I need some supplies for my lab. Standard stuff, nothing special, but stuff I haven't ordered before. I go to some place like VWR.com and type in a search term, and when it comes up with 36 hits, none of which have pictures, I feel a bit paralyzed. I do my best to try to figure out what it is that I need, and manage somehow. Sometimes I get it way wrong.
No, I don't have a tech. I have to order everything myself and spend the time shopping around if I want the best price. Moreover, my order volume is so low I constantly forget my passwords to the e-ordering wesites. I order maybe once a year.
This is going to shock you: I miss those annoying reps that used to make a nuisance of themselves at my previous institutions. At least I could ask questions if I had any, and often they had samples. NO ONE comes to our Tiny U for drop-ins. When I was setting up my lab, I called a rep and requested they come by. That was really helpful. :)
So the next time one of those perky beautiful people poke their head in your lab, just send them over :)
Oh my god, me too (even though I work at a large research university)! All of the websites are horrible. Our on campus "stores" thing has some stuff, but they just have a number for (frex) "small gloves" (Which are invariably called something "GLVSMBX100") but WHICH small gloves they are carrying varies from week to week. So I generally order straight from Fisher or somewhere, but as soon as I find tubes that I really like, they discontinue them and offer a "replacement" that lacks all of the things I liked about the original.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course I can't place my orders directly. I have to FAX(!) them to the research office who then TYPE THEM BACK INTO THE COMPUTER! (No room for error there!