How to Make Your Service Calls More Efficient

When your office printer goes down, productivity takes a hit. Staff members can’t print essential documents, deadlines get delayed, and frustration rises. If you’re responsible for getting that printer back up and running, you want the service call to be quick, smooth, and hassle-free.

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas, we’ve been working with printers for nearly 40 years and have completed thousands of service calls for businesses just like yours. We’ve seen firsthand what makes a service call efficient—and what causes unnecessary delays.

Related Reading: Who to Call for Service | Meet Our Service Team – Get to know the team that keeps your office running smoothly.

In this article, we’ll share four simple ways to make your service calls faster and easier, helping you minimize downtime and keep your office running smoothly.

1. Provide the Numeric Error Code When Reporting Jams

If your Xerox printer is jamming, you’ll often see a numeric code at the bottom of the display. This code isn’t just a random string of numbers—it’s a critical clue that helps technicians diagnose the issue before they even arrive.

By providing this code when placing a service call, the technician can pinpoint the affected area and ensure they bring the correct parts with them. This means they can fix your printer promptly instead of making multiple trips to retrieve necessary components. The result? Less downtime and a quicker resolution for your office.

Pro Tip: If you have a maintenance plan, service costs are lower, and supplies are automatically tracked to prevent unexpected printing disruptions. See how our maintenance plans can benefit your business.

2. Be Specific About Scan Issues

Not all scan problems are the same, and a little detail goes a long way. When reporting a scanning issue, consider:

• Is the top feeder jamming, preventing scans from going through?
• Are scan-to-email messages not being received?
• Does the printer display a failure message when scanning?

If the issue involves scan-to-email, your printer will likely print an error page explaining why the scan failed. Sharing this failure message with the help desk could allow them to walk you through a solution over the phone—getting your scanner back up and running without waiting for a technician to arrive.

3. Check if the Problem Affects Just One Computer or the Whole Office

When a printer won’t print, the problem may not be with the machine itself. If your office has multiple computers, take a moment to check:

• Is the issue happening to just one person, or is everyone affected?
• Can another user successfully print to the same machine?

If only one workstation is having trouble, the issue is likely a setting on that computer rather than a problem with the printer. In many cases, our support team can resolve these kinds of issues remotely—saving you the time and hassle of an on-site visit.

Related Reading: 4 Common Printer Service Questions (Solutions) – Get answers to the most frequent printer service issues.

4. Mention If You’ve Already Replaced a Supply Item

Copy and print quality issues are often caused by worn-out consumables like toner cartridges or imaging drums (CRUs). If you’ve already replaced a supply item and the problem persists, letting the service desk know will help the technician focus on other potential causes.

This simple step prevents redundant troubleshooting and ensures the technician arrives prepared to investigate deeper issues, leading to a faster resolution.

Related Reading: How to Order Supplies for Your Copier/Printer (Toner and Other Consumables) – Learn how to get the right supplies for your machine and avoid common toner issues.

A Lesson in the Importance of Details: The "Mouseterious" Service Call

We once received a service call from a customer who simply said, "The machine isn’t working." No further details were given. When our technician arrived, he found the printer completely powered off. As he powered it back on, a strange odor filled the air. The longer the machine warmed up, the worse the smell became.

After removing some covers, he discovered the culprit: a very small, very dead mouse in the fuser area. The office staff was just as horrified (and amused) as we were. One of them even quipped, “I thought the odor was mouseterious!”

Had the customer mentioned the smell when placing the service call, our technician could have suspected a fuser issue and brought a replacement part. Instead, the resolution was delayed while we ordered a new fuser. This experience highlights the importance of sharing key details—no matter how small they may seem.

Track Service Calls & Place Requests 24/7 with Our Customer Portal

Making your service calls more efficient isn’t just about getting your printer fixed—it’s about saving time, minimizing downtime, and keeping your office running smoothly. By providing error codes, giving detailed descriptions of issues, checking whether the problem is office-wide, and mentioning replaced supplies, you can help technicians diagnose and resolve problems faster.

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas, we’re committed to making your service experience as seamless as possible. The next time you need support, a little extra detail can make a big difference in getting your office back to full speed.

Need assistance? Contact us today, and let’s get your office equipment running smoothly again!

Want an even easier way to manage service calls? Sign up for our Customer Portal to track and request service 24/7.