent forum to learn what companies won't tell the customer including, but not limited to: 1) the real problems with a particular instrument, 2) what to expect realistically from the vendor's support & service departments, and 3) whether the newest advertised claim really works or whether it's a bunch of hype!

We have included below some excerpts from an article by Jo Rita Jordan entitled "The Best Suppliers: A Five-Year Summary" which appeared in the August/September 1995 issue of the Analytical Consumer newsletter. Unfortunately, it will be difficult for most of our readers to procure a copy of this article since a one year subscription will set you back a sizable $260 (US dollars). Therefore, we have gleaned the information of most interest to our audience and presented it herein.

Table 2 of the report summarizes those companies that satisfy their customers very well (>80%) across all their product lines. From the top in descending order, they include: Amray (SEM), TA Instruments (Thermal Analysis), KVB Analect (FTIR, NIR), Spectro (ICP, robotics, Hg), Metrohm (Auto titrators), Philips (XRF, EM), Beckman (HPLC, pH, UV-VIS), JEOL (SEM, TEM, NMR), Hach (UV-VIS, GC, pH), Leica (SEM), ASOMA (XRF), and Gow Mac (GC).

Table 4 of the article describes those vendors who only dominate a given technology and satisfy users of only one instrument type. In ascending order, they include: Perkin-Elmer (Hg analyzers), ASOMA* and TN Spectrace* [*tie] (XRF), Nicolet (GC-FTIR), Perkin-Elmer (FIA), Dionex (Ion chromatography), TJA (ICP), Varian (NMR), Philips (TEM), Finnigan (Mass Spectrometers), Hewlett-Packard (GC), Amray (SEM), and Shimadzu (UV-VIS). (If you decide to buy one of the new Shimadzu UV-2401 or UV-2501 spectrophotometers, be sure to inquire about that special "flexible" plastic sample compartment. It's not an option.... it's STANDARD!)

Table 5 of the report lists product satisfaction factors. Noteworthy comments include:

The report concludes that "users repeatedly invoke the magic qualities of good service and support" and "reliable, dependable instruments." In all of the surveys conducted, the term "workhorse" commands respect, praise and widespread approval. It is highly recommended that you purchase a workhorse from a reputable vendor!