Jochen Dietel

Jochen, could you tell us a little about yourself and your journey to Comet X-ray?

Sure. I studied medical device design, and after finishing university, I started working at Feinfocus, the original manufacturer of the open X-ray tube. After about ten years of working as a service engineer and service manager in the medical field, a group from FineFocus started Phoenix X-ray, which later became part of GE and now Waygate. After some time, we separated, and Comet approached me since they had bought Fine Focus in the meantime and asked if I wanted to return. That's when I started working for Comet in 2006.

What is your role at TCS, and how do you collaborate with other teams to support customers?

I'm in technical customer support - TCS. My role is to help customers who cannot resolve issues. I provide support via email, phone, or, when necessary, through on-site visits. I work closely with the TCS team in Europe and the R&D and software departments. I can reach out to whoever I need for information, and of course, Paul Lukaniec in Shelton is also a valuable contact. "We react as soon as we are informed. The sooner the customer contacts us, the better."

Can you tell us about a recent challenge you've worked on and how you handled it?

The most significant recent challenge involved a newly installed system where multiple components failed. The customer replaced one defective component, but the issue wasn't resolved. It was challenging because sometimes our customers don't have the manpower to independently follow up on complex issues. The failure involved the interface controller and the power cells, both of which are critical. The interface controller is the system's "heart," and the power cells generate the power. If they fail, the system shuts down. This caused a complete production stop, and they had no alternative but to discontinue operations.

How quickly were you able to respond to the breakdown?

I, TCS, responded as soon as I found out. The challenge is often communicating the issue – we react as soon as we are informed. The sooner the customer contacts us, the better.

What motivates you in your role, and what aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

Supporting our customers and ensuring our products perform well motivates me. I enjoy working internationally and helping our colleagues across Asia and other regions. Of course, there's the financial motivation, but I genuinely enjoy the job.

What are you most excited about for the future in this industry?

I'm excited to learn more about our products and better support customers, especially with our evolving systems. I look forward to working with newer products like the Xplorer Cube and Compact systems. These constant improvements keep things interesting.

Thank you, Jochen.