I would like to thank Design-engine.com and Bart Brejcha for asking me to write to you again.  I had several replies and interest in my last article on Rapid Prototypes. 

Models Plus has been a busy place this past year and we are looking forward to what 2003 has in store for us.  You might ask, “How can that be when everyone is worried about loosing his or her job or slowing down to almost a crawl?”  You can call it luck or a blessing from God I guess, but I like to call it great customer service.  If you were wondering what it takes to keep busy, I would have to say that for us, it is because of the service we have given our clients and the respect they have for our company.  Our clients know that when they call us to have a project done they will get it on time, for a good price and they won’t have to worry about the quality of the job.  Our clients know us by name, by face, and by product quality.  When we finish a job for someone, who delivers the job?  I do!  I don’t call a messenger or throw it in a FedEx overnight box. No!  I drop it off myself.  I want to see their face when they see the finished project.  I want to be there to answer any questions they may have, and if something is not right, tell them how I can fix it.  I once got up at 5am in Chicago to hand deliver a job to a client of ours in Iowa.  That is great Customer Service!

Our industry is product development.  Remember when you develop your product - you are someone’s product. Make it a great product and people will notice you and how hard you work for them.  Be convenient for them.  Why do you go out and buy that $400 Palm organizer?  You buy the product because it will make your life easier and more efficient.  It is convenience in your hand. 

That is what we need to be.  We need to be convenient for our customers.  That is what Models Plus has done.  Rarely will you call our office during normal business hours and get an answering machine or voice mail service.  We do have an answering machine, but during the day I answer the phone.  Our clients also have our cell phone numbers in case of a last minute change or something that needs to be done right away that they need to talk to us about.  We are available.  We are convenient for them. 

Another way we provide great service for our clients is with our keen eye for detail.  We have hired the right people that can do the best job in a certain area of product development.  Whether it be molding, painting, sculpting, CNC programming, vacuum forming, 3D data, or project management, we have the right person for the job.  We also have industrial designers in house working as model makers.  They enjoy building the product, rather than designing it.  We have an eye for design.  We can interpret the designers’ drawings better and understand what they are trying to do within a design.  We can catch problem areas in a design before it turns into a problem for production.  This can save our clients money and a big headache down the road.  I am not saying that we catch every single thing, but we try our best to catch what we can.  Wouldn’t you rather have a designer checking your part rather than a machinist who may not know the first thing about design?  We speak our clients’ language.  Again, another reason why we are Models PLUS!  You get more than just a model shop.

We continue to grow year after year with our clients.  As they get busier, so do we.  We need to be able to keep up with them so we hire more people, buy more machines, and invest in ourselves for the good of our clients. This allows us to continue providing our great customer service. The clients that have been with us from day one know where we came from and have seen the growth.  Growth is good!  It means you are doing your job right and as long as you continue to do a good job and are honest with your clients, they will stay true to you. 

I am excited to be a part of this company.  I have been here for almost six years and can see the growth.  It is fun to be a part of something like this.  Not many people have fun at their job.  I can honestly say that I do.  When you have a great company that provides a great service to be proud of, it is easy to go to work in the morning.  Give us a call and a chance to show you what it is like to work with and grow with a great company with a great attitude, and great service. We are willing to go the extra mile and take care of you like no one else. *

Eric Schultz

Models Plus, Inc. * Grayslake, IL * 847-231-4300 work or 847-456-8735 cell