When a junior scientist - graduate student or postdoc - starts working the end of his contract seems very far away. In all cases (my experience relates to 30+ supervised PhD theses) the end of this period comes in sight much quicker than anticipated both by the junior as by the supervisor. So you have to be very efficient with your time.

Experimental
If you are performing experiments you need to use equipment. New equipment has to be bought, failing equipment has to repaired - with or without guarantee, obsolete apparatuses have to be upgraded, consumables have to be ordered. If you are not careful, persistent - if not stubborn - much of your time is wasted by waiting for companies to act. Long delivery times are often the case and companies tend not to keep the promised delivery date. Company representatives do not have to finish their PhD. But you have to.

Contact with a company by phone
Companies like to communicate by phone. That way of communication is most flexible for them and bad for you. Phone calls do not leave anything tangible on the desk of the company’s representative who is handling your case. If problems arise company officials will invariably tell you a totally different version of this very phone call than you remember yourself.

Right way: fax + possibly email
All communication with a company should be done by fax. Avoid calling them. Confirm any phone call from them - I really mean any - by sending them a fax in which you summarize the content of this recent phone call. Include in this confirmation the names of the company people you talked to. Fax communication is not obsolete. It is fast. In many cases legally binding (as companies are legally expected to keep log records) and tangible. Sending your complaint to a company in the form of a fax does wonders. It sits on somebody’s desk, and remains there until your problem is solved. In case of dispute your fax is there - with content and date of receipt. As soon as the company employees realize that this is your way of communication they will treat you with more respect than they normally do.

You can occasionally use email, but then always cc. to some higher-up managers in the company. If your message really matters use fax instead. If the company answers your fax by phoning you, send them afterwards a new fax in which you summarize the phone call.

Delivery times
Negotiating short delivery times is more important than low prices (convince your group leader of this). Inquire with the company about what it would cost extra to shorten the delivery time. If the extra cost is reasonable go for it. Try to negotiate a sizeable penalty if the company would not deliver in time. Put in the purchase order the agreements you made on guarantee and on on-site repair times.

Do not wait until the delivery time has passed, to find out there will be a delay. If for instance the delivery time for something you ordered is 8 weeks, send the firm a fax after six weeks in which you tell them you are anxious to receive the equipment in two weeks. I will bet that your warning fax will cause alarm bells to ring at the company.

They should not like you, they should respect you
In many cases you work in a large institute and you are part of a large network. Make clear to the company that you will advertise their service to your colleagues if it is good, but that - if their service is lousy - you will also make this known in your environment. If they perform well, indeed show your gratitude by telling your colleagues. Under all circumstances be polite, but at the same time keep your distance. Prevent a situation to occur where the conversation between company representatives and you is on a first-name basis. You are the customer and they have to sell something to you. Cut any conversation where they want to explain to you why they failed. That is their problem. Do not show any consideration with those problems.

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