3 Tips to Manage a Service Program for a “Serviceless” Printing Fleet

Why Should You Use New Printer Technology?

There is a big difference between how OEMs have made their products over the last few years. These days, most desktop and workgroup models are sold as “serviceless.” Newer printers come with new technologies, like ink that costs only one cent per page for black and one cent for color, and high-speed, low-cost multifunction hardware that costs less than $500. It’s clear that this makes the business case for repair a lot weaker than it used to be.

These are three good reasons to use this new technology, along with some tips on how to use service management software to your advantage.

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1. Is it better for the customer to fix the printer or get a new one?

Now there is no right or wrong answer, so it’s a trick question. It’s not necessary to get rid of a good laser printer when a $200 maintenance kit will keep it running for another 100,000 pages. The customer may not have had the same goals when they bought it in 2007, though. Back then, there weren’t any cheap desktop MFPs that could print in color. Now there are. What should the customer do? Should they stick with the black-and-white laser or choose a color MFP with more features?

2. Have you talked to your customer?

For example, just because a device isn’t working right doesn’t mean that you should try to sell your customer more hardware. When you “talk” to a customer, you should talk about whether or not the device should be fixed or replaced. If you already have the account, this is a great conversation. If the client insists that you fix everything, then things stay the same, and at least you gave them a choice.

Making sure your customer has the right choices

You can give them more than one choice if they ask for your opinion on what is best. This gives every dealership what they’ve always wanted: the power to recommend the best hardware for each customer and get rid of devices that don’t work right or are causing problems. This is a simple guide:

• All hardware that is 12 years old or more needs to be replaced.
• Get rid of all hardware that is more than a certain page volume old.
• Ask the customer if they want to replace hardware that is the same or if they want to upgrade (from mono to color to multifunction).

Someone else might have “the talk” and you might not, putting you in a tough spot. From a strategic point of view, using the information in your Miracle Service system can help you. Using this information will help you show that you have the skills and knowledge to give good advice, which will make people trust you as an advisor. This helps people trust you and keeps competitors from getting into your business relationships.

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3. Make things simple for both you and your customer

Giving your customers a list of the hardware they should keep, replace, or get rid of if page volumes are low makes it easy for them to make a choice. The customer will feel confident that you are taking care of their fleet and are on top of things.

There is no way to completely get rid of the need for service, but a good way to get customers interested in new hardware is to use information about current fleet service. A service management program can help you handle the fleets of your customers better.

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How Miracle Service can help you run your fleet better

With Miracle Service, it’s easy to see a list of all the devices that are linked to each of your accounts, along with information about their service history and how many pages they’ve used. This information is a great place to start talking about how you will service your accounts in the future. Check out how Miracle Service can help your service company. Feel free to email us at sales@miracleservice.com or set up a demo right now.