Behind the Scenes: Supporting Our Handicap Vans
Posted by Justin on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009I once had the opportunity to work with mechanics responsible for maintenance and repair of mobility products used at Disney Land in Anaheim, California. To say the least, it was an interesting experience seeing how things worked in the “back lot.” It really opens your eyes to how much goes into giving people a good experience and those who work behind the scenes to provide it.
"MSE" = Mobility Service Excellence
The same is true at BraunAbility. From the folks designing and manufacturing our products, to those in sales and support, there is a lot that goes on in our “back lot.” And of course, our dealer network is also a big part of this. By working together, BraunAbility and our dealers constantly strive to provide a good experience for you, our customers. Part of this is technical service training, something I can speak to personally. To give a little insight on what happens behind closed doors, we are completely revamping our dealer technical training for 2009. Using new technology and a series of live service schools at our corporate headquarters, we will be able to pass important knowledge on to our dealers’ technicians about the latest service techniques for our wheelchair vans and wheelchair lifts. The amount of time and money invested by us and our dealers for training is enormous and serves one purpose: to keep you moving.
To give you an idea of the extent of our training program, we plan on certifying another 250 to 300 of our dealers’ technicians this year through several live service schools we hold at our corporate headquarters in Winamac, Indiana. Several hundred more will receive training online through live web casts and other media. We also have “road warriors” here at BraunAbility who spend most of their time out in the field. They put on both large and small training sessions for dealers and commercial customers throughout the year.
In 2009, we will most likely meet or exceed our training numbers for 2008 – that number was 3,358 mechanics, supervisors and drivers trained in all 50 states and several foreign countries! What does this mean to you? Whether you drive one of our handicap vans or use one of our wheel chair lifts, you can expect quality service almost anywhere your travels take you. If you need to locate a BraunAbility dealer, just call 1-800-THE-LIFT or click here.
Tags: service, Wheelchair Lifts, Wheelchair Vans
March 5th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
i WAS TOLD THAT I COULD PUT A LIFT HALF WAY DOWN AND RUN A WHEELCHAIR OFF LIKE A BIG STEP.IN AN EMERGENCY. THIS MANUEVER DOESN`T LOOK TOO SAFE TO ME.WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE GOT HURT OR KILLED DOING THIS? WHO`S GOING TO GET SUED,DRIVER?THE TRAINER WHO TOLD US TO DO THIS? OR THE LIFT MFG. i WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BRAUN LIFTS RECOMMENDS THIS MANUVER.THANKS BRIAN
March 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Brian,
Slap whoever told you that on the wrist. That is NOT a recommended way to exit the vehicle in case of an emergency. Each lift we manufacture has a manual backup system that can be used in case of a loss of electrical power. Using the lift electrically, or with the backup system are the only proper ways to operate the lift (and exit the vehicle). Your point about that seeming dangerous is correct and no trainer, dealer, or Braun representative should recommend operating the lift in this fashion.
May 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I have a 1998 handicap van with a Braun UVL that has worked fine for the past 11 years. I’m getting to buy a new van and wheelchair lift and I’d like to continue with the Braun UVL. I noticed that you now have a “Inboard Roll Stop” on your lifts. The UVL that I have doesn’t have that and I’ve not had any problems in all these years. Can I still have a new UVL installed without the “Inboard Roll Stop”, or is this now a requirement? My UVL actually comes out of the cassette below the vehicle and comes right up to the inside platform of the van with only a 1-2 inch space… I’d like to continue with this… I also don’t have a threshold sensor mat as I’ve never had a need for one. Is that an optional item as well?
I’d appreciate your input… Thanks
May 7th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Chet,
I am glad you questioned this new system on the UVL (now NUVL) lifts. We no longer produce any NUVL without the inboard roll stop. It sounds like things have worked well for you and your lift over the years but I think you will find this item an improvement over the older models. The disadvantage of the way your lift works currently is that you may notice that when the lift raises to vehicle floor level when you are on the platform, and you move into your vehicle, the platform will raise up slightly when the weight is taken off of it. This causes an inconsistent gap between the floor and platform. You’re lift also has to power in towards the floor when it reaches it’s full “up” travel. By adding an inboard barrier, we no longer have to worry about any gaps or transition problems because the barrier acts as a transition plate that fully unfolds on the floor of your vehicle. We can also make the lift more reliable because having the inner barrier allows us to eliminate the micro switch and harness responsible for powering the platform into the van floor.
The threshold sensor mat is actually a federal requirement, so we cannot get around that. It will activate an alarm anytime the lift is deployed and below vehicle floor level.
From a technical standpoint, I have been very pleased with what we have been able to do in regards to improvements on the UVL. We have had to add a few more safety items per the federal regulations, but the overall reliability of the lift has increased from the old days. Please let us know if you have any other questions!