While researching and evaluating all the places you can purchase a copier/printer, you happened to stumble upon us, Strategic Technology Partners of Texas (STPT).
You might have an idea of what products/services we offer at this point, but are we the right fit for your copier needs?
While we do believe we can solve most customer’s printing problems, not every customer will be the best fit for us.
After investigation, we discovered our current customers had five stress points in common when they first migrated to our company. These five stress points are what we solve best, creating the perfect customer-vendor relationship.
This article explains the five elements of an ideal customer that we look for to ensure we will be a good fit for your needs. If you resonate with all or most of the points below, we are likely a match made in heaven.
1. You’re tired of using cheap machines and want to invest in a quality MFP.
Is your $100 printer from Wal-Mart failing to sufficiently satisfy your business printing needs?
If you’re nodding, you’re not alone. Printers bought from retail giants like Wal-Mart or Amazon are not intended for business use.
Retail bought printers are designed for personal use. Using them for anything more will lead to premature service issues.
Retail bought printers seem affordable because of the inexpensive initial cost, but they are more costly to own.
The cost per print will cost you more than a multifunction printer (MFP) that you buy from a copier vendor. Retail printers break down if you overwork them, and service is next to impossible to find.
Not to mention, the time and money spent on expensive consumables such as ink or toner make owning a desktop printer challenging.
If you’ve realized that a desktop printer is not getting the job done, or maybe your business has recently expanded, it may be time to invest in a high-quality commercial MFP.
Commercial MFPs are sold by copier vendors and are designed for business use.
While commercial MFPs are an investment, it doesn’t have to break the bank. If you are a small-medium sized business, there are plenty of affordable option available.
However, if you are used to $100-$200 printers from Wal-Mart, our copiers may seem expensive. If this is the case, leasing will likely be the best option for your company; this breaks the cost of the machine, service, and toner into an affordable monthly payment.
Related reading: Leasing vs. Purchasing: Which is right for your business?
The bottom line is, investing in a quality copier may cost more upfront, but ensuring your office and staff members reach maximum productivity will save you time and money in the long run.
2. You have printing needs that exceed personal use.
As discussed above, printers from retail giants are intended for personal use.
If you are a business of any kind or print a decent amount from your home office, you should be looking to invest in a commercial copier.
Attempting to use a retail printer for business needs leads to overprinting, which will cause service issues. Overprinting is a common mistake we see people make with their office equipment.
Commercial MFPs are built for higher volume, ensuring you don’t fall victim to overprinting.
When deciding which MFP is right for you, a business consultant will discuss what your current printing volume is, finishing options or additional productivity apps desired, and how many employees will be using the machine to ensure you purchase the model that matches your specific business needs.
Related reading: What’s my current printing volume?
3. You're looking for a machine with additional productivity features.
One of the many benefits of investing in a high-quality machine is most of the newer models have touch screen interfaces with an app gallery filled with tools to help increase your productivity and streamline business processes.
Features and apps available depend on the brand of copier you buy. We promote and stand behind Xerox machines because they provide cutting-edge and modern office solutions. For other copier brands, research the added features and tools to ensure you have all the information needed to make the best decision for your business.
Related reading: The four main differences between Xerox and Canon
A few of our favorite productivity apps in the Xerox app gallery are:
- Xerox Translator App: Translate your document from one language to another in seconds
- eFax: cut down on faxing costs by switching to a virtual fax
- Audio documents: Turn lengthy documents into an audio file and listen on the go
There are also apps for the education environment, such as Remark Test Grading, Connect for Blackboard, Proofreader app, and more!
There are also apps for other markets such as legal and healthcare.
If you do decide to invest in a Xerox machine, be sure to check the app gallery frequently. New apps get added almost every month.
4. You're tired of handling service repairs by yourself.
Printers bought from retail giants, such as Amazon or Staples, are built to be replaced, not fixed.
If you start to experience service issues with your retail bought machine, it will be hard to find a service technician.
If you happen to find a technician, it will likely be expensive, and the issue will soon arise again.
Commercial bought MFPs come with the option to add a service agreement/maintenance plan.
If you’re leasing your machine, the maintenance plan is automatically included.
If you’re purchasing outright, we strongly recommend adding the maintenance plan.
Whether leasing or purchasing, the added convenience of having one phone number to call with issues or questions is well worth the investment.
What does a maintenance plan provide?
Maintenance plans ensure owning/leasing a copier is hassle-free.
You’ll have access to:
- Highly tenured and local service technicians
- Immediate phone support
- The assurance that you will always have a working machine
- Automatic toner shipments
Maintenance plans provide convenience, service, and toner at an affordable monthly price.
For the maintenance plan, one should budget about $12 base payment plus your cost per copy each month.
For more information, we recommend checking out our article in our Learning Center that addresses the total cost of owning/leasing a commercial copier.
5. You are tired of searching and purchasing expensive toner and other consumables.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, quality machines from copier vendors provide maintenance plans that atomically ship toner to your doorstep as needed.
Maintenance plans eliminate the stress of running out of toner and having to rush to purchase more. There is nothing worse than running out of toner or ink in the middle of a busy workday.
By themselves, toner or ink can get expensive, whereas the maintenance plan allows for manageable monthly payments.
The maintenance plan uses the highest quality toner available, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toner. This way, you can feel confident that your toner will produce high-quality prints.
Additionally, OEM toner will print high-quality prints until it has completely run out, then it stops completely. Meaning, you don’t have to stress about faded or poor-quality print jobs.
For other consumables, such as drums or fusers, you can give as a call and we will have them shipped to you.
To learn more about the maintenance plans and the auto toner shipment process, read these articles next:
- Auto Toner Shipments Explained | What Is On-Hand Balance?
- 5 Problems with Your Auto Toner Systems & How to Avoid Them
- 4 Different Types of Printer Toners & How to Choose
Next steps:
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely still in the research phase on your journey to buying a copier/printer.
Our Learning Center is a perfect place for you to explore and learn more about multifunction printers and other services such as print management software.
When you started researching, you might not have expected much effort went into purchasing a copier, when in fact, there are many things to consider. Investing in a copier that doesn’t meet your business needs might hurt your business in the future while investing in a copier that provides more power and features than your small business needs could cost you more money than it’s worth.
Make sure, when you’re ready, to discuss further with a business consultant before purchase to ensure you get the right MFP for your specific needs.
