English - Rice Lake Weighing Systems

inside rlws
Bruce Johnson, customer service manager, is a perfect example of
how Rice Lake has grown to become an international company—while still
maintaining the personal customer service ethic Donald B. Johnson insisted
on from the beginning.
Bruce has been with Rice Lake Weighing Systems 37 years
and counting. “There were fifteen employees when I
came here in October of 1973. I was interested in
electronics. My hobby was collecting juke boxes
from the ’50s. Electronic scales were in their infancy
then, and we took on a line. We went to electronics
school. Don signed us up for an apprenticeship
program with the state. Since they didn’t have any
idea of what training was needed for a scale technician,
he had to help set up the curriculum
Bruce in the 1970’s answering customer questions.
“Back then everyone did a little of everything. I
even worked on the first electronics catalog. It was
mimeographed. I called vendors, set up deliveries, checked orders, wrote specs, and took calls from customers.
I developed an order pad with little boxes to check. They called it ‘Bruce’s Form.’
“Part of the benefit of working with Mark Sr. is that he imparted his customer service philosophy. You had that experience
back then. We had a little room where we would test products before they went out. We were so paranoid
that something would go out and fail.
“I guess I built a reputation for working with customers. I take any calls where there is a question that can’t be
resolved. I am here to get the ball back in play.” When someone has a problem, Bruce can usually help.
“I worked out our Customer Order Action Report (COAR). We came up with this because
it was something we had to do. Now it is required by ISO, but we were already doing
it. It’s another one of ‘Bruce’s Forms’. It has three parts. First, what did the customer
say Second, what did we do to get back on the road And third, why did this
happen and what can we do so it doesn’t happen again
“We pick a project where errors occur and turn it around. Every once in
a while you feel good because you find a gem. We might find we have
two similar parts stored in bins next to each other. One of them has
to move. In another case, we wanted to improve our order-taking,
especially getting the correct shipping address. We had MIS
change our software so that now we enter the zip code and the
system brings up the city and state. Then we take the address.
And we always read the contract back.”
Chris Olsen, inside sales manager, adds, “Bruce is the level head
for the sales and service departments. No matter what the
issue, or how emotional, he always seems to find a way to help
the customer in a manner that is beneficial to all parties
involved. The bottom line is he knows the customer is the
priority and works toward the goal of satisfying them.
“Over the years Bruce has become the jack-of-alltrades
with handling sales calls, online chats,
warranty claims, the COAR process, and
working on the root causes of our errors
so we continually improve.” ▪
Truck
scales
keep on
truckin’
iQUBE 2 Diagnostic Junction Box monitors and emulates load cell performance and sends a diagnostic
report to keep you ahead of any load cell issue that needs your attention. iQUBE 2 tests for linearity, identifies
noise, monitors for drift, and can even step in and emulate a cell to keep your truck scale truckin’.
If you’re in charge of a mission-critical multi-cell weighing operation, install iQUBE 2 and breathe easier.
To learn more about the ultra-fast
iQUBE² Digital Diagnostic Junction Box,
visit www.ricelake.com/truckin
or call 1-800-472-6703.
800-472-6703
www.ricelake.com
mobile: m.ricelake.com
26 RICE LAKE MAGAZINE | www.ricelake.com