Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

[Phil B.]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

[QUOTE=tonerhead;735028]As it is, our company has a policy of at least verifying for free. Then if customer wants it fixed, it is billable. The simple mom and pops though is a different story. [QUOTE]

-=I have always spent time on the phone with Existing Customers and newbies -$0-...
...Now a New Client I will try and help over the phone _IF_ possible .. if they want me there.. $25 within 25mi of my starting point = If they want it fixed per my suggestions ( or part there of ) eval rolled into service labor
Existing Customer within 25mi of my starting point -$0-.

Evals ALWAYS include complete cleaning tires/insides/glass/outside -in order to make a proper eval. * Most customers see that as "Value Added Service"* ( I also try and talk them into yearly/biyear/quarterly cleaning depend on environment. )

Yes I have been burned... but I always try to offer at least 2 versions of repair - OEM *if possible* or Reliable Compatible parts.
ALL parts OVER value -MUST- be replaced.

As far as supplies.. I have only 3 USA made compatible toners/drums *not all models/brands* That I will support.. if they use OTHER than those vendors .. and -IF- problem is because of other brand toner/drum... THEY PAY.

Another Policy .. CPA or other "RUSH time" type existing customers get pushed to top of "Service Call Board"
My 50cents ( WTF is 2cents worth now? )

[gneebore]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

As it is, our company has a policy of at least verifying for free. Then if customer wants it fixed, it is billable. The trouble with this policy is you are there for 10 minutes and you charge $$$$$$$$$. Lots of times this really pisses the customer off more and they leave you at end of lease. I've tried talking with mgmt that simple stuff should be free or build some IT into their contract to begin with. It's always a slippery slope. Major corps like this one, bill the heck out of. The simple mom and pops though is a different story. So mgmt started a help desk. Works great. Trouble is customer calls in, you pull up their account (no IT services), the reply is we can try to fix over phone for $$ or we can send a tech out for $$$$. What do you want to do? I think we are pissing alot of customers off this way. If something simple, help desk should say, let's fix it no charge now. If complicated the help desk should say, it might take considerable time and we would need to send a tech for a bill of $$$.

For those of us who have been around a while, remember when we used to load drivers for free as we wanted the customers to print, use our equipment, burn through the toner that the customer bought so our company can make additional revenue. I still remember getting disciplined by the service mgr on a ride along for not asking customer if everyone is using our mfp for printing. Clicks brings us revenue he said. My, how times have changed.

There were a few times when we got a call of "printing error and computer tech says it is a problems with the copier/printer" I do my routine of hooking their machine up to my laptop and print fine. Then I ask them to do a test print and get gibberish. Look over their shoulder and see the printer selected was an HP4. Now I understand that early on with desktop laser printers the HP4 was a standard and worked with most printers. But HP4 do not have ledger size print capability like a full sized copier. Had one in particular that actually set up an appointment for me to be there with their computer network contractor. I got there did my routine with my laptop and showed the network card on the copier worked fine. Hooked back up to their network and could only get sheets of gibberish from a word perfect software print job. Then I had the office manager do a local install from the driver cd and guess what worked fine immediately. Had to hand her a bill because the three repeat calls resulting in the appointment with the computer contractor was not a problem with the copier and was a software installation error. She handed it immediately to computer guru. We luckily did not renew their contract and went to a billable call basis for that reason and they also had real trouble understanding that 100 pound card stock was not usable in the paper trays but had to be used in the bypass. yes that was a repeat call from them at least once every two months

[gneebore]

Re: networ

I understand your point, but, including free IT work opens Pandora's box, with today's technology. Networks, now more than ever, are far too complicated to do free stuff such as loading a driver, setting up email or scan stuff for free, not to mention the liabilities. I used to do things free for clients and it only bit me in the ass because once something went wrong, not even related to what I did...BOOM! they would rat me out as soon as they call the office, " your tech was just out here updated my driver and now I can't receive emails.
If my company does not charge for network related stuff... the next company will. An IT guy once told me, " if I touch their keyboard or network equipment... there is a charge regardless of how simple the issue may be, it's his intellectual property they are paying for.

