Just as Aristotle said centuries ago, “Quality is not an act, it’s a habit.”
You’ve seen lists like this before.
The web is overflowing with videos and blogs that offer headlines like “9 Daily Habits of Highly Effective Leaders” or “23 Habits any Entrepreneur Must Exercise.” Peruse any business section of a bookstore and you will find more of the same.
Just like any business professional in his or her workday, copier companies make similar conscious decisions that affect not only their success but also their reputation among industry peers and customers. From employee training to annual business plans, to go-to-market philosophies, their success (and your satisfaction as a client) ties directly to their habits.
How well has your technology partner paid solid mind to how you work and operate? What your objectives are? What you value as a business? These are important questions to consider as you make the key decisions on how you utilize technology … and who you trust to make solution recommendations.
In other words, what type of habits do they demonstrate? Just as Aristotle said centuries ago, “Quality is not an act, it’s a habit.”
5 Habits of a Highly Effective Copier Company
1. They’re Adaptable.
Business needs change over time. It’s just a reality. Even within the most trusted technology vendor/client relationship, a failure to actively engage and adapt to changing organizational dynamics (department additions, additional locations, downsizing) can disrupt not just how technology is utilized, but how services are delivered.
Right-sizing your fleet should be given constant consideration. Any device consolidation, addition, or modification, should move seamlessly with your billing and your ongoing service delivery. Speaking of billing: Billing accuracy is a metric as crucial as a service response/resolution time. How accurate is your provider? Furthermore, invoicing structure is never a "one size fits all" scenario. Do you need your invoices customized by location? Do you have the necessary accounting codes you need to be included? Are your invoices keeping up with device movement/addition/removal?
2. They’re Well Trained.
Simply stating you provide superior service and support is not good enough today. Every vendor says it, but until you experience it, you really can’t be sure.
Technician expertise doesn’t occur without proper training. Manufacturer distinctions such as Canon’s ATSP certification require literally hundreds of hours of hands-on and online training. The job function-based exams are designed to measure both the knowledge and the demonstration of the skills that are required in real-world settings for a support professional against a set of standards for competency and performance.
3. They Fulfill Your Consumable Needs.
Fulfillment is a big deal when you’ve got an important job to run.
Are you often stuck with no toner? Or ... you've got an entire closet full of toner boxes, with no one to manage them? By automating low toner alerts across your entire fleet, your necessary replacement supplies can be shipped to your location before the untimely business interruption. You also eliminate the need to manage and store large, diverse onsite supply inventories.
4. They’re Ready to Review.
Does your specified account manager only walk through the doors when you scream for resolution?
Meetings shouldn't simply be about resolving issues - they should be about discovering new opportunities. How regularly do you sit down with your rep to evaluate service metrics, discuss structural or business changes, and measure your overall satisfaction with your technology solution?
It should be regularly.
5. They Take Ownership.
Taking ownership over your total cost of technology ownership is huge.
Ongoing costs pertaining to your print fleet – from operational to network infrastructure to maintenance and more – are all costs that must be accounted for the entire lifecycle of the equipment. Does your provider aid in the understanding of these costs? What about ways to actually improve these costs?
The bottom line is the bottom line. And improving your total cost of technology ownership should be an overriding priority for any true technology partner.
“Quality is not an act, it’s a habit.”
Are you satisfied with your copier company's quality? They should exhibit the habits that sustain a partnership well beyond the point of sale. That begins with understanding the true needs of your organization, what it values, and what its objectives are. It continues with a relentless, ongoing commitment to engaging and paying mind to how those needs, values, and objectives change.
At Datamax, through expertise, execution, and a whole lot of enthusiasm, we have a habit of Creating Raving Fans. Click below to visit with a technology specialist!
