Can’t Get No (Customer) Satisfaction? You Can With Equashield

As the old saying goes, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold.” Customer retention is deemed as key in long turn company success. Concurrently, the only people likely to thank you for providing poor customer service will be your fiercest competitors.

Nowhere is this truer than in the medical device industry and at no time has this been more significant than today:

Global MedTech revenue is expected to reach $522 billion by 2022 and a slew of companies great and small are eager for a slice of the pie, or to increase the size of their existing lot. The more modest Closed System Transfer Device (CSTD) market is projected to grow in double digits — an upward trend which has seen more players entering the game for an increasingly crowded market place. Competition is fierce.

At the same time, today’s consumers waste no time in voicing their grievances online via Google, Twitter and any number of review websites and social media platforms. With negative online reviews encouraging 94% of potential customers to avoid a business, enterprises cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to customer satisfaction.

At Equashield, we have always been confident with the efficacy of our product — our flagship device, the EQUASHIELD CSTD, has received international acclaim for medical excellence and product design. But how much did our customers appreciate this and — more importantly — was it enough to maintain their loyalty? To find out, we canvassed some 200 existing Equashield customers to ascertain what is needed for medical device vendors to gain and maintain their customer base. Here is what we learned:

1. Quality Counts

Our CSTD has been specifically designed to provide our customers — primarily hospital pharmacists and oncology nurses — with the highest level of protection against hazardous (chemotherapy) drugs. Contrary to many competing products, our CSTD is a truly closed system — and perhaps the most closed system on the market. Key innovations include a fully closed syringe barrel with built-in pressure equalization system, a closed metal plunger to prevent leakage from the back of the syringe and dry connectors to ensure no drug residue can escape between transfers. It is thus no surprise that the vast majority of respondents believe the EQUASHIELD CSTD to be safer than alternative devices.

2. Ease of Use

The innovations detailed above would be redundant if our products were not accessible to all users. From the compounding pharmacist to the administering nurse, time is of the essence, which is why we prioritized easy functionality in terms of the device’s efficiency and simplicity. Our syringes come pre-assembled and connect to drug vials with a “one-click” single motion. Fast flow and quick disconnect means the entire process, from unpackaging to IV infusion can take place in less than 37 seconds! Accordingly, 80% of our customers’ overall satisfaction was driven primarily by our system’s ease of use.

3. Sales Team Approach

A company is only as good as the people it employs. In a competitive market, it is essential that sales teams provide the gold standard in customer service, to both maintain customers’ loyalty and increase the likelihood of their recommendations. 88% of our customers expressed their willingness to recommend Equashield, driven primarily by both our product value and our sales/clinical teams’ approach. A glance at just some of their responses, reveals all:

· Equashield employs high-quality individuals → 99% agree
· Equashield’s clinical team are knowledgeable in the field → 99% agree
· Equashield customer service reps are available when needed → 97% agree
· Equashield’s sales team takes the time to fully understand my needs → 96% agree

The results speak for themselves and the conclusion is simple: the efficacy of a product, while integral, can only take a business so far. The difference between owning a first-class company — not merely a first-class product — is a diligent and dedicated team who are there for your customers. After all, a satisfied customer is also a returning one.