Has CSI considered allowing on-line purchasing of products?
I make on-line purchases frequently from sensor suppliers such as Omega. For example, from their site I can specify a thermocouple probe type, length, (even custom lengths) type of connector, quantity and shipping details. This works very well for me as I am often making these purchases off-hours and the process to fill the order starts right away.
I know it may not work for everything as there are options, lead times, etc. to consider, but for simpler items, making an on-line credit card purchase would be useful.
To take it one step further, I would like to be able to purchase software on-line and be able to download it immediately. There are times, such as right now, tonight, I would like to have engineers in the field be able to do that.
* Last updated by: rlwoell on 9/18/2008 @ 12:57 AM *
Hello RLWoell,
We have considered on-line purchasing of our products, but we're not quite there yet. One of the biggest obstacles, as you have noted, is that configuring a system can be complex.
We have put a couple of things in place that we hope helps in this regard. It's not on-line purchasing, but perhaps it simplifies the process for smaller orders:
(1) Quick Quotes - You can request a quote for a product via our web site. The response is generated automatically and the quote makes it back to you quickly. We do review the quotes, however. If the quote contains more than a few items, we may make additional contact with you to ensure the information provided meets your needs and the products selected fit your application.
(2) Software Trial Versions - With the release of RTDAQ 1.0 earlier this year we launched our first full-featured datalogger support package that offers a trial version. This fully functioning trial lets you install the software and try it for 30 days. The other goal of our trial versions is to facilitate a way to get the software into your hands quickly. You can install the trial and begin using it while you await the receipt of your software CD from CSI. This is currently implemented for RTDAQ only, but we plan to offer trial versions for other future software releases (including our next version of LoggerNet).
Thank you for your comments. We appreciate feedback on how we can make working with our products easier.