I was actually warned to avoid loading network printer drivers if there was a computer contract with another company. Instructor of the first networked copier I attended warned us about doing anything beyond handing the cd and letting the customer install the drivers even locally. I agreed with the instructor and explained why. Many years before we sold networked copier we did sell electronic typewriters. Which had a parallel port for computer printing. We sold a new typewriter and I delivered it. Now just for clarity the operating system on the computer was win 95 this is how long ago it was. Drivers for the typewriter were actually on a single copy protected 5 1/4 floppy disk and the disk was in a sealed envelope in the box with the typewriter. I opened the disk put it in the floppy drive and it failed to be read. Pulled the disk out and a layer of dust was all over it. Took the disk cleaned it off and took a blank disk and formatted it in the drive to see if that worked. It did and I installed the drivers. However when the test print was brought up I overheard the hard drive make some really funny noises. Told them they needed to get their computer tech (they had their own service dept for computer problems) check the drive because they are not supposed to make that kind of noise. And the floppy drive was encrusted with dust. Even wrote it on the ticket they needed to have the computer checked by their service dept. And they had to initial that part of the ticket. Three months later we got a call from them that their computer died and the repairman said it was my fault and sent us a bill for the drive replacement and labor because there was s destructive virus introduced. And I was the only non-employee to touch the machine. Luckily I did have a handy copy where they were warned of possible problems and actually had their initials and sent a fax of that to their service guy and he called back. Seems he did not realize that I was there over ninety days ago and actually noted that he needed to check the pc out. He dropped the bill since even he didn't warranty anything after 30 days. And didn't know the drive was making noise that long ago.

[copiertec]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

Sounds like we share some of the same experiences with clients. Our company just took over service for a large insurance insurance provider, apparently a tech from another copier vendor installed some kind of software on their server and it crashed it... completely. I do not know all the details, however, we were briefed that any and all IT related issues are strictly done through their IT dept, no exceptions.

[tonerhead]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

Sounds like we've all been in the same boat at one time or another. Sometimes though you've got to take a chance or two, just make sure your back is covered. A followup of YGIC, their IT came by on Tuesday, fixed the issue. We looked like heros to them because their IT did just exactly what we said would be done and everything worked again. That's the victories you get. Another customer called me this week, had printing trouble, I walked her through it over the phone. Her reply was I've had 3 different guys from our IT dept in for this very same printing issue, why don't they know what to do? I said I don't know why, it's not that difficult to do. Another victory. Building customer loyalty!!

A few years ago my son broke his tibia and we had him in the ER. They had him in a brace for the weekend as only Orthopaedic sets bones. Monday we took him to the very same hospital, so Orthopaedic could put a cast on the broken bone. I mean I thought all Doctors were trained on casting bones. At least they were when I was growing up. I was not thrilled about it, that my son had to take pills and sit all weekend. I just wanted someone to take care of the issue instead of passing the buck. That's what it seemed like at the time. We got a Dr. saying very few physicians set bones anymore because of LIABILITY.

Isn't it the same with copiers? We are trained to load drivers, set up scanning, help with printing. People are calling us for help, we should do it (regardless if we charge or not, that's another thing). If a customer has IT, fine they can watch over us. I'm rural, probably 90% have no IT and only hire IT to fix their computers. Yes there is a LIABILITY, that is why they sign a WAIVER. We know how we feel when IT passes it off as a printer issue. I've had my share of customers ask if we do IT work also because their rental IT guys are always passing the buck blaming problems on others rather than taking care of problems.

Bottom line is it is about taking care of the customer, not trying to squeeze out the last penny, not trying to pass blame, etc. This is where America is bad..... it's not my job, pass the buck.

Side note, wouldn't you love to go back in a time machine and shoot the idiot that sold the first toner inclusive contract? The copier industry has been sliding downhill ever since.

[gneebore]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

A few years ago my son broke his tibia and we had him in the ER. They had him in a brace for the weekend as only Orthopaedic sets bones. Monday we took him to the very same hospital, so Orthopaedic could put a cast on the broken bone. I mean I thought all Doctors were trained on casting bones. At least they were when I was growing up. I was not thrilled about it, that my son had to take pills and sit all weekend. I just wanted someone to take care of the issue instead of passing the buck. That's what it seemed like at the time. We got a Dr. saying very few physicians set bones anymore because of LIABILITY.

Isn't it the same with copiers? We are trained to load drivers, set up scanning, help with printing. People are calling us for help, we should do it (regardless if we charge or not, that's another thing). If a customer has IT, fine they can watch over us. I'm rural, probably 90% have no IT and only hire IT to fix their computers. Yes there is a LIABILITY, that is why they sign a WAIVER. We know how we feel when IT passes it off as a printer issue. I've had my share of customers ask if we do IT work also because their rental IT guys are always passing the buck blaming problems on others rather than taking care of problems.

