Customer Care/Service have become buzzwords in today’s business culture.  Many companies claim to excel at it, yet few really do.  So what are the tests?

1. How long does it take to get an email or phone call answered?  Your badge service helps to monitor life threatening radiation and your safety cannot be compromised by having wait for your call to be answered.  You deserve to call into live Customer Service who can walk you through your questions when you call.  Your service should be convenient to you, not the company.

2. What type of online access does the company provide?  Nowadays all companies provide some level of online account access to their customers.  Does the company provide access on mobile devices?  Does the online access consistently improve, or did the company let it lapse and now has to undergo a renovation to bring access up to acceptable levels?

3. Who do you talk to when you call in?  Does the company have a long and complex phone tree or direct access to their staff?  Does the staff answer their calls and return their messages?  How long does it take to return an email or message?  Are you dealing with the same person every time or do you encounter a different representative each time you contact the company?

4. How helpful are the people you deal with?  Having long-tenured employees who know the industry, know the needs of the customer and know you are important.  Does the company invest in their employees enough to train them to be knowledgeable not only in their current jobs, but other’s across the company?

Who is serving you? For more information, please visit http://www.radetco.com/aboutUs.aspx and find out how we can partner together

Part 2 of our Guide to choosing a badge service provider focuses on your bottom line. Your service isn’t free, and choosing a provider who charges a fair price with the maximum amount of value provided to you is an important decision.

When considering price, especially with a service, you have to look at the total cost of the bid.  Is the company billing you monthly for a quarterly service?  Is the company charging you change fees, extra surcharges and for access to online privileges?  Is everything you need included in the initial quote?

These are important questions to ask because change fees, extra surcharges etc, add up over time and you might end up paying more than double the initial price of your service because you chose the company which charges on top of their services, rather than the company who, when they send you a quote, what you see is what you get.

Being in the industry as long as we have, we’ve seen many customers pay 2 or 3x the initial quote because of deceptive billing practices such as charging customers monthly for their quarterly service, charging for additions, deletions, additional reports, etc.  We believe this is a matter of integrity and believe the customer should have the benefit of receiving service from a company which treats their customers and their community as we ourselves would like to be treated.

Make sure to ask your sales/customer service representative how you are being billed, what the service includes and what extra charges there are – unfortunately, you might be surprised.  For more information, please visit http://www.radetco.com/aboutUs.aspx and find out how we can partner together.  Thank you for reading and please stay tuned for part III.

We understand choosing a dosimetry service provider might not be on the top of anyone’s to do list, and we understand all companies might look the same, offer the same products and sound the same on the phone.  However, there are several areas where providers differentiate themselves.  To help with the decision making process we thought we’d offer a how-to-guide on choosing your badge service. In next few articles we will look at different areas you should be concerned with, and how to approach making an informed decision on choosing your service.

Who are the people behind your badge?

The people servicing your account matter.  Whether they are in Customer Care, Sales, Technical Support or IT, they all have a direct impact on the quality of your service and quality of your experience.

Every company claims to have customer-centered business practices and employees who care about their customers.  Does every company have long-tenured employees who know dosimetry, know the needs of their customers, and more importantly know you?  At some point during your service with a company you will have questions about a form, an invoice, a lost badge etc – when you call in, being able to reach someone quickly and someone you know and have dealt with before is of paramount importance.

Company leadership matters as well.  Who are the people deciding how the company is run?  Are they long tenured dosimetry professionals whose primary motivation is your safety, care about your account?  Are they business executives driven by the bottom line who have to be concerned first and foremost about shareholder profits?

Who are the people behind your badge?  We suggest checking out http://www.radetco.com/aboutUs.aspx to learn more about RDC and how we can partner together.  Thank you for reading and stay tuned for part II.

RDC has received many phone calls and emails recently regarding protection for US citizens. RDC offers severals options which can be used by people:
1) wishing to monitor environmental radiation
2) who are traveling through Asia and would like to monitor their exposure

Please call our Sales Department @ 1-800-250-3314 Option 1 and we will speak with you regarding your concerns and find a solution for you.

Thank you for being pro-active in your desire to maintain you and your family’s health and safety and we look forward to speaking with you.

Warm Regards,

Barrie Laing

We listened and now on the main website, www.Radetco.com there is a button that you can click on that will allow you to share RDC through a number of different social media channels.

Keep the suggestions coming!

In the midst of what was again a trying year for many companies and families, RDC has our loyal customers, both new and seasoned to thank for our successful year.

We appreciate your loyalty, your continued patronage of RDC, and your input.  We look forward to serving you in 2011 and the years to come.

