I recently received a phone call from a fellow in Iowa who was having some difficulties with his present coolant and was looking for help. As the conversation developed, I realized he was frustrated, primarily because he had no one to talk with about coolants. I discovered he was buying coolant from a company that never serviced his area and pretty much just left him hanging. To me, this is an embarrassment for the entire coolant industry. Customers deserve better than this.
You see, a great coolant company provides more than just acceptable-quality coolant in a drum. They should be providing the customer with the product PLUS excellent customer service that helps the customer succeed with the use of the product.
But what about our friend from Iowa? Much to my surprise, even though he was having problems with his current supplier, he was reluctant to try something new. When I asked him why, he said, “I have tried so many different things over the years without much satisfaction. The truth of the matter is that I just don’t have a way to track a coolant test.”
I shared what a full-service coolant manufacturer could (and should) do. The sales team could bring samples to him at no cost, then monitor the coolant from the time it was first placed into service until he was pleased with the coolant’s performance. Then, once the product had proven itself, they should return routinely to monitor the systems and make recommendations to continually improve coolant performance.
Product plus excellent customer service should be the norm. He also asked an interesting question that stuck in my mind. “What should I expect from my coolant?”
You should expect your coolant to contain the following:
A lubricant—to make your tools work better. This is usually oil or an oil-substitute synthetic compound.
Rust preventatives—to inhibit rust on the parts you are machining.
Biocide—something to control biological growth.
Foam suppressant—included in many coolants.
Now let me share some “secret” ingredients that are often left out. If you are dealing with a great coolant company, every drum or gallon you purchase should include the following.
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Consistency
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Reliability
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Peace of mind
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Confidence
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Satisfaction
Consistency (from a chemical standpoint) this means that the mix of ingredients is the same from batch to batch. When you finally find a product that works well for you, you don’t want the supplier changing anything. You should also expect and get consistency in performance from your supplier. Your supplier should be able to make suggestions on how to best use the coolant for optimum performance. He should offer information regarding each product’s limitations and offer suggestions on improving your operation.
Reliability means that if you are told a product will perform a certain way, you are not disappointed when you use it. Simply, you get what you expected. I stress this with our sales team. “Tell the customer exactly what you will do to help him and then do exactly what you said.” This is the essence of customer service.
Peace of mind might be difficult to squeeze into a drum but it certainly should be there when you use the product. This means working with a coolant company that is so strongly focused on your satisfaction that they literally partner with you and help you succeed. When you get peace of mind in your coolant, you can direct more of your attention toward running your business. Frankly, you should never have to worry about your coolant.
Confidence doesn’t come overnight. When I think of this I am reminded of first learning how to ride a bike—very shaky at first and then, with time, knowing what to expect. It’s not that there aren’t bumps in the road. It’s managing to get around those bumps and steer in the right direction. Then, eventually, we are able to jump on the bike and ride without a second thought.
After doing business with the same coolant supplier for a time you should have confidence in their ability to help you overcome concerns, answer questions and certainly depend on them to help improve your operation. If this is not the case with your present coolant supplier, it may be time to make a change.
Satisfaction is so important that songs have been written about it. What this means is that everyone who uses a product from his or her coolant supplier must be totally pleased with that product’s performance. If they aren’t, the supplier should be willing to work with them to resolve any concern, replace the product at their own (the supplier’s) expense or simply refund 100% of their money.
What should you expect in a drum of coolant? Your supplier’s obligation to you should be to provide all the ingredients needed for your metal machining success. If even one of those ingredients is missing, then the product will not perform as it truly should. It may be time to look for another supplier.
This article originally appeared in Shop Talk magazine in August of 2007. Shop Talk is published
by Magellan Publishing.
