How many brands are you expected to be good at?

[AyJayAreDii]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

I need to update this! I was 2 maximum, know I am expected on 5+. Since my company what taken over I have been thrown into all-sorts. (not the sweets)

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

I'll try anything at least once.

[Shadow1]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

They're afraid to let me work on any more brands (especially Cannon) because it'll be too easy to job hunt the competition.

[mrizer]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

We have a service department that is authorized on Xerox, Samsung, Lexmark, Konica-Minolta, Oki, and Canon. We also do IBM, Ricoh, and anything else in between.

However, the majority of our business is in parts sales to folks like you all. We have an 18,000 square foot warehouse chock full of new and refurbished parts and new and refurbished machines. We also provide free and comprehensive technical support to anyone. We have several techs with a combined experience of more than 50 years that provide this service all day long. We can email large sections of manuals and have access to all of the service bulletins on the vendors we are authorized with.

The vendors are making it more difficult. There are probably 10-20 times as many current models out there as there was 10-15 years ago. And with the demand for MPS, if you aren't covering a wide array of machines then you will be missing out on a lot of money and opportunity.

If you aren't covering a machine, we will likely be able to help you cover that machine.

Anyone ready to service 3D Printers? I bet those will be fun.

Michael
www.iteminconline.com
mrizer@iteminc.com

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

I saw a youtube video on a 3d metal printer...it was very neat. It actually looks rather simple, the printer itself.

[AMeeks]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Here I get mostly Ricoh/Lanier, HP, Samsung, and Lexmark. But I am going to be in training for Xerox.
Does anybody have any tips on keeping a balanced Inventory between the brands? Some of the techs I work with have full warehouses on wheels

[blackcat4866]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Fortunately for me, I do have control over my car inventory. It has not always been this way.

Start with what you've got.
1) If you keep having to incomplete calls for the same part increase carstock by 1 set (set of feed rollers, set of 6 claws, whatever ... )
2) At quarterly inventory, if you haven't used a part in 6 months transfer it back to the warehouse.

There are a couple of exceptions:
-) if the part costs less than $5 and it can down a machine stock it anyway, regardless.
-) if a part costs $1000 and you're using one each month don't stock it, regardless.

For this to work though you have to personally keep track of your car inventory. One of my employers threatened to make us financially responsible for any shortages in our car inventory. And I certainly didn't trust their count. That day I started keeping my own count.

It's really easy to become a hoarder. A good clue that you're a hoarder is if something falls out every time you open a car door.
Does any of that help? =^..^=

[mrizer]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Here I get mostly Ricoh/Lanier, HP, Samsung, and Lexmark. But I am going to be in training for Xerox.
Does anybody have any tips on keeping a balanced Inventory between the brands? Some of the techs I work with have full warehouses on wheels

Not to toot my own horn too much, but our company has been supplying Xerox parts and providing free technical support for more than 30 years now, so we really know Xerox well! If you need any technical assistance feel free to shoot me an email.

BTW - blackcat4866 seems to have a pretty fool proof car inventory system

Michael
mrizer@iteminc.com
xerox and tektronix, dell, canon, konica-minolta-qms, samsung, lexmark, okidata, epson, google mini appliances,ibm printer parts and supplies and rentals item inc

[igi]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

well let see
sharp,konica,toshiba,itec,etc
prety much anything the bosses bring

[wobm]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Hi people, im new here, and new to the copier repair biz, based in Aus. Look after Xerox (Fuji Xerox here), Lanier/Ricoh and small Brother mfc's. I prefer to work on the Xerox personally. BTW great site, wish i found it earlier

[Phrag]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

I should have put 4. Officially, we work on Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Fuji Xerox MFP's and HP Printers.

BUT I have worked on the odd Samsung, Lexmark, and Canon.

I remember I was only 2 years into my current job, trained solely on Konica Minolta, and went to another of our branch in the state to help with their backlog. First job I got was on a Canon Wide Format printer. I thought "What the flippin hell do I do with this thing?" Eventually decided to order one of those waste ink tanks, and fixed it. Was pretty chuffed about that.

[mbcruzin]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Currently we sell and service Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Canon, Sharp, Samsung, Lexmark, and HP. Plus the the assorted Ricoh/Canon Wide Format and Duplicators. Along with Shredders, Cutters, Lamentations, folders, etc.

[Blizzoo]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

As I have stated before, I am an office equipment whore, I will do any brand for money. I also taught myself to work on shredders and plotters because they would call the shop and the shop would give me the ticket. Now when they call the shop, the shop just gives them my number and lets me book my own calls. I find it challenges me to stay sharp and exposes me to different styles of design.

I know that feeling and somehow you realize wich brands do you like .
I had calls where was no manual and google the fault on client site.

Keeps you with lot's of knowing

[subaro]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

The principles of troubleshooting is what i think matters. I am not the brightest bulb in the room, but give me any machine and i will accept the challenge. The so called five senses are the starters. Most imaging devices works basically on the same principles and if you are confident in using the basic tools, i think you would not run from things that seems daunting. You also must like this type of work. Many techs just stick to what they are trained on and never want to learn anything different, just the paycheck on friday and to hell with the rest. Those days are gone.
There are drawbacks to servicing many brands as your company parts stock can get out of control and you will eat loss. aslo things like f/w update that are propriety and you essentially have to beg and wait days or weeks for answers can lead to fustration. But if there is support and rewards are inline, bring it on.
I repaired my co-worker garage door opener and i never seen one before. but a little investigation pointed to a stuck switch, swap it one of the other and he was a happy camper. door would open by itself and close sometimes was the complaint.

beam me up scotty. done here

[andyf424]

Re: How many brands are you expected to be good at?

Konica Minolta, Kyocera, HP, KIP, RISO. Anything from a little disposable printer to production color with all the finishers. I've been doing this for only 2 years but I learn through immersion and my employer certainly gave me an opportunity to do exactly that. Nothing like having to ask the user where the power switch is to keep you on your toes. If it's under contract, I've got no problem spending too long trying to figure out a machine I'm not trained on. I figure that's the cost my company has to pay for having devices under contract and not training techs. I just hate looking like an idiot when it's chargeable....

I still get calls on NEC machines that are re-branded KM boxes, or old KM 7022's that you can't get parts for. Fun stuff but, we've got a couple of vet's with 20-30 years of experience. They save my butt with the old machines and I help them out with the networking crap. Seems to work out pretty well.