By most standards, Cleburne County Library is a small public library. But its value to the community couldn't be larger. 

Situated just east of Greers Ferry Lake, the area’s major tourist attraction, the library provides valuable resources that many residents simply can’t find elsewhere in the immediate area.

There’s an abundance of kids programming. It’s the only place in town where the public can access computers and printers at no cost. People apply for jobs on the computers; elderly residents familiarize themselves with technology here.

And, with the facility’s new wide format printer, residents can print signs, banners or posters at a quarter to a third of the cost they would elsewhere. Technology plays a key role in these services.

Director Zac Cothren wears many hats at the library (along with its branch locations): Accountant, Human Resources, IT, Supervisor, etc. When technology companies approach him about solutions or services, he’s seeking a trusted partnership, someone who can deliver real value to his organization, so he can get back to the other dozen tasks in front of him.

“I’m always looking for ways to make my job more efficient,” he says. “I don’t have time to stay on top of technology. We needed someone to help us make those technology selections, to keep equipment up and running with as much speed as possible.”

The Cold Call

The first time Little Rock Account Executive Julie Robinson reached out to Cothren, it was a cold call, and he was extremely busy. At the time, he told her he had no technology needs and that he was happy with his current provider. 

Julie was back in the area a couple of weeks later, so she stopped in again. This time, Cothren walked her around the facility, showed her the copiers and the overall layout, and the two discussed what improvements in both price and functionality would be possible with Datamax. Though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to fit an upgrade into the budget cycle, Cothren did have one key take away.

“After our talk, I realized just how outdated our machines had become,” he says. “Julie never seemed put out with my questions. With Julie’s help, I began to realize that we were paying too much for poor quality (service on his old equipment might be three days away).

The Needs Assessment

In 2014, the library completed a $3 million renovation, adding significantly to the amount of services the facility could provide its community. One of the main goals was to, as Cothren puts it, “expose average Joes to newer technology, because there is nowhere else locally where they will encounter it.”

Julie conducted a thorough assessment to first learn as much as she could about the library’s needs, before making recommendations.

“Julie was the first person to take the time to ask me some of these strategic questions about technology,” Cothren said. “It wasn’t ‘I’ve got this, you should buy it.’ It was a holistic approach. There are so many examples, I can’t just draw on one. From top to bottom, she looked at how our facility ran. She then showed me what Datamax could provide, and how we could actually do it at less cost than what we were currently paying.”

Julie worked diligently to find a solution that would work well for the library, and fit within its budget. Cothren ended up leasing a Lexmark copier for the children's library (and later, two more copiers), and he says the equipment has been “everything she billed it as.”

The Team-wide Effort

Cothren was very impressed with the service. In the past, he says, when he’s bought things from people he’s had to install them himself. Instead, with Datamax, the copiers were installed and running within 30 minutes to an hour.

“That would have been a full day’s job for me,” he says. “So that allowed me to do other things. Honestly, we’ve never been treated like that before – it’s usually a one-time sale and it’s done.”

When Julie learned that the library was interested in bringing a wide format to its facility, she brought in Production Print Supervisor Grant Murray.

“I told Grant what I was looking for, but honestly didn’t really know what I was looking for,” Cothren says. “I sent him a request on a Wednesday or Thursday, and he researched prices and by the time I arrived to work on Monday, he had two or three options available, with both pricing and capabilities.”

Cothren stresses that Grant never tried to sell the most complex machine, but instead showed him several “middle of the road” approaches that were user friendly, sufficient for his needs, and within the budget limitations. He also provided recommendations on what media types would be necessary, and which would not, for their specific purposes.

Then, he offered to come out to demonstrate the software and the printing process.

“I knew that he was presenting at a Datamax Lunch & Learn that week. But he came anyway, all the way from Little Rock. He spent an hour and a half going through the wide format with me.”

Finally, Julie learned that Cothren was needing to upgrade 12 computers that patrons use regularly.

“I felt like there was established trust in our relationship, and naturally, Julie was my go to,” Cothren says. “She worked to make sure I was in touch with knowledgeable members of your organization (Solutions Provider Rene Desiderio and TechCare Account Manager Kathy Robison ) to find the right solutions for us. I’m excited to say that I signed off on the quote, and will now be leasing those computers as well.”

The Raving Results

What started as a cold call ended up with a solution that included a Canon wide format, three copiers and 12 computers. But the core components of Datamax's competing strategy, honesty, trust, and value, all came into play with this series of solutions.

“I definitely feel like we’ve established a trusted partnership,” Cothren says. “I have little doubt that Datamax will be my sole technology provider moving forward.”

But while he says he is happy with the cost savings and increased efficiency these products provide, the difference for him started with that initial cold call.

“The time and helpfulness from Julie was what sold me on Datamax. Because of that initial time she spent answering questions, truly understanding our needs, and your organization treating me as a customer in a way I hadn’t been treated before, I didn’t have to look any further.”