From all of us here at RDC, Thank you!RDC 2010 Thank you

In recent years, we at Radiation Detection Company have expanded our catalog to serve and equip the radiation protection community with wider array of choices, while always maintaining our trademark customer care. These products include the full line of Panasonic TLD Equipment, and the TASL System and Plastic for both Neutron and Radon detection. We now want to highlight one particular component of the Panasonic line; the ZP 145.

Many of you are familiar with our dosimetry service, provided via our passive, Panasonic 802 badge. Passive dosimetry provides an excellent dose record for auditing agencies and remains the standard for workplace Radiation monitoring. Another component of a comprehensive Radiation Protection Program is active dosimetry. Active dosimetry is not new to Industry, but it gains more prominence as the need grows for a more real-time view of potential threats to employees and customers/patients. To meet this growing need head-on, RDC presents the Panasonic ZP 145.

The ZP 145 is a lightweight, silicon diode based detector small enough to fit in your pocket, and ideal for measuring both gamma and x-ray energies. The device is equally adept at home, monitoring dose for personnel or for area monitoring. In addition, RDC also developed its own software to work in conjunction with the device, further strengthening its ability to provide value in your place of work. The ZP’s rugged design makes it an ideal product for any worksite, especially that of first responders, education and medical.

For more information on the ZP and ordering; please visit – www.Radetco.com

Also please view our video on Panasonic TLD.

To take advantage of this special holiday offer, please call our sales department at 1-800-250-3314 Option 1 or Fax in your order to 408-847-0216 with the words Holiday Special written at the top.  This offer is good through December 31, 2010.

We look forward to serving you this next year.  From all of us at RDC, we wish you and yours a safe and blessed Holiday Season.

With all we can say and show you about MyAccount, nothing substitutes personal investment. We encourage you to check it out yourself and make it a truly personal tool for device management. Click Here for more about MyAccount.

With the basics out of the way, how do you use MyAccount? We want to address some of the more common questions we hear on the phones and through our emails:

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: “How do I add a wearer, and/or a badge?”

1) To add a Wearer:

a) When in MyAccount, click on the “Wear Groups” tab, which is the third tab from the left.
b) Select the group you wish to add the new wearer in by clicking on the Group Number
c) Select “Add Wearer.”
d) Enter the data and click “Save to Finish.”

2) To add a badge:

a) For the new wearer just added, select which type of badge and wear location you want and click “Add This Badge.”
b) From the selectable options for when you receive this badge, please select the one which you need.
c) Once finished click “OK.”

Just by reading this, you’ve taken your first step into a more effective use of RDC’s MyAccount. We’re hopeful this marks only the beginning of your time with MyAccount.

Click Here to view our MyAccount Promotional Video as well as a Complete Interactive Tutorial. Thank you!

David Holden is a third generation RDC employee, tracing back all the way to the company’s founding by his grandfather, Francis. He currently serves as Vice President, head of Human Resources and Organizational Development. David started with the company full-time after graduating from Biola University with a degree in Business Administration and started in the Receiving Department, but was soon promoted to Customer Service Manager. Since then, David has played some role in most departments, including Dosimetry Operations, Sales and Production. His experience in all departments and growth through the company serves him well as he works with and on behalf of RDC’s employees.

Over the years, David has also grown into the role of Human Resources and, more recently, Organizational Development. Many of the current RDC managers have benefited from his mentorship at one time or another and he continues to be involved at the Managerial and Supervisor level with training, mentorship, etc. In his position as head of Organizational Development, David works at all levels to determine proper staffing, new competencies and skills development.

Ron Smith came to RDC in 1995 after over 17 years at Lockheed Martin in the Metrology Group and currently serves as Vice President, Technical Director and Radiation Safety Officer. Ron’s first post at RDC was as the IT Manager and was instrumental in the transformation of RDC’s then AS400 computer environment a NT based/client server. Since then, Ron has overseen the Tech Support, Reports QA, Shipping, and Film and TLD departments. One of Ron’s lasting contributions to RDC in his time with the company was as the Project Manager for RDC’s move from its facilities in Sunnyvale, CA to its new home in Gilroy.

It was in this role he designed the current facility, oversaw the construction, acted as liaison with NVLAP to ensure the safe transportation and implementation of RDC’s sources and radioactive materials and coordinated the move-in effort. In 2007 Ron was promoted to Technical Director and now oversees the entire RDC lab and technical staff. Whatever role he played at any given moment, Ron could be counted on to provide essential feedback and critique. At all times, he works to improve the quality of RDC’s products, but also at a more fundamental level, the makeup of RDC’s character.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our VP’s. We look forward to introducing you to our other managers and departments! Coming soon…FAQ # 3