How far is too far.

[prntrfxr]

How far is too far.

The second service company I ever worked for had an account that covered 5 states. Most of the time we had an outsource company (I had to manage this) handle these calls but sometimes there was special situations that required someone from our office to check it out.

I've sent a tech as far west as Mississippi which was roughly 350 mi/577km away. That happened twice, once for hurricane flooding.

The furthest I've had to go was to

Baxley, GA 190/305.7km and next farthest
Rome, GA 122mi/196.3km

Baxley call took me a long time because of the security in the building. (M-16's, German Shepherds, Metal Detectors, complete tool bag inspection, phone call to my boss verifying employment, inspection of my ID badge, and they locked me in the room to fix the machine. I had to call if I needed to go to the bathroom or when I was finished and needed to leave.

[mjarbar]

Baxley call took me a long time because of the security in the building. (M-16's, German Shepherds, Metal Detectors, complete tool bag inspection, phone call to my boss verifying employment, inspection of my ID badge, and they locked me in the room to fix the machine. I had to call if I needed to go to the bathroom or when I was finished and needed to leave.

Where were you - Hanger 18!!! Actually, with that sort of security - I don't want to know

[blackcat4866]

If you've ever serviced medium to high security prison accounts the security is tighter.

I had a 25 pc tool kit which I used only on prison sites. The manifest of items was registered at all the sites, and the contents was checked individually before and after each visit. I also had a vendor photo ID, which made it considerably smoother. And the prerequisite security checks.

I was patted down going in. Checked in my shoes, between my toes, in my mouth and ears. Through the metal detector, and escorted to the locked room. I was either accompanied or locked into the room with the copier. When I was ready to leave I would call the extension of the guard shack to come and escort me out.

The worst thing you can do is try to rush or act nervous. A pal of mine filled in for me while I was on vacation. It normally took 1 hr to get on site, and 1/2 hr to get back out to the car (good planning was important here, no quick trips to the car).

My pal was in a hurry, and when they find out that your in a hurry it takes three times longer. They completely strip-searched my co-worker. He was there all day. He was delighted when I returned from vacation.

I remember one memorable visit when I finished the last dregs of a tube of superglue, and made the mistake of tossing it in a trash basket. It took us three hours to locate the spent tube of superglue, in the folds of plastic trash bag liner. =^..^=

[fixthecopier]

I did a couple of prison calls. Remember how some blades used to come with a small ziplock of power to put on the blades. One guard said it was coke. I talked him into rubbing some on his gums to test it. Then he got mad when I laughed at him as he was spitting it out.

[Jordan]

Cows and oils wells? I thought it was steers and queers.

...just playin'.

Just Playin' !!

[WOETC]

From Alice Springs in the dead centre of Australia, I had a territory about 500 km (300 miles) South, and the same North. (there was only one road) The joy was that there was NO!! speed limit in those days. I used to drive it at about 160 to 200 Km per hour. Nowadays I have a territory that covers 200 km North, 150 km South and about 400km West. We're on the coast and there aint a lot of East. Some of our most distant machines are direct sales from Canon, with no mileage allowance in the contract. Lexmark used to pay us a mileage allowance of $1 per Km which was just as well because our territory for them was about 500km in the 3 directions. My first delivery out to Cracow a mine 375 Km west I delivered a Toshiba es250 in the back of a Station Wagon. The last 30 km were so bad, I killed 2 tyres and 3 alloy rims, driving under 20km per hour.

[vincent64]

My territory is Texas but the farthest I have went is about 300 miles one way. We have some contract machines in west Texas, talk about a long boring drive nothing but cows and oil wells out there.

Got some of them oil wells down in east texas as well.
Where is spicewood, never heard of it I guess.

[kingarthur]

I guess I am spoiled. My main area is 15 min from the shop. Well since I had nothing to do {Bizhubs don't break down...I am being sarcastic}, I got to make a road trip because my boss moved a prescription shredder to a drug store near the mountains. I think the directions included the phrase "turn off the pavement and wade across the creek. Anyway the trip was 4 hours there, 30 minutes to unload and 3 and a half to get back, I now have a new found respect for long distance techs.How far away does your shop send you on contract work? Do people in remote areas pay outrageous sums to get stuff fixed?

you spend as long as 15 mins travelling to a job lol....99% of my calls are a 5 min walk...if i need a part...i walk back & get it..while the coffee that the customer has made me cools down ...sometimes i might have a 10 min drive to go to a call....the longest i've had to drive to a call is about 4 miles, normally 10 mins unless i get stuck in the school traffic....

[Hemlock]

Last tech jorb, the longest drive was 150 mi each way. Now, the farthest machine from my desk is 1/4 mile.

[gwaddle]

My nearest customer is across the street. The farthest we see regularly is about 100 miles and some up to 200.

[racefreak]

My current territory is about 30 miles from home and I cover about 10 miles further out in all directions back home. It's all print shops so 44 machines seems like a low number but it can be overwhelming when they all call in.

However, I used to work in Hilton head island, SC and live in Savannah, GA. About an hour each way except for when the fire dept on one of the islands called in. They were waterlocked so its an hour ride to Hilto Head, an hour boat ride to the island and about 30 minutes to get in front of the machine. If you could'nt fix it in 30 minutes, you would miss the next boat and had to take the following one. This would get you back to Hilton head at 4:15 so catching another call was usually impossible. All day for one call but for a water lover like me, not too bad.

[blackcat4866]

... so 44 machines seems like a low number but it can be overwhelming when they all call in ...

44? They're not all active (some die off), but I've got 628 machines and increasing every day. It would be nice if I had 44 unique models. =^..^=

[bigdcopy]

I work the panhandle of Florida it is nothing for me to travel 200 miles in one day just today I traveled 150 miles between calls I am getting tired of it have been doing this for 26 years and always get stuck with the big territories last company I traveled from Tallahasse Florida to New Orleans (at least they put me up in a room for the night) did the service call then drove 5 hours back home.

[jonezy999]

Just returned from an overnight trip. 1250kms round trip. 8 jobs. 400kms and 7 jobs on wednesday, then 1 job and 850kms yesterday.

[blsquires]

travel

last week went to a contract customer 7 hours drive at 110 kph on a contract so they pay $600 dollars (australian)for the one way trip we pay for parts, toner, overnight accomodation and meals.
then 7 hrs drive back .my poor old car has done 40,000 klms in 5 months.