I've been twisting screwdrivers on copiers, printers and scanners for some time (24 years +) and enjoy what I do. However, after all these years, have not found a way to place duct tape over clients mouth, without loosing my job or possibly going to jail for "assault with Duct tape," you know, wrap it around their heads a couple of times and one more for good measure! Just to shut them up for a few!
First call of the day, today, was out to service 4- HP 4250n for jamming and bad prints. First, all were 100k past maintenance cycle and using China made aftermarket toners giving non HP toner error. I quoted the client what it would be to install new maintenance kits as well as a quote for toners, as requested by the client. Their response was it is too expensive to replace the maintenance kits and they would just buy more refurbed ones online to replace the ones that needed maintenance kits. I asked obout the toners... no, we will just continue to buy the ones on line (even though the print quality is shit). So, I gave them our charge for me to diagnose the issues, and they could not believe that we would charge for "someone to diagnose something and not fix it," my reply," I did offer to fix it, but you thought it was too much because you can order more online". After, the client huffing and puffing, they gave me their credit card, so I could apply the charge.
Next call, was to an insurance agency that has some tabletop copiers they run the hell out of (Kyo M2535dn), well the 2 I looked at needed fusers, I quoted the owner a price to repair the 2 and he stated giong off about how his Doctor friend just buys HP's at the Office Superstore and never has any issues. I asked him " how much is he paying for his toner cartridges?" His reply... "Uh, he buys those generic ones online... so not much." I asked him if he wanted me repair these copiers or call his "Dr. friend" to order a new "cheap HP?" He opted to fix the 2 copiers with new fusers. I wanted to say, so badly, and now maybe wish I did.... Maybe, I should buy my insurance online, after-all, it's much cheaper and I won't have to listen to you rant about cheap online garbage, anymore. Him of all people should get what happens when you buy cheap products or services on line.
My, next call involved a realtor who purchased a copier two years ago, small office, herself and her Secretary. She bought a low metered MX-C312 about two years ago and a Kyocera FS-C5350cdn. In that two years, we have only replaced, on the Sharp, a pressure detect switch on the Fuser (customer error- improper shut down) on the Kyocera- a transfer belt and a black drum ( all in a two years time and about 60k copies between the two products), so basically, they have gone through just toners. Mind you, the company did replace items under the warranty period when they were sold back about two years ago (transfer belt on the Sharp and maybe a fuser for clicking). I went there because the fuser is wrinkling the paper on the Sharp ( BTW-fuser mode is set to 28lb paper to avoid wrinkling), it is clicking and will need bearings to resolve wrinkling issue as well as the clicking. Boy, did she go off on how good her Brother machine at home is and she would "NEVER buy another refurbished product again in her life and how much she "Loves" her Good old faithful Brother printer she bought for $250.00. Again, I wish I had a roll of duct tape because I would have wrapped that roll around her mouth and head several times. And, to top it off... I was assigned this account because the tech that services it is on vacation.
Geez, I just don't get it sometimes, what if I bought my insurance online, what is I bought my real estate online, what if bought my cars online, what if I did my title closings online. I get we all work hard for our money... but you do get what you pay for. When I started in this industry there were no super stores to buy printers from, there was no internet shopping.... you would call your local mom and pop establishment and deal with them, that's what made our local economy strong and kept people in jobs. It seems we live in a world where everybody is obsessed about online deals and screw the copier dealer down the road, who employs skilled technicians to fix these issues, or they are now using online videos to fix the copiers or printers. Today, I actually met someone with the title of IT Administrator, that does not know to to set up scan to SMB... sign me up for that job! IT Administrator my ass...I bet they got their degree online. Today,some people have long titles or degrees but short on common sense.
I think I'm done with my rant... I know we all deal with this stuff in our profession... and, there are the clients who are happy your there to "save the day," so it all balances out in the end, but ...today, I could have used a few rolls of Duct Tape, then, peeled it off slowly, once they shut up and came to there senses.
Good Day!!
First call of the day, today, was out to service 4- HP 4250n for jamming and bad prints. First, all were 100k past maintenance cycle and using China made aftermarket toners giving non HP toner error. I quoted the client what it would be to install new maintenance kits as well as a quote for toners, as requested by the client. Their response was it is too expensive to replace the maintenance kits and they would just buy more refurbed ones online to replace the ones that needed maintenance kits. I asked obout the toners... no, we will just continue to buy the ones on line (even though the print quality is shit). So, I gave them our charge for me to diagnose the issues, and they could not believe that we would charge for "someone to diagnose something and not fix it," my reply," I did offer to fix it, but you thought it was too much because you can order more online". After, the client huffing and puffing, they gave me their credit card, so I could apply the charge.
Next call, was to an insurance agency that has some tabletop copiers they run the hell out of (Kyo M2535dn), well the 2 I looked at needed fusers, I quoted the owner a price to repair the 2 and he stated giong off about how his Doctor friend just buys HP's at the Office Superstore and never has any issues. I asked him " how much is he paying for his toner cartridges?" His reply... "Uh, he buys those generic ones online... so not much." I asked him if he wanted me repair these copiers or call his "Dr. friend" to order a new "cheap HP?" He opted to fix the 2 copiers with new fusers. I wanted to say, so badly, and now maybe wish I did.... Maybe, I should buy my insurance online, after-all, it's much cheaper and I won't have to listen to you rant about cheap online garbage, anymore. Him of all people should get what happens when you buy cheap products or services on line.
My, next call involved a realtor who purchased a copier two years ago, small office, herself and her Secretary. She bought a low metered MX-C312 about two years ago and a Kyocera FS-C5350cdn. In that two years, we have only replaced, on the Sharp, a pressure detect switch on the Fuser (customer error- improper shut down) on the Kyocera- a transfer belt and a black drum ( all in a two years time and about 60k copies between the two products), so basically, they have gone through just toners. Mind you, the company did replace items under the warranty period when they were sold back about two years ago (transfer belt on the Sharp and maybe a fuser for clicking). I went there because the fuser is wrinkling the paper on the Sharp ( BTW-fuser mode is set to 28lb paper to avoid wrinkling), it is clicking and will need bearings to resolve wrinkling issue as well as the clicking. Boy, did she go off on how good her Brother machine at home is and she would "NEVER buy another refurbished product again in her life and how much she "Loves" her Good old faithful Brother printer she bought for $250.00. Again, I wish I had a roll of duct tape because I would have wrapped that roll around her mouth and head several times. And, to top it off... I was assigned this account because the tech that services it is on vacation.
Geez, I just don't get it sometimes, what if I bought my insurance online, what is I bought my real estate online, what if bought my cars online, what if I did my title closings online. I get we all work hard for our money... but you do get what you pay for. When I started in this industry there were no super stores to buy printers from, there was no internet shopping.... you would call your local mom and pop establishment and deal with them, that's what made our local economy strong and kept people in jobs. It seems we live in a world where everybody is obsessed about online deals and screw the copier dealer down the road, who employs skilled technicians to fix these issues, or they are now using online videos to fix the copiers or printers. Today, I actually met someone with the title of IT Administrator, that does not know to to set up scan to SMB... sign me up for that job! IT Administrator my ass...I bet they got their degree online. Today,some people have long titles or degrees but short on common sense.
I think I'm done with my rant... I know we all deal with this stuff in our profession... and, there are the clients who are happy your there to "save the day," so it all balances out in the end, but ...today, I could have used a few rolls of Duct Tape, then, peeled it off slowly, once they shut up and came to there senses.
Good Day!!
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