Where is the rest of my machine?

**fixthecopier** · 02-04-2009

So I walk into the building with a work order for a toner problem on a Minolta Di251. As I enter the room where the copier is , I stop, look at the machine and ask "Where is the other half of my machine?". The confused sergeant looks at me and says "huh"?. I respond "The machine had a finisher. Where is it?" He responds, "Um, I think it got tossed a while back". So I follow up today and have come to the conclusion that they did throw away a large part of my copier. At some point I can picture them taking it off to stop it from jamming and parking it against the wall and after a while someone in charge getting tired of looking at it and giving the order to get rid of it. I also found aftermarket toner in the machine, which they had to buy. These are contract machines so toner is free from me. This told me they did not know the machine had a service contract on it, that is why they did not call to get the sorter fixed. I found it more amusing than anything else. Lots of people want to throw their copier away, these folks dared to live the dream. Good news for them is that we long ago got our money out of it, so I will not charge them the $1100 the contract says I can, this one is on us. I try to look out for the military when I can.

**cobiray** · 02-04-2009

If I only had a nickel for every time someone has said they're going to put the machine outside/in-the-garbage/in-the-road/down-the-hill/in-the-dumpster/etc if it's not fixed. Talk about following through on a promise!

**Baphomet** · 02-05-2009

I haven't had one toss out a finisher yet (not that they wouldn't like to). But I did have a similar experience where the customer had been paying for service from another copier company not knowing they had a service agreement from us. When I arrived at the call, the other company had removed our ID sticker and put on their own and that is who the customer would call all the time. Eventually when we called the customer for a meter reading, they placed a call for service and that is when I showed up.

I asked the customer about the ID sticker and that was when I found out about their screw-up. She showed me all these invoice they had paid to this other company over several months and when I told her they had a maintenance contract with us she flipped out. That's what happens in a bureaucratic environment ... no body knows what the hell anybody else is doing.

**CopierTechofOmens** · 02-05-2009

I once had a customer take a hammer to the display. Then they wanted it fixed... Uh, this isn't going to be covered under your maintenance contract.

It is a little ironic. A copier with over 4 million on it and they complain what a piece of garbage it is. OK, show me something you have literally done a million times and never screwed up. I bet you haven't even made the toilet everytime...

The empty can rattles the most..

**Shadow1** · 02-10-2009

I had a fax machine with a bad main board at our local military entrance processing station. The board for their old clunker literally cost more than a new machine, but they wanted it fixed - there wasn't any money in the budget for new equipment, just repairs...

**fixthecopier** · 02-10-2009

Originally Posted by Shadow1

I had a fax machine with a bad main board at our local military entrance processing station. The board for their old clunker literally cost more than a new machine, but they wanted it fixed - there wasn't any money in the budget for new equipment, just repairs...

Yes! I understand that. If you folks could see the waste I see with your tax dollars.

Customer had old HP4550 color printer. It needed everything. Estimate was $1600. A new 31ppm color Lanier was $1600. Could not get the new one, but could get the old one fixed. So I did. 6 months later they bought the new one.

Customer has 2 HP4600 color lasers sitting side by side. Fuser broke in one. Need it to work for 4 more days til the brand new 9550 [ about $4000 ] gets installed. I replaced the fuser and charge $280. The HP 4600 has a monthly cycle amount of 160,000. I check the meter on one of them getting replaced and the total for 5 years of use is 5132 pages total.

Customer has HP 4600 color. Paper tray needs to be replaced. Cost $290. Customer decides to replace printer for $2000. New printer does not come from me.

In case you folks did not know, the army has this thing called Military life cycle. If it is 5 years old, turn it in and get a new one. It does not have to be well used and worn out, it just has to be 5 years old. This base buys almost all products off line and buy only HP. There is no competitive bid from other brands. They buy nothing from local vendors in town.

Did I tell you about the special projects unit that turned in 30 Panisonic Tuff Books {$6000 each} they had not used, and they went to public auction and one buyer bought all 30 of them for $3000. I also know a buyer who purchased $37,000 worth of unused craftsman tools at auction for a little over $4000.

They are your tax dollars, thought you might want to know what is happening with them.

**Kopyrtek** · 02-10-2009

Karl Malone put his size 17(or so) shoe through the op panel of his machine b/c he said the machine was too slow!
Didnt have a problem with paying for the repairs....but we did move the copier away from his desk.

**Lagonda** · 02-17-2009

Originally Posted by cobiray

If I only had a nickel for every time someone has said they're going to put the machine outside/in-the-garbage/in-the-road/down-the-hill/in-the-dumpster/etc if it's not fixed. Talk about following through on a promise!

Its amazing the number of customers that dont understand how a lease works. You can return/dump/burn your copier but you still have to pay for it!

OMD-227 · 02-17-2009

Speaking about classic military base users....

About 10 years ago, I was working on a copier at the regional military base, when beside me some IT guys turn up with a new computer for the desk in the corner. I enquired what seemed to be the problem with the original computer as it seemed quite current & new.

The response.....

We need to install a new computer here because the Lexmark color laser printer downstairs says 'PC life expired'.

These mega paid IT dept guys were under the impression that 'PC life expired' meant that the computers had to be replaced as the printer was not working. They seriously asked me if I was joking when I told them that it simply meant the Drum Unit was done.

True story!!
We have a great military here, but our IT guys leave alot to be desired!