As I write this post, I’m thrilled to report that Samtec was just ranked #1 in The Bishop and Associates European Customer Survey of the Electronic Connector Industry. This is the ninth (9th) time we are #1 in the European Survey.
Even though this is an accomplishment we’re incredibly proud of and honored to receive, we’re not here to be obnoxious and stroke our egos. We’re here to make your life easier and provide the best interconnect products, service and support in the industry. That said, here’s the details:
The Survey
Bishop and Associates, a connector industry consulting firm, regularly conducts its “Customer Surveys Of The Electronic Connector Industry” in the United States and Europe. These surveys are among the most comprehensive and important connector industry reports published. They rank what attributes are important to OEMs, CEMs, and distributors when selecting connector companies, and they compare their perceptions of 40+ top connector manufacturers.
The OEMs surveyed are in a variety of industries, including communications, consumer, industrial controls, automotive and transportation, computer/peripheral, government/military, medical, and test and measurement, to name a few.
Samtec Results
For the ninth (9th) time , Samtec was ranked #1 in The Bishop and Associates European Customer Survey of the Electronic Connector Industry. Samtec received the highest overall rating of the 43 connector companies surveyed. Key results for Samtec include:
- Samtec ranked overall #1
- Samtec ranked #1 by Engineering
- Samtec ranked #1 is usefulness of website
- Samtec ranked #1 in ease of finding the connector product needed on the web site
- Samtec ranked #1 in availability of technical documentation on web site
- Samtec ranked #1 in satisfaction in placing orders online
- Samtec ranked #1 in ability to meet requested delivery dates
- Samtec ranked #1 in ability to meet promised ship dates
- Samtec ranked #1 in order lead times
- Samtec ranked #1 in completeness and ease-of-use of catalog
- Samtec ranked #1 in providing product samples
BTW, we have been ranked #1 in the North America Survey 15 times.
How did I do? Hopefully it was factual without sounding like hyperbole?
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still awake, the following are answers to a few frequently asked questions about this survey:
Bishop and Associates started the US survey in 1995. Samtec has been ranked #1 in 15 of the last 16 surveys (we were #2 in 2009, but I don’t want to talk about that …). We were not listed in the first survey but we received a high write-in vote. This led the people at Bishop and Associates to ask us to participate in the next survey, and we have since that time.
Bishop conducted the first European survey in 2001. They have conducted 10 European surveys, and Samtec has been ranked #1 in nine of them.
The Web Stands Out
Samtec was ranked #1 in all web-related survey questions.
While some companies seem to go out of the way to lock down many useful aspects of their website, Samtec.com is built with you in mind.
At any hour of the day you can access virtually any catalog page, print, footprint, 3D model for simulation (SPICE and Touchstone), PADs and OrCAD libraries, high speed characterization report, mechanical report, application note, and white paper, to name a few.
All of this is available without even logging in.
A True Service Focus
Just about everybody says their company is dedicated to customer service. Well, everybody except cable TV executives that is, but I digress.
Samtec is a company that was truly founded on service. In the mid-1970s Sam Shine was a VP of the former Robinson Nugent, and saw an opportunity to build a connector company on service – no minimum order quantities, no long lead times, no unexpected gold price increases (gold was recently deregulated in those days), quick delivery of samples, answering the phone in two rings (there was no internet at the time), and knowledgeable customer service reps, among others.
We called it Sudden Service. While the size of the company, product offering, and even definition of service have all expanded, the original formula still works:
“Provide superior customer service, treat associates with respect, and make them owners and partners in success.” That formula might sound simple, but if it were easy, others would be doing it too.