The Datamax Thinking Blog

The numbers detailed below will say a lot about the level of service you can expect (and subsequent downtime), capabilities in applying technology to your business needs, and frankly just how well they take care of their clients. 

It's always good to know your numbers.

When you lease or purchase your next copier or printer, you're likely entering into a long-term relationship with a provider; and not all copier companies are created equal.  Beneath conversations about speeds and feeds, lease details, onboarding logistics, and in some cases, gimmicks and slick advertising pitches, there are some hard numbers that cut through the fat and help you make the right decision.

Resolution should be the target metric for service providers because it reveals a technician’s know-how and the resources available to him or her to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.

Let’s face it, your copier, printer, or Multifunction Printer WILL need service.

Even at the efficiency at which today’s MFPs operate, the need for drum, feed tire, or fuser replacement is essentially inevitable. Anyone who’s purchased appliances, TV/Phone/ Internet Services, or a vehicle knows that the quality of service tied to that product can make (or break) your experience long-term.

The imaging industry is not immune to the flurry of all-too-often heard clichés from technicians, from administrative staff, and remote support teams.

They’ve become an unfortunate, painful ear sore in today’s customer service experience: The tired, frustrating service cliché.

• “Sorry, but it’s our policy.”
• “Let me transfer you to another department.”
• “Our technician’s having issues on another call. We’ll need to reschedule for another day.”

Thought-leading communication is shared. Key decisions are made. Innovations change the game entirely. But to borrow a tired, old advertising cliché, the customer must still come first.

We can learn a lot from our own history, as well as those around us. It’s true in politics, in pop culture, and certainly in business.

Reputable technology partners don’t just talk a big game. They measure their performance constantly. And then they prove it on the course by sharing a variety of valuable, game-changing metrics with you, the client.

Tiger Woods’ emotional victory at the Master’s Sunday was a seminal moment in American sports history.

The emotional moments following his final putt – from the family embraces to the chants of “Tiger!” from the crowd - swept the sports world with a comeback story for the ages. Perhaps lost in this dramatic vignette over the weekend were the tireless hours that went into fine-tuning his mechanics day by day, shot by shot. And using technology to his advantage.

"My current vendor doesn't understand that just showing up on time isn't enough." - Davin G., IT Director

Legendary NCAA Basketball coach John Wooden once said “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Known as the “practice coach,” Wooden was notorious for focusing on intricate details of “the process” —not just the game itself. His teams practiced everything: Putting their socks on correctly to avoid blisters, how to carry oneself before and after a game.

“Since the burden of requesting service is mine, my vendor isn’t managing much — let alone my account.” — Jene T., IT Director

The late folk country singer Guy Clark, a Monahans, TX native, once noted: “You look out over the West Texans plains, and you can see 50 miles. Stand on a tuna can, you can see for 100.”

For organizations managing a large fleet of copiers and printers, you need 100-mile visibility of your provider's service and support methodologies. Rather than being confronted with a series of storms on the road in front of you (increased downtime, communication issues, inaccurate billing) you should expect clear visibility up front from your technology partner.

We're out of toner again. Everybody seems to be waiting on someone else - or me." - Stephen M., Purchasing Manager

It’s called “The Wall,” and for good reason.

When a marathon runner – generally around mile 20 – fails to replenish his or her internal glycogen stores throughout the race, their body “bonks” into sudden fatigue.  The legs – depleted of all energy – wobble to a halt. The mind begins to shut down. Some runners even collapse.

Replenishment is a key factor to endurance.  In the duration of a workday, your copier is the workhorse athlete of your office’s workflow, running consistently at full speed to copy, scan, fax or print your critical documents promptly. If you unexpectedly run out toner, your device is down. And you’re down, too.

Before you begin asking “When can I expect a technician” and “When will my issue be resolved,” a few key questions will shine a light on just how prompt and ultimately effective your copier service might be moving forward.

There’s an old Bizarro comic strip showing an older man leaning up against the Patient Registration desk at a doctor’s office. “I’ve been waiting for 20 minutes!” he scolds the receptionist.

“Down the hall. You want ‘impatient registration’” the woman replies.

Comedy aside, customers today are tired of waiting.

As the landscape changes, so do business needs. It’s a technology partner’s obligation to maintain an open dialogue, to listen intently, and provide complete transparency on documented expectations and business-building strategies. 

In my time as a Solutions Sales Specialist, I played a lot of  “20 Questions.”

My steady stream of inquiries to clients had a strategic intent. The client's answers provided key nuggets of information for:

• digging into client current (and future) needs 
• discovering operational challenges 
• planting new seeds of opportunity 
• ensuring expectations were being met at all times

If there was a gap between my client's perception and reality, it was my job to stand in it.