First time copier buyer, need advice.

[Island]

I highly recommended that we get a maint contract, and if we do not want to, we should just get a plain color printer, but both the owner and the CFO overruled me... They want to "control their costs".

it is their money after all.

-avi

I'm just a user not a tech, but I think they are misguided if they think not getting a service contract is going to control their costs. The whole point of a service contract from a user-perspective is that your costs are controlled. Without one, you have a lower price until somerthing goes wrong (unless you just don't make many prints or don't need great quality so can live with not fixing things.) If you need quality and quantity on the machine, without a service contract you have to dread the unexpected costs or simply early replacement of the machine at some point when anything minor or major breaks. Will it be in 3 years or 3 months when the first little part that you don't have and can't get starts to perform oddly?

[gwalters]

AVI,

I must commend you for posting the history of your transaction - waving your dirty laundry out like that is exceptional, even in the age of "internet anonymity"

Congratulations should also be extended to your "boss" and CFO - for sheltering a few thousand dollars at year end.

Unfortunately, this is as far as the congrats will go...I personally have not been involved with a "simple" transaction like this for over a year now, and I find myself even more relieved after witnessing your company's decision process - indeed, I even feel a little sorry for you.

Put aside manufacturer representations, "dual scan" capabilities, service, output quality or even first copy out times(gag) - allowing us to view your internal PROCESS is invaluable.

Your company just helped commoditize an industry.

You say:

I highly recommended that we get a maint contract, and if we do not want to, we should just get a plain color printer, but both the owner and the CFO overruled me... They want to "control their costs".

it is their money after all.

-avi

Again, thank you for your transparency.

I know I am not the only one shaking my head as I read your post - technician, sales or end-user, I am sure that most of us have seen this too many times - usually AFTER the purchase, coming in to clean up the mess, debate why the service call is "so expensive", and then decide to never deal with a small-time, yahoo again.

No service agreement in order to "control their costs" ? It's so laughable, I won't even bother going into it.

By the way, what kind of Kyocera dealer sells his product without a service agreement? Is this the ilk that become Kyocera dealers? Does Kyocera certify anyone with "a pulse"?

Customers like this cheapen the industry and the talent within, but primarily because we inside the industry allow it. Whoever sold this machine saw a quick 6k out the door before year end - no concern about customer service, no discussion of "true" costs, no value-add.

However, one of the smartest sales managers I have had the privilege to work with once said, "...we tend over complicate this. Sometimes, a sale is just a sale..."

Yeah, sometimes you need to dumb it down, hold your nose, and take the order...

Thanks again AVI. Keep us all up to date as the unit is delivered and set-up and people begin to use it.



PS - Regarding HP parts - Blackcat is correct, HP can be a nightmare when it comes to service parts. I lived through three years of the "Hawk" product with IKON - ended up discovering the parts problem was just as much an IKON issue as HP. Today, none of my customers wait for HP parts - we do it the old fashion way, we stock them locally.

PSS - Please believe this string will be great fodder for an article on my site - it's too delicious.