Preparation: Checking and editing delivery addresses
Customers can edit the delivery address on their customer number. It is a good idea to check the delivery addresses periodically, at the latest when placing orders, so that the packages reach their destination smoothly.
If needed, it is a good idea to check the correctness of the address and any delivery agreements you may have with the delivery suppliers so that the delivery is done correctly and to the right place. You can find the delivery address directly from My contact information under the Administration menu.
If your delivery address changes, edit the information directly to the existing address by clicking the pencil icon at the end of the line. This way, you ensure that the new address is updated for all orders already placed. Adding several separate delivery addresses is not preferred if there is no concrete need for them.
Execution: Placing orders
Remember to place your 2025 orders by the end of November! This way, we can enable participation for all who wish, also for the first rounds of the year. Participation is also possible in the middle of the year, but it might be possible only for some of the rounds.
When using the copy orders feature, remember to check and edit the order if necessary! The order is copied from the previous year as it is, so make the needed additions for all the rounds you want. Also, check delivery and billing addresses. Remember to deliver the required information promptly, such as PO numbers.
Double-check: Reviewing the orders
Up-to-date orders are always available from LabScala! You can view placed orders in various ways with different information and views. A quick view of the most recently placed orders, links to the list of orders, and the calendar view can be found immediately on the front page in the left column at the bottom. You can also find the order listing in the My Orders menu at the link bar. To view the order in-depth, click on the order number.
The calendar view of the orders opens a table of the round months of the ordered products in a visual format, where you can also easily find the number of sample sets ordered. You can get the calendar view directly from the front page or by clicking at the bottom of the Order list view.
Please note that the LabScala view might be limited due to a user-level configuration. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service.
5850 Brucella antibodies
Brucella antibodies have previously been in Labquality’s portfolio but had to be discontinued due to problems with good-quality sample availability. The problem has been solved, and the program will return in 2025. It will be available twice a year (March and September).
The scheme contains two liquid plasma or serum samples, 0,5 ml each, and the examinations are Brucella IgG, IgM and total antibodies.
5687 HBsAg and HCVAb POCT
2755 Holotranscobalamin (HoloTC) and Methylmalonic Acid
The scheme is ideal for laboratories having active B12-vitamin screening in their test selection. Several studies support holoTC measurement as a first-line diagnostic test and suggest that holoTC may be the earliest marker for B12 depletion. The scheme is suitable for different assays.
The pilot will be run in autumn 2024, and the report should be available by the end of the year. The scheme will be available twice (in May and September) in 2025. The scheme contains two lyophilized serum samples.
5251 Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis - whole blood sample
The new whole blood sample brings external quality assessment closer to the actual laboratory process. Apart from sample collection, all the steps from sample handling to clinical interpretation are the same as with patient samples. As the scheme is available only once a year (May), it is recommended that participants participate in 5250 Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis for more frequent (4 times) evaluation.
The scheme contains 2 Li-heparin whole blood samples from a single donor.
Note: EQA samples must be aliquoted into test-specific tubes (not provided) within 48 hours of phlebotomy. The sample provider sends the samples directly to the participating laboratories. By placing the order for this round, the participants consent to Labquality transferring their contact information to the sample provider for shipping purposes.
5686 Norovirus, antigen detection
The scheme for Norovirus Ag (POC) is finally available in 2025, as it has been requested for a few years. The pilot will be run in the fall of 2024, and the reports should be available by the end of the year.
The scheme contains three simulated swab samples for Norovirus antigen detection, genogroups GI and GII. The frequency is four times per year. We will run the pilot during the autumn of 2024, and the report should be available at the end of 2024.
Introducing the sales and customer service team
External quality assessment services should be easy for the laboratory to use and provide information to support the laboratory’s quality management. If everything goes well, the laboratory will only see the visible parts of the service: samples, the user interface for result reporting, and EQA reports.
Labquality has over 50 years of experience as an EQA provider, but despite how well the service process is designed, there’s a chance for the customers to get confused at some point, or something might go unexpectedly wrong. When an EQA sample is missing or damaged, there are problems in result reporting, or the EQA report is not completely clear, the top feeling is confusion or frustration. This is when a professional and service-oriented customer service agent gets the customer back on track, leaving a positive memory trace and enhancing the customer experience.
Providing external quality assessment services is more than sending samples and publishing reports. Communication with participants, seeking feedback, and having procedures for handling complaints are signs of a good EQA service provider and a requirement of the ISO/IEC 17043:2023 standard. Customer service typically handles advice, answers questions, finds solutions and resolves complaints.
Nowadays, global service providers in any industry have adapted various software tools to help customer service with growing customers and service requests. Task management tools help sort, coordinate, and follow up on requests, and traditional phone service centres can work as a live chat or even on social media. Many have invested in the latest entrant in customer service – chatbots, to provide pre-programmed answers to simple problems. The most significant advantages of chatbots for customers are promptness and scalability. Still, despite being increasingly advanced, chatbots can’t and will never be able to handle all the tasks human service agents have done.
Empathy, situational awareness and adaptability are needed when dealing with frustrated customers or solving complex problems. The ideal would be to combine a bot’s effectiveness and scalability into a human touch. So far, Labquality’s customer service is carried out entirely by service-oriented laboratory professionals, either by Labquality or local partners abroad. We receive and handle 14,000 emails annually, so a well-managed process is needed to deliver the service quickly and professionally.
