Copiers are not the cheapest office utilities. Getting the wrong device can cause huge financial problems. According to a study by CB Insights, one of the primary 20 reasons that businesses fail due to a lack of cash. That’s where a copier service provider for your business becomes necessary to offload some of your printing-related administration.
However, with the number of copier service providers at your disposal, choosing the best one for you might be challenging. Therefore, to reduce your stress, this article will give tips for choosing the best provider for your business.
But before going to that, let’s consider why you must be careful about choosing the best provider.
Why You Need to Choose the Right Copier Service Provider
Businesses cannot afford to make wrong decisions, especially regarding huge investments like selecting a copier service provider. This is because businesses have been known to fail due to issues with working capital. And in a competitive business world, you need to make sure you are constantly making the best decision for your business.
As established earlier, copiers are expensive. But besides that, maintaining them doesn’t come cheap. So, you need a company that would provide you your money’s worth with the product and the service.
You don’t want your copier constantly failing on you when you are preparing to submit a bid or a company that is nowhere to be found when you need them. This is why you must consider the following factors before committing to a copier service provider.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Copier Service Provider
There are five main factors you should take into account when browsing for copier service providers.
Expertise
One of the first things to consider is the expertise of the company. Like all machines, copiers break down at some point, and you need to make sure you can rely on your vendor’s expertise.
A company that doesn’t invest in its employees is not the best company to work with. You need one whose technicians are well-trained and experienced. You don’t want to waste time with technicians who need to consult the books to get your machine running again. They should be able to diagnose the problem and provide a solution immediately.
Location
Service providers who provide on-site service should be at your beck and call. Therefore, they need to be local. Of course, the definition of local would depend on where and how you conduct your business. But whatever the case, what is clear is that you need a company that doesn’t have to travel a long distance to get to you.
That would affect the kind of service they could provide as they would be unable to respond swiftly to your call when you need them to. And sometimes, you might require a swift response if your machine breaks down during an emergency.
Response Time
It is one thing for the company to be in your locality, and it is another thing for them to respond as swiftly as you need them to. Therefore, you should not just go for a provider in your city or within a certain mile of your company. You need one that also responds as quickly as possible.
Typically, a service provider should contact you within 30 minutes of your initial request and should be able to get to you in less than 2 hours. You can ask for their response time before signing a contract with them. But you must also watch out for their response during the sales process or read reviews for more information.
Maintenance Contracts
A maintenance contract is something that more businesses need to pay attention to. The overall financial cost of a copier machine is not limited to the initial purchase cost. Maintenance and repair costs are also inclusive.
Unfortunately, there is no way to know that cost before time. So, get a maintenance contract to avoid going over the budget of your company’s maintenance expenses.
A maintenance contract is a set amount you pay monthly to your service provider to cover every service you require for the month. That way, you can have a more regulated amount to pay that is included in your budget. While paying on a contract might seem like it’s putting money down the drain compared to straight up just buying a copier yourself, it avoids unexpected costs.
So, you need to request and include this when choosing a copier service provider for your business.
Customer Service and Satisfaction
You need to work with the right people constantly, and this includes your vendors. Some vendors have the expertise but, unfortunately, lack the right attitude. It is frustrating working with those kind of vendors.
You need vendors that reassure you – even during the most frustrating periods with your machine – that they will get it running soon. And they’d do it with a smile on their face. You need to make sure your providers have employees who care about satisfying and making you happy.
This is also something to watch out for during conversations during the sale process. Were they willing to answer your questions patiently? And did they attend to your requests swiftly and pleasantly? That might be a good sign of great customer service. You can also check reviews to hear what others are saying about them.
Choose the Right Copier Provider
The best vendors to work with are those that consider you a strategic partner and not simply a client to make a profit from. This is the only way to get vendors that care about your business’s success and receive customized solutions for your specific business needs. You also get a partner willing to offer flexible services per your business growth or change.
The right copier service provider would save your business many resources that would otherwise be wasted with a wrong decision. With the right vendor, you can be assured an efficient and quality service necessary for your business’ productivity.
Thankfully, if you are in New York, Totowa, Pennsauken, Edison, or Fort Washington, you don’t have to look too far. Docutrend is the best fit for any copier service you might need. Contact Docutrend today to learn about the available solutions and services.