Have you ever struggled to get printing supplies, like toner or ink, for your printer?
If you have, then you understand that reordering printing supplies are a hassle. Most of the time, you don’t even know you’re running low until you’re completely out and navigating the toner aisle at the nearest office equipment store can be intimidating or sometimes even impossible.
Xerox has a program, called eConcierge, that is designed to take the guesswork out of measuring supply levels, assisting you in reordering supplies and providing you with a resource for free service calls as you desire.
As a Xerox Platinum Status Solutions partner, we want to answer your most pressing questions about Xerox eConcierge, including how it works, how it can benefit your company, eligibility requirements and costs.
What Is Xerox eConcierge?
eConcierge is the name of a Xerox supply and service program that allows users to keep track of their toner and supply levels, reorder supplies when needed, as well as receive free service and repairs for their Xerox devices.
It’s an all-encompassing program that is free to download for Xerox customers with eligible machines. It covers all supplies for your printer—toner, ink, fusers, drums, etc. There’s a lot to go over, and we will go over the eligibility requirements later on, but let’s first talk about how eConcierge works:
How Does Xerox eConcierge Work?
Xerox eConcierge works by first downloading the Supplies Assistant app, which is a desktop application that will be your basis for receiving the services offered by the program. It will alert you when supply levels are low and serves as an online medium for ordering supplies.
For eConcierge to be able to read the supply levels on your printers, the Supplies Assistant app is downloaded onto a desktop computer that is connected to the same network as the desired machines. The printers on the network will be automatically added to the app unless you choose to add them manually.
When your supply levels are low, the Supplies Assistant app will automatically notify designated office personnel and provide them with a link to purchase more printer supplies.
With the desktop app, the status of your machines and their levels can be checked at any time, and with a secure password-protected interface, you can manage, reorder, or view your machines whenever it’s most convenient.
Are There Any System Requirements?
According to Xerox, the eConcierge Supplies Assistant app is typically installed on the PC of the person assigned to monitor and order supplies, and “the computer must be turned on during normal business hours to facilitate printer status updates, but the user is not required to be logged into the application to receive status alerts.”
This makes it so you don’t need to have the app running constantly in the background and can have peace of mind knowing you’ll be notified of any important changes or updates.
For the computer to be compatible with the Xerox eConcierge Supplies Assistant app, it must have at least Windows 10 or the current version of Mac OS, and at least 120MB RAM (70MB application, and 50MB for monitoring service).
Am I Eligible for Xerox eConcierge?
Eligibility for Xerox eConcierge depends largely on what type of Xerox machine you have and when you bought it.
Most of the smaller Xerox machines and the VersaLink Family of machines are eligible to enroll in the program.
If you are already under a managed print services agreement, you will not be eligible for Xerox’s eConcierge program.
Does Xerox eConcierge Cost Money?
The Xerox eConcierge program itself does not cost money. As long as you have an eligible Xerox machine and are not under a managed print services agreement, it is free to enroll.
However, you do still have to pay for your supplies, with a credit card, for each shipment you order. Read our blog over the cost of printer/copier supplies to see estimates for how much you can expect to pay for items like toner, ink and paper.
Do You Get Free Printer Service with Xerox eConcierge?
In the first section describing what Xerox eConcierge is, we mentioned that the program can also come with free printer service calls and repairs.
However, this depends on if you meet the program’s requirements to gain free service. Here are the requirements listed by Xerox:
“Your Xerox® printer is eligible to earn free service if it is enrolled within the initial one-year warranty period (or if a Xerox Service Extension was purchased, within the period of the extension). Once enrolled, activate your free service benefit simply by ordering two eligible supply items for each qualifying Xerox® printer.
To maintain free service coverage for each eligible Xerox® product simply continue to place supply orders through the Xerox eConcierge® service. Eligibility will continue until your Xerox® printer is 5 years old or until service support for your printer model is discontinued. Xerox reserves the right to discontinue the service coverage for a specific model at any time.”
If you qualify for free service, it’s something you should absolutely do, as service repairs can be costly and hard to find. Read our blog on the cost of printer service to learn more.
How Can Xerox eConcierge Benefit Your Company?
The Xerox eConcierge program comes with multiple benefits, some of which we’ve already touched upon.
But let’s sum up some of the main benefits that come with the program so you can see a full overview of what it can do as a supply and service solution:
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Offers you a free online program to get your supplies ordered at the right time.
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Includes free service calls and repairs for issues related to your printer if you qualify.
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Can monitor your other-branded printers’ supply levels (can only order supplies for Xerox machines, though)
Xerox’s eConcierge program is a great option for people that bought their machine in cash (not lease) and don’t want to pay monthly for a maintenance plan. You have to order supplies anyways; you might as well get the free service and easier supply reordering.
Being able to easily check toner levels makes a world of difference for whoever is in charge of monitoring supplies, and instead of having to search for the correct toner or part number, you can simply select which supply item is low and purchase another.
Xerox’s eConcierge program is designed to eliminate the time it takes to find and order supplies for your printer and allows you and your employees to focus on other endeavors that are more important to your business’s goals.
Is Xerox eConcierge Secure?
The last point we want to touch on in this article is the security measures put in place for the eConcierge program.
The Supplies Assistant desktop app, the place that monitors your supply levels, uses SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) communications protocol to discover and identify printers on the network.
The basic information about your printers, such as IP addresses and supply levels, are exchanged between the external Xerox server and the Supplies Assistant app through a 128-bit encrypted, HTTPS, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection.
Need Help Getting Started With Xerox eConcierge?
One of the most frustrating parts about owning a printer is buying supplies on your own. It is one of the major areas of consumer overspending and it takes time to find the right supply item for your machine.
Xerox eConcierge is a solid program, free to enroll in, that should be looked into by those that are eligible for it. It can save you a lot of time, and money, on buying supplies and/or finding service for your printer.
Since we partner with Xerox, we would be happy to walk you through the steps it takes to set up the eConcierge program in your workplace.
Just reach out to us and one of our team members will get back to you to walk you through the next steps.
