Tag: Copier Repair

What’s Wrong With a Straight Commission Sales Job?

    If you’re going to buy a copy machine, you may have heard a lot of different terms thrown around, like new, used, remanufactured, and refurbished. Not knowing the difference between these terms can dramatically affect how much you pay for your copier. Read on to learn the difference between a refurbished copier and a used copier.NewYou probably know this one already, but a new copier is brand new, and comes directly from an authorized channel, like a dealer. The phrase “authorized channel” sounds pretty fancy, but all it really means is that the manufacturer’s representative receives commission on the sale. Just like a new car, new copiers lose a lot of value as soon as they “leave the lot.” Generally if you want a brand new copier, your best and most inexpensive option is through a copier leasing program rather than outright buying it.RefurbishedRefurbished copy machines have been audited, cleaned, tested, and updated by a third party (not the manufacturer). Most refurbished copiers have been used less than three months as rated by their respective manufacturer’s recommended monthly usage tables, and come with a “same as brand new” warranty. Best of all, these copiers are sold at discount levels up to 75% off MSRP. If you choose this option, just make sure that the company you buy from as a good reputation and an A-rating with the Better Business Bureau.RemanufacturedManufacturers sell refurbished copiers too, but they like to call them remanufactured, which means the copy machine was refurbished by the manufacturer itself and not a third party. Remanufacturing means that the manufacturer tested and updated the equipment. As with the refurbished copiers, these copy machines are usually have less than three months of use, and have been acquired from off-lease contracts, sales demos, short term rentals and/or corporate downsizingUsedUsed generally refers to a copy machine that is being sold without any repairs, updates, cleaning and limited testing. When you see a copier sold as used, without a warranty, most likely you’re getting it “as-is” and should be aware of the risk you are taking. Some unscrupulous companies might sell copy machines as “used” that should actually be sold for parts.For the best deal on a copy machine for your business or office, your best choice may be a remanufactured or refurbished copier that comes with a warranty. That way you are spending a lot less money while still benefiting from the protection of a warranty.

• Copier Sales 
• Copier Repair Service
• Laser Printer Sales 
• Laser Printer Repair Service

Copier & Laser Printer Brands We Service & Support

XEROX • CANON • BROTHER • HP • KYOCERA • RICOH • KONICA MINOLTA • COPYSTAR • SAMSUNG • SHARP • MOST OTHER MAJOR BRANDS

Welcome to the final part of our three part series on service contracts. This article covers service contracts on laser printers. Laser printer maintenance contracts are similar to copier service contracts. Most laser printer service contracts are billed by cost per print. It is essentially the same thing as cost per copy. Each time you print a page the internal meter clicks. On a printer you can get the page count or meter reading by printing a configuration page. Then, each month or quarter an invoice is generated by multiplying the cost per page by the total prints made. The cost per page is determined by monthly volume, age of machine and environment. Environment plays a big part because if it is in a dirty environment it will need possibly twice as much service than a machine in a clean environment.Service contracts are really similar to an insurance policy. They may or may not save you money. The good part is that your costs are fixed, so you will know how much per year you will spend instead of hoping it won’t break down too much or have a serious or really expensive part break. There are many ways of paying for a service contract. It depends on the way you and your company would like to be billed. Most service companies offer monthly, quarterly and annual billing.Total Cost ManagementThere is an explosion of service companies providing this way of tracking all of the costs associated with your copiers and printers. It is called “Total Cost Management.” Most if not all copiers, MFP’s and printers can be monitored on your network with revolutionary print management software. You are able to track your total pages or copies. You can monitor toner low warnings, error codes, paper jams, and everything associated with your machine. This software can help you calculate how much you are paying for the total ownership of all of your equipment. This is very helpful when purchasing new equipment. The software will help you figure all the costs of your equipment, toner, parts, supplies and service.CoverageUnderstanding what is covered and what is not covered is very important to find out before you purchase a service contract. Does the contract include supplies? Some supply items are toner and maintenance kits. Find out what hours the service company is available and days of the week that they operate. Which holidays do they take off? What is their response time? Most service contracts do not cover abuse or neglect. So be cautious with those paper clips and staples as they can cause an expensive repair and it probably won’t be covered. Get all of this in writing then there will not be any surprises.Which Type of Contract?Choose an all inclusive service contract that covers everything such as parts, labor, maintenance kits and supplies. Or choose a contract that only covers parts and labor.Color Laser PrintersService contracts on full color laser printers are essentially the same except that you will be paying for a color print or a black and white print. Pricing varies, but you will be paying about 9-10 times more per print for color than for black and white. If you have ever purchased toner for a color printer you know that color toner is more expensive.ConclusionThis concludes our article series on service contracts for Copiers, Fax machines and Laser Printers. My purpose for writing this series was to help shed some light on shopping for service contracts for companies that have never purchased one or are in the process of purchasing a service contract. Each service company will have different options but for the most part they all bill their maintenance contracts as described in my series.    

• Copiers & Laser Printers