DIS Sensors is all about quality and reliability, not only in our sensors but also in our support. Sophia Xiong, Sales Support Engineer, plays an indispensable role in this process. With a customer-oriented approach, she helps distributors and end users to find the right match between sensors and applications.
In this blog, Sophia talks about her role in technical support and how the support from DIS Sensors really helps distributors and end users forward.
The link between sensors and customers
Sophia’s role? That goes far beyond Sales Support Engineer. “My title is Sales Support Engineer, but I mainly focus on technical support for our sensors,” she explains. Her main task? Supporting distributors who, in turn, work with end customers. “They ask questions about our sensors: what features they have, how they are installed and which ones are best suited for specific applications.”
Sometimes, she speaks directly to the end users of the sensors. “They have a specific application and ask if certain sensors are appropriate. Or they have already bought a sensor and are running into problems. For example, when setting parameters. Then I help them find the right configurations.”
Customized advice: the strength of DIS Sensors
According to Sophia, what sets DIS Sensors apart is its personal and solution-oriented approach. “We ask a lot of questions to properly understand what the customer needs. What angles need to be measured? What is the application? Depending on the answer, we advise QG series sensors for tilt angle measurement or encoders for applications where rotation needs to be measured.”
Sophia’s approach is clear: “Asking, listening and finding the right sensor. Customers appreciate that because we really think about their application and don’t just come up with a standard solution.”
From knowledgebase to hands-on support
Because Sophia speaks to many end users, she knows better than anyone else which questions come back more quickly. So to help customers get the most out of the sensors, she helped set up a comprehensive knowledgebase and FAQ section. “In the beginning, we got a lot of questions about the basic functionality and configuration of our sensors. Now we have clear documentation and manuals, which allows distributors to find answers on their own faster.”
She also trains distributors at meetings and events. “We want our partners to know exactly how our sensors work so they can better support their customers. This collaboration is indispensable.”
Problem solving: thinking like an engineer
If a sensor doesn’t work as expected, Sophia’s first step is to find out if it’s really a sensor problem or if there are misunderstandings in the application. “Sometimes a distributor doesn’t quite understand how a sensor works, making it seem like there is a problem. Then I explain how the sensor is meant to be used and how it can be used correctly.”
Sophia always uses 5 basic questions to arrive at a clear problem statement:
- What is the problem? What does it look like?
- What do you expect to happen when the problem is solved?
- What exactly happened?
- What was the trigger on which the problem occurred?
- Have you already solved it? How did you do that?
Her advice to customers? Provide clear information with a support question. “With pictures or screenshots, we can solve problems much faster.”
The future of our sensors
Sophia sees sensor technology integrating more and more into systems. “We now supply complete sensors in an enclosure, but what I personally would like very much is if, in the future, we supply separate sensor modules that are built directly into machines. That will open up new opportunities for customization and innovation.”
What surprises her most in her work? “How widely our sensors are deployed! From excavators in the Netherlands to airports in China, you find them everywhere.”
At DIS Sensors, technical support goes beyond helping with questions. It’s working proactively with distributors and customers to find the best sensors for their applications. And that makes all the difference. Wondering how DIS Sensors can support your project? Please contact us!
