Redefining Gas Supply: The Importance of Vendor Support in Laboratory Success

Picture this: You are in the midst of a critical experiment, and suddenly, a warning light on your gas generator begins to flash. You come to a stop as the blinking catches your attention and begin to contemplate your next steps. In these moments, your access to proper service and guidance can make all the difference. But what if you can’t get the help you need? The repercussions can be substantial, resulting in significant setbacks in terms of time, money, and resources. This is why it is essential to properly evaluate vendors, considering product quality and their dedication to customer satisfaction.

Assessing vendors is particularly important for gas supply, as it is the backbone of numerous experimental techniques. Pressurized gas cylinders are the traditional gas source in labs, but many lab managers have begun to favor gas generators. Gas generators produce consistently pure gas on demand and are more practical, cost-effective, safe, and sustainable. Ultimately, they eliminate the uncertainty and inconvenience associated with traditional gas supply methods, creating a stable and dependable long-term investment.

Choosing the right gas generator can be a difficult task without the guidance of a knowledgeable sales team, as these generators require tailored solutions. Dependability is also critical, as unplanned downtime can lead to financial losses and delays. This all hinges on the quality of the device and the quality of service and support the vendor offers.

Sales

Gas generators are not one-size-fits-all. The needs of a lab can vary significantly depending on their applications, gas type, and usage patterns. A vendor's sales team should consider all this when making product recommendations to ensure you’re investing in a solution that fits your operation.

When purchasing a nitrogen generator, a drug testing laboratory in Australia benefited from working with a vendor that prioritized their best interests. “The purchasing experience [with PEAK] was excellent. Our local country manager even went as far as to draw the desired layout to ensure a solution could be designed to fit within the existing space,” said a technical operations manager. Thanks to this level of attention to detail, the installation went smoothly within tight spatial and time constraints.

Once it is clear that the vendor’s device meets the lab’s requirements, the salesperson should clarify the costs, inclusions and exclusions, and delivery and installation timeline. Adela Dumitrascu, a research engineer at the University of Gothenburg, found these facts crucial to their decision when preparing for a year-long North Pole expedition.

Dumitrascu planned to have two gas chromatography systems onboard that would run 24/7 to analyze water, air, and ice cores. This would be problematic logistically due to budgeting and spatial requirements for gas cylinders. “I started to look for other options and found the gas generators from PEAK. The added benefit [to working with them] is that they offered us a fast delivery, just in time for the expedition,” said Dumitrascu. “… we got a quote immediately after our inquiry, and the delivery was really fast as well.” By working with a sales team that puts the customer first, Dumitrascu could feel confident that their equipment would arrive on time and work in their unique space. While working with a knowledgeable vendor is extremely helpful during a polar expedition, it is just as necessary for brick-and-mortar labs.

Service and support

The work you do with a vendor goes beyond the initial purchase—how you will ensure continued functionality and performance is equally crucial. After all, you want your investments to last as long as possible. For this to happen, the vendor should have options for preventative maintenance, timely service and repairs, and technical support.

With many moving parts, a gas generator must be maintained regularly to perform at its best. This maintenance is vital for Allen Jones, the program director of Students 2 Science. They use their gas generators to provide a complete laboratory experience for school students with the goal of motivating them to pursue a career in STEM. That’s why PEAK donated service plans for their nitrogen generators, allowing Jones to schedule a maintenance check-up. When the service engineer arrived, Jones realized the value of having a helpful and knowledgeable service team. “They advised me that the nitrogen generator maintenance could not be performed by the customer, and after seeing what went into the servicing, I have to agree…. The service engineer was very informative and explained what the components were and how they operated,” said Jones. Generators are the beating heart of a laboratory, so having a support plan in place gives people like Jones and his team peace of mind and an uninterrupted workflow.

Despite regular maintenance, even the most reliable equipment may encounter issues from time to time. When these problems arise, having access to prompt and effective technical support can be a game-changer. A vendor with a responsive support team can troubleshoot remotely, minimizing disruptions to your operations. However, when in-person servicing becomes necessary, you want a vendor that responds swiftly and possesses the expertise to resolve the problem effectively.

A high level of service made all the difference for a university teaching lab that encountered an issue post-installation. The lab began by contacting a technical support specialist who promptly provided some initial troubleshooting steps. When this didn’t work, the technical support specialist scheduled a video call to provide visual support, “which was great as it helped me learn much more about how the generator works,” said a laboratory technician. “When it was apparent we couldn’t resolve the issue, ... [a service] engineer was arranged within a few days.” This engineer not only provided a simple fix but also offered a comprehensive explanation of the problem. Upon reflection, the lab technician said, “Overall, even though there was … [an initial complication], the level of support from multiple people was amazing … it’s the little things, like listening to the investigation I [conducted] and taking that into account to prevent me [from] repeating steps.”

When choosing a gas generator vendor, it’s not just about the product—it’s about the entire package, including sales expertise, quality of service, and ongoing support. Their dedication to customer satisfaction and willingness to go above and beyond is what sets an exceptional vendor apart.

Partnering with PEAK Scientific

By choosing PEAK as your vendor, you are beginning a partnership founded on a mutual commitment to your success and satisfaction. PEAK prioritizes delivering high-quality, dependable gas generation solutions that are reinforced by world-class technical support and continual service excellence.

With a sales team that has sold over 60,000 generators worldwide in the last two decades, you can trust PEAK to help you find a solution that aligns with your lab’s needs. Post-purchase, PEAK remains committed to your satisfaction with a 12-month warranty and their PEAK Protected service plans, which offer varying levels of coverage. All plans include 24-hour technical support and remote visual support. With PEAK Visual Support, a technical support team member can remotely view your generator in real time, enabling them to diagnose any issues and guide you toward a resolution with minimal disruption—whether in the Arctic, busy in the classroom, or on another continent. If further assistance is needed, a field service engineer can be scheduled with a 72-hour on-site guarantee that can be expedited to 48 hours or less in select regions. PEAK’s field service engineers are fully trained and certified to provide you with top-quality service in over 20 countries, with a market-leading 95 percent first-time fix rate.

With PEAK, you are not just buying technology but the assurance that comes from having a truly local partner in your lab.

To learn more, visit www.peakscientific.com