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How Do I Find the Best Copier Company Near Me in El Dorado?

Copier company in El Dorado

We'll look at five key areas that help you vet copier/office equipment companies and narrow your search in El Dorado. 

Today’s buyer is more educated than ever before.

According to Forrester, 90% of B2B customers start their journey with an online search. It’s during these sessions that you, savvy buyer, will vet out product options as well as qualifications for a potential vendor/partner … well before the point of purchase.

Copiers and printers are no exception.

Today’s multifunction printer, after all, is the workhorse of your office workflow. Like any other large business purchase, there are financial items to consider; service qualifications to contemplate; and certainly, with the right partner, you’re gaining ongoing solution expertise and the kind of consultation that builds business productivity.

So, in your vetting process, how do you find the best copier company in El Dorado? We are here to help with that.

5 Questions That Will Help You Find the Best Copier Company Near You in El Dorado:

1. Local authorized dealer or manufacturer direct: What’s the better option?

Many, but not all, copier manufacturers give buyers the opportunity to buy directly from them, including – to some degree - installation and support. Buyers also have the option to buy from a local authorized dealer, who will often represent a number of different manufacturers and provide a local presence for your ongoing needs.

A few things to consider:

  • Local dealers are embedded in your community, and generally provide a higher volume of local technicians, and easier, expedited service routing.
  • They also often have the flexibility to provide a variety of solutions (from different manufacturers) to fit your needs.
  • No one likes getting transferred on the phone when an issue arises. A local provider often offers a live, local person on the other end of the line to help with billing issues, consumable needs, or leasing questions.

2. Do they ask YOU the right questions?

Or is it a quick chat and a quote?

A strategic technology partner, before ever presenting a specific solution, should have a number of questions to ask, and a process in place for better understanding your business, and its workflow.

Ask what kind of print assessment or Discovery process a vendor has available. A few questions that should be asked:

  • How much volume are you currently printing?
  • What size and types of documents are produced in the office? What percentage require color?
  • What are the common workflow processes among and between departments?
  • Summarize your current business technology challenges.
  • What are your long-term expectations with print technology and your vendor?
  • What are your current business initiatives? Your short and long-term business goals?

3. Is their service team qualified?

Regardless of what you buy from whom, you can count on a misfeed or jam somewhere down the road. Oh, and these devices need regular toner replenishment, too. Level of service is an insurmountably important factor when choosing a copier company – it will determine whether you’re fanatical about their service for the next 5+ years, or just flat frustrated.

What you should be asking:

  • How long does it take them to respond to service calls?
  • Likewise, what is their resolution time and First Call Completion Rate?
  • Are they accurately measuring these service performance metrics?
  • What breadth of experience do their technicians have (IE, do they have advanced certifications to back their service knowledge?)
  • What’s the copier company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS)? NPS, which measures customer loyalty on a 1-10 scale, is considered the gold standard in customer experience metrics.

4. What are your financing options?

Just as in a car purchase, this office equipment will be around for a while, so you want to make sure any decision you make is financially sound. Here are a few questions you should consider when vetting your copier companies.

  • Do they offer leasing and purchasing options?
  • Is there an in-house leasing program available? This often affords the buyer flexibility in terms and a quicker resolution to leasing issues.
  • What happens at the end of your lease? What options exist, such as purchase, return, upgrade, or simply lease it again?
  • Does what the company is quoting you match your true business needs? If they haven't thoroughly assessed your current printing volume and trends, likely not.
  • What is the cost of a maintenance contract? What specifically does it cover and how long does it last?

5. What else can they do for your company?

The ability to consolidate technology solutions to services into one vendor (and one phone call)? It just makes life easier for a business owner or IT Director. Other services you might ask about:

  • Managed IT Services
  • Document Management
  • Network Security
  • VoIP Phone Systems
  • Unified Communications
  • Network Security Consulting

Picking your partner is an important decision. The more research you do ONLINE, and the more questions you ask any potential vendor, will pay large dividends in your overall satisfaction with not only just a box that prints and scans … but your productivity, uptime, and overall return on technology investment.

At Datamax, we provide the kind of innovative thinking that maximizes business processes and empowers customers with the freedom to focus on their forte— managing their business, not their technology. Click below to start your journey by visiting with a Datamax technology consultant!

Visit With a Datamax Technology Specialist ›


About Jeff Walker

Jeff Walker serves as the Marketing Communications Manager for Datamax Inc. As a Hubspot Inbound Certified Marketing Professional, Jeff works to ensure valuable experiences for those engaging with Datamax online and elsewhere. Prior to joining Datamax, he worked as a reporter, critic and editor.

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