Bottom line is it is about taking care of the customer, not trying to squeeze out the last penny, not trying to pass blame, etc. This is where America is bad..... it's not my job, pass the buck.

Side note, wouldn't you love to go back in a time machine and shoot the idiot that sold the first toner inclusive contract? The copier industry has been sliding downhill ever since.

Sorry about what happened with your son. I do remember way back when growing up a friend broke her arm and went to see her family doctor. He put her arm in a cast right then after taking an x-ray in his office. She went to see her family doctor because he was closer than the nearest hospital and could see her right away. Would that happen now? No way. Too many times a physician or hospital has been sued for malpractice just because the doctor was not a specialist ( like in the situation with your son) and did not have the "required specialist training" for whatever emergency procedure they did to help. I've even heard of some EMS personnel being threatened for malpractice when the nearly dead victim recovered but ended up paralyzed after getting treated at the scene of an accident.

In situations where the customer had a small limited network we would install or have them install drivers while we showed them what to do. Quite a few times we put machines into offices where there were only five or less computers and they did not have a server but just used one modem and one or two routers. Usually we set up the copier and had the customer watch as I installed the drivers on one computer and then watched them and guided them when doing it on one or two more. Heck been doing this long enough that some of the "network copiers" actually only had a parallel port and the pc actually found the new printer and installed default drivers or asked for the cd with the drivers. Then the parallel connected copier was shared via the small network. Yes there were times when we installed drivers for some dot matrix printers and then shared that so accounting offices could print out ledger sheets. Like you these were a lot of times out in small communities away from the large cities in the area. Like a doctors office or even law offices.

[Bix]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

I had a farmer customer who, after installing the printer, said that the life saver was triggered.


I did all the measurements with the tester and the printer did not seem to have any anomalies. I improvised as an electrician and I discovered they had a UPS on a computer

After some tests, I discovered that the UPS was faulty and it did strange things. By removing the UPS, the life saver is no longer skipped.

But remember. For the customer, the last person he saw was always to blame

[fixthecopier]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

About 2 years ago, I did a toner delivery to a doctors office. It was lunch. The office manager, who was a total c..., was not in. As I would do anywhere else, the machine was waiting for the toner. I installed the toner, a girl signed the ticket and I left. Two hours later the office manager bitch called the shop cussing and raising hell because what I did caused their network to crash.

She also had written a bad review of us online. When they fired her, I got the review removed. The whole office hated her.

I was delivering toner to a daycare and the girl said the copier wouldn't print. I stated it was an IT issue, they will charge for the call, but I will take a quick look.

"Oh look, here is the problem," I said holding up one end of the USB. "It has to be plugged in to both the copier and the computer at the same time."



Remember, we will never be unemployed because the general public becomes technologically literate.

[CompyTech]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

Had a call once, the customer was an hour and a half away, and said the copier would not print or scan, and that their IT looked at it for 4 hours and couldn't get it working.

Showed up to find the network cable was unplugged from the copier.

Handed them a bill...

[tonerhead]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

Had a call once, the customer was an hour and a half away, and said the copier would not print or scan, and that their IT looked at it for 4 hours and couldn't get it working.

Showed up to find the network cable was unplugged from the copier.

Handed them a bill...



As it should be!! Been there, done the same.

[gneebore]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

Had a call once, the customer was an hour and a half away, and said the copier would not print or scan, and that their IT looked at it for 4 hours and couldn't get it working.

Showed up to find the network cable was unplugged from the copier.

Handed them a bill...

Oh boy that brought up a real fun memory. We had a large rural territory back in the early-mid seventies. There were a few home offices out on some one lane or dirt roads. Had a few customers that repeatedly would not check the plugs in the walls. And got quite a few calls for the "typewriter is dead" they would look and see the typewriter plugged into an extension cord, but then not check to see if that was actually plugged in. Yes another person that worked in the offices would unplug the extension cord and plug in what they needed to use. And when done not plug the extension cord back in. Got to the point where even the dispatcher at our office would ask these same customers to check the extension cord before she sent me to fix the typewriter because if that was the only problem they would be billed travel time and one hour minimum for a service call that was a repeated customer error.

