Techs to Side Dealers

**Scijohn23** · 09-03-2010

I have been working with copiers in one way or another for about 7 years now. I have been well traveled and currently working on the east coast. In my time I have seen respectable copiers dealers actually run out of business and closed their doors because a couple of Techs and a Service Manager sometimes started doing " A lot of side work". When I say respectable dealer I mean companies with 20 to 30 Employess and about a 60 mile coverage area. Has this crossed a lot of technicians minds, or any of you actually done this? Or does the company you work for have a means of keeping you in check persay? Or does your company go out of their way to make sure you are satisfied with your work and pay arrangments, keeping you perfectly happy? For those that have, did you see success?

OMD-227 · 09-03-2010

If you double-cross the company you work for, you pretty much deserve whatever punishment comes your way.

If you work hard, keep improving and never letting anyone down, your company should do whatever is needed to keep you, as you should be seen as an asset to the place. Those who do side-jobs are only hurting the company they work for, and in the end, their own back-pocket.

Never done it, never will. Besides that, 99.9% of the machines I have ever worked on have been on a full service contract. No service charges at all.

**Scijohn23** · 09-03-2010

I should clarify "Side jobs" as taking leads or placing machines outside of the company for them to personally attend to. Some examples I have seen, or delt with, I knew a tech once that would take a trade in machine that the company had no interest in, sell it, get service parts from another tech friend or dealer, then bill a customer same rates that the company would have and pocket the money. I completely agree that these people should lose there job, and what they are doing is not right. I am just curious on this subject because I have seen this happen a few times, Im sure it was probably related to poor managment within the company, or a break down in communication between the front lines and the ones in charge.

**msaeger** · 09-03-2010

Everyone has service contracts so who would you do it for. I wouldn't want to be the one liable if something goes wrong either.

**KenB** · 09-03-2010

Originally Posted by Scijohn23

I should clarify "Side jobs" as taking leads or placing machines outside of the company for them to personally attend to. Some examples I have seen, or delt with, I knew a tech once that would take a trade in machine that the company had no interest in, sell it, get service parts from another tech friend or dealer, then bill a customer same rates that the company would have and pocket the money. I completely agree that these people should lose there job, and what they are doing is not right. I am just curious on this subject because I have seen this happen a few times, Im sure it was probably related to poor managment within the company, or a break down in communication between the front lines and the ones in charge.

If anyone at my dealership would do that, they would be instantly dismissed, and almost definitely prosecuted. Period.

**Scijohn23** · 09-03-2010

That is definatly a recourse to the situation "KenB" in fact the one's that I know that did something like this, were dismissed, I don't know if legal action was taken, but by that time the damage was done. A little on my background when I started hearing of this, I was working for an equipment wholesaler in the midwest, I would sell used of lease equipment to dealers, often times metting them in person or riding along on some deliveries, my common contact person would be a service manager or owner. I am currently working a similiar position at an export company for copiers, basically in export I just have to make the machine power up and pass a copy, fixing whatever problem the machine had, and I occasionally still make cold calls and look to purchase equipment instead of sell. So I get a lot of feedback from multiple copier companies accross the US. With all that said, I know it isnt a widespread problem, but does happen. I greatly appreciate the comments, it gives me some faith that values like honesty, loyalty and integrity are still at the roots of the copier business.

**JustManuals** · 09-03-2010

Words of wisdom: Don't shit where you eat.

Gregg · 09-03-2010

You get what you pay for.
You pay a tech 9.00 and hour and expect him to do 5-10 calls a day, pay a shitty commission on sales leads, barely pay for gas and wear and tear on his car, Bust his balls if he takes more than the 30 min lunchbreak. Oh and track his every move on GPS also.
Then ask him to bill a non contract customer for services rendered and get payment of 2-300 dollars for an hours work.
After a year of doing this, even they can do the easy math.

Bottom line, treat employees like they were partners. get their input and feedback, if they feel like their a part of a big picture they will be able to brag about a career and not just a "job" and not have any desire to drift into the "I can do this.." type attitude. If your customers are taken care of, you should have no worries about losing them to a "tech gone independent." Most of them realize in the first month that if you dont have an establish client base of contracts, you cannot survive on 2 calls a week, with no health insurance, no support, no tax ID, and no credit.
Also, be smart. don't hire anyone you wouldn't bring home to introduce to your family or for a cookout etc.
Call References.
Do ask him personal questions about his ethics.
A little investigation on new hires and plain good management goes a LONG way in this business.

**Ducttape n Glue** · 09-03-2010

Moonlighting.........it was very popular in the 80's early 90's when the copier industry was growing in leaps and bounds. Techs and salesman started by moonlighting then when they had enough customers or money, went it alone and started up a new company. I'll bet, to this day, there are a few dealer owners that started that way.
As a service manager once I had a company treasurer pull $15k cash out of his desk and offered it to me if I did the contract on the side, it was a $22k contract, I politely refused, left and called my boss.Then we had what we called the "backdoor techs", guys who would sell their inventory from their car stock or out the backdoor of the service department. Their moonlighting friends would stop by to get parts that they couldn't get. We caught a couple of guys doing that. My next job had printed on the service reports in bold red letters " THIS IS NOT AN INVOICE- DO NOT PAY THE SERVICEMAN-YOU WILL BE INVOICED BY THE COMPANY" . Turns out the tech I replaced was taking 50 cents on the dollar to close the service call and then reporting back that the customer cancelled the call.
There are all kinds of people out there, most are honest, good, hardworking folks. The Good, the Bad , and the Ugly of this business is no different than most business.