"Christie is recognized for having one of the best warranty programs in the industry", Carlos Lachica

From his responsibility as field application enginneer in the Christie office for Spain and Portugal, based in Madrid, Carlos Lachica explains in this interview not only his work around technical training for customers and partners, In addition to supporting commercials, Perform product demonstrations and provide technical support, but the keys and the importance of after-sales service as a success factor in the market.

What exactly is the work of field application enginneer in an audiovisual multinational like Christie?

My mission is to technically train our clients to get the best out of their Christie equipment, in addition to training the service level to the SATs of our CTP partners (Certified Technical Partners). I also carry out technical support and I do pre-sales work and support to the commercials, as well as advice to our clients on different audiovisual solutions.

How is this broad activity reflected in the day-to-day running of the company??

You can't say it's a monotonous job. Every day you encounter different situations, It depends on whether you were traveling or in the office, where I usually support customers and make product demos to partners and end users. Outside the office I usually attend international fairs in Europe, internal trainings at any of our EMEA or Canadian locations, Installation Support, In addition to making visits to our customers.

At the fairs we attend -ISE and IBC in Amsterdam, Broadcast in Madrid, CineEurope in Barcelona, as well as film festivals such as Cannes, Etc.- I am dedicated to the installation and calibration of the equipment we exhibit, as well as commercial support.

One of Christie's hallmarks is its after-sales service, What is the added value they offer to their customers in Spain and Portugal?

Mainly the proximity to the end customer. I think that giving technical support and training in Spanish is very comfortable for Spanish customers, who also greatly value the fact that we have an office in Spain with technical service and demonstration and training rooms. This makes us understand them better and gives them confidence in the brand.. They also appreciate the quick response we offer them when they need us..

What are these training programs offered by the company??

They are free courses that are aimed at our partners and integrators to offer them technical training on new products and teach them creative ways to use them.. Practical knowledge is critical to the growth of the industry and, As technology becomes more sophisticated and the scope for creativity grows, Education becomes a priority that technology providers like us must lead.

We also periodically hold open days to present new products in our offices and those of our partners.. On the other hand, at our headquarters in Madrid we have a demo room that is permanently open to Christie partners for their own use.

How is the warranty program structured for your products??

For most products it's three years in parts and labor.. Not all manufacturers can offer this long period, although the fundamental difference is to be able to repair the equipment in Spain without having to send it to third countries. But also, for LCD and 1DLP products, If the drive fails in the first year, We replace it directly with a new, which is sent to the customer the day after their claim. That is why Christie is recognized worldwide for having one of the best warranty programs in the industry..

In this case, Are all spare parts available in Spain?

Yes. We have a stock of spare parts in all our offices around the world, that we share when they are needed in other countries. Normally, If we do not have stock of a piece, We received it the next day.

How is the technical support that Christie offers from its office in Madrid structured??

Among others, Give solutions to doubts, Diagnose faults remotely, offer repair advice to our partner SAT network and perform on-site repairs. Our partners also work as official technical service of the brand.

CTP partners can do the same job as any Christie engineer (Except for some exceptions), while the ASC (Approved Service Centre), In addition to the above, has in its facilities a stock of Christie spare parts that we manage from our headquarters for EMEA, located in Wokingham (England).

And as far as maintenance work is concerned??

Christie offers all its customers and partners contracts for preventive maintenance and emergency actions. These contracts can be made through partners or directly with the end customer, depending on the type of installation.

When installing one of your products, Does your department participate with partners and integrators??

In Spain, Most of the time it is enough to advise and help a little during the development process of the projects. Thanks to the training we give, Our partners and integrators are autonomous when it comes to carrying out all types of installations. Even so, Christie offers this type of services to provide support and advice in facilities.

What facilities or projects, both for the technology supplied and for its uniqueness, would stand out in its responsibility of participation?

The videowall of Antena News 3, consisting of 33 Christie Whole Led rear-projection cubes 50 Inch, which even today remains the largest screen in Europe in the broadcast sector. As well as the facilities of World Duty Free Group (WDFG) at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat airports with Christie MicroTiles.

He has spent six years as a field application enginneer in Christie's office for Spain and Portugal, What has been your contribution before joining this company??

I worked at EPC, a rental company of equipment and audiovisual material for cinema and television, which is the official representative of Panavision in Spain and Portugal. I was also in Elenco Audiovision, One of our current clients in the rental sector. Previously I did a five-year higher professional training in communications electronics in Granada, and then I studied three years of technical telecommunications engineering at the University of Malaga.

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