[fshead]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

i ve got a travel agent wth a bunch of old biddies using dell PCs and insist that AOL is the leading edge of tech..
As I try to accommodate my accnts and do charge for my time weather pc or color copiers I was asked to look at an issue wth her email..
I open an email and it has an link to a trusted vendor of hers that is some new resort and all..
and when she tries to open it it refuses,,
OK So I RIGHT CLICK OPEN IN NEW WINDOW AND it works..
She refuses to make that extra step and insist I should fix,,
OK so i decide to give her a free outlook email service and install Thunderbird and link up her AOL accnt and now it opens the new link..perfect..
I demo and show her,,she refuses to switch.....The day was getting late and i was there with other PCs with other issues and tell her it is a AOL issue..
I send her a bill for labor and get a nasty call back..saying I never fixed her problem and how can i charge her.........
I blasted her over the phone and she got the message IT never Ceases to amaze me out there,

[gneebore]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

i ve got a travel agent wth a bunch of old biddies using dell PCs and insist that AOL is the leading edge of tech..
As I try to accommodate my accnts and do charge for my time weather pc or color copiers I was asked to look at an issue wth her email..
I open an email and it has an link to a trusted vendor of hers that is some new resort and all..
and when she tries to open it it refuses,,
OK So I RIGHT CLICK OPEN IN NEW WINDOW AND it works..
She refuses to make that extra step and insist I should fix,,
OK so i decide to give her a free outlook email service and install Thunderbird and link up her AOL accnt and now it opens the new link..perfect..
I demo and show her,,she refuses to switch.....The day was getting late and i was there with other PCs with other issues and tell her it is a AOL issue..
I send her a bill for labor and get a nasty call back..saying I never fixed her problem and how can i charge her.........
I blasted her over the phone and she got the message IT never Ceases to amaze me out there,

This may sound like a real basic question but what happens if you click on the link with the wheel? I know I did that when showing a customer how to look up user manuals for older printers and copier where the manuals had been lost. Or they could use a search engine and use the wheel click to open one or more links in tabs to scan and see which website had results closest to what they were looking for.

[tonerhead]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

i ve got a travel agent wth a bunch of old biddies using dell PCs and insist that AOL is the leading edge of tech..
As I try to accommodate my accnts and do charge for my time weather pc or color copiers I was asked to look at an issue wth her email..
I open an email and it has an link to a trusted vendor of hers that is some new resort and all..
and when she tries to open it it refuses,,
OK So I RIGHT CLICK OPEN IN NEW WINDOW AND it works..
She refuses to make that extra step and insist I should fix,,
OK so i decide to give her a free outlook email service and install Thunderbird and link up her AOL accnt and now it opens the new link..perfect..
I demo and show her,,she refuses to switch.....The day was getting late and i was there with other PCs with other issues and tell her it is a AOL issue..
I send her a bill for labor and get a nasty call back..saying I never fixed her problem and how can i charge her.........
I blasted her over the phone and she got the message IT never Ceases to amaze me out there,

Reminds me of a time customer traded in a Lanier for a Kyocera. Lanier to do a 2-2 duplex requires 1 screentouch, Kyocera requires 2 screen touches to do the same. She was hell bent that the extra touch was a waste of her time and her time is too valuable to be making a second touch. So I created a shortcut to do so. The shortcut wasn't good enough for her, she wanted the kyocera panel to look identical to the Lanier panel. When I told her it can't be done, she told me to remove the copier. I told to contact her sales person and walked out.

Some fights are more effective just walking away.

[mnchstr2k]

Re: Customer ignorance issue of today, place smart ass comments below

When to a local branch of national corporation. YGIC (young gal in charge) said copier quit sending scan to emails. After checking over, I told her that it looks like corporate IT is stopping copier from going out on internet. YGIC said she doesn't want the copier to get on the internet, she only wants it to send email. I told her the copier uses the internet to send her email. YGIC says it is on our network and my office is only 20 feet from it, the copier doesn't go out on the internet to send her email, it emails inside the building. I suggested we call her Corporate IT, they do some checking, they said they will be coming out in 5 days to fix "stuff". So as I am pulling the plug on this "adventure" the YGIC says I think you should make that scan to email until IT comes to fix "stuff" on our network.


Please enter smart ass comments below. I just wonder who slept with whom to get her in charge.

My favorite is 'we don't have a network, we're wireless"