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

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

What exactly does the work of a field application engineer consist of in an audiovisual multinational like Christie??

My mission is to technically train our clients so that they can get the best out of their Christie equipment., in addition to training the SAT of our CTP partners at the service level (Certified Technical Partners). I also provide technical support and do pre-sales and support for salespeople., as well as advice to our clients on different audiovisual solutions.

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

It cannot be said that it is a monotonous job.. Every day you encounter different situations, It depends on whether you are traveling or in the office., where I usually provide technical support to clients and carry out product demos to partners and end users. Outside of the office I usually attend international fairs in Europe., internal trainings at any of our EMEA or Canadian offices, installation support, in addition to visiting our clients.

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

One of Christie's hallmarks is its after-sales service., What is the added value you offer to your clients in Spain and Portugal?

Mainly the proximity to the end customer. I think that providing technical support and training in Spanish is very comfortable for Spanish clients., 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 when they need us.

What do the training programs offered by the company consist of??

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 essential for the growth of the industry and, as technology becomes more sophisticated and the scope of 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 your product warranty program structured??

For most products it is three years on parts and labor. Not all manufacturers can offer this long period, although the fundamental difference is being able to repair the equipment in Spain without having to send it to third countries. But also, for LCD and 1DLP products, if the unit fails in the first year, we replace it directly with a new one, 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??

Yeah. 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 SAT network of partners and carry out on-site repairs. Our partners also function as the brand's official technical service..

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

And as far as maintenance work is concerned??

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

When the installation of one of your products is carried out, 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 project development process.. Thanks to the training we give, Our partners and integrators are autonomous when carrying out all types of installations. Even so, Christie offers this type of services to provide support and advice on installations..

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

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

He has been a field application engineer in the Christie office for Spain and Portugal for six years, What has been your contribution before joining this company??

I worked at EPC, a rental company of equipment and audiovisual material for film and television, who is the official representative of Panavision in Spain and Portugal. I was also in Cast 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.