Service Agreement Question??

[BillyCarpenter]

I have a client (church) and the office staff knows almost nothing about computers so when there's a problem with their network and they can't print, they call me because they don't want to pay anyone to fix the problem. I've gone a few rounds with this client alread and actually charged them for the last service call. Someone had been jacking around in the network closet and unplugged the printer. It took me 5-seconds to fix and I charged them for a service call to make a point - STOP CALLING ME WITH bullshit that has nothing to do with the copier.

Well, this morning I get a call because no one can print. Upon questioning, she said they changed service providers. Here's my question...where does your company draw the line?

Thanks in advance.

[srvctec]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

I have a client (church) and the office staff knows almost nothing about computers so when there's a problem with their network and they can't print, they call me because they don't want to pay anyone to fix the problem. I've gone a few rounds with this client alread and actually charged them for the last service call. Someone had been jacking around in the network closet and unplugged the printer. It took me 5-seconds to fix and I charged them for a service call to make a point - STOP CALLING ME WITH bullshit that has nothing to do with the copier.

Well, this morning I get a call because no one can print. Upon questioning, she said they changed service providers. Here's my question...where does your company draw the line?

Thanks in advance.

Our contracts state that networking isn't covered in their contract so as a rule, we charge for anything network related that isn't a problem with the copier itself. Of course, the issue is we have to go out and prove the copier isn't the problem first, usually by connecting a laptop directly and making sure we can print from it. If we can, then it's up to the customer to let us know if we should proceed to try and fix their issue, but it's going to cost them. We charge quite a bit more for networking calls than a regular service call would be for those without a contract, just to get our money for the headache of networking issues on their end.

[mloudy]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

It is stated on the MA which I understand someone would overlook but it is also one every MA invoice in brigh red highlighted in yellow.

"This is a Maintenance Agreement for the equipment listed above. It covers all parts, labor, supplies (except paperand staples), service calls and maintenance. It does not cover any remote or on site IT services by our staff related
to scanning, printing or faxing unless it is an issue that is a result of a malfunction of the equipment listed above."

I allow one complaint per customer and void the invoice. I ask to talk to a person in charge who I let know that after today we will charge for these service calls. Most of the time people pay the bill and nver say a work. Doctors, lawyers and those who work every business for free service are the ones I get called by the most.

[copiertec]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

I like mloudy's idea of putting it on the contract in bold red/yellow lettering. Our company always attempts to fix the issue for free at first if it does not take too long. Our customer support will ask them is the copier on? Is the network cable plugged in? And, last but not least have you restarted/updated your computer? If the answer is yes, they let them know we will send out a tech and if he/she determines it is a networking issue there will be a charge for that service.
A new router and your company has to reconfigure ip address of the copier- billable.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

Thanks for all the input. My service agreement clearly states (not in red) that it doesn't cover network issues. But this church has worn me down. The pastor is a bit of a hothead and I try to avoid conflict unless they really push me.

I (once again) explained that network issues aren't covered and it would be chargeable. I thought it was settled only to get a phone call 10 minutes later and the girl asked me: "I thought labor was covered"?

It's frustrating and I need to come up with a plan to fix this situation.

[srvctec]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

Thanks for all the input. My service agreement clearly states (not in red) that it doesn't cover network issues. But this church has worn me down. The pastor is a bit of a hothead and I try to avoid conflict unless they really push me.

I (once again) explained that network issues aren't covered and it would be chargeable. I thought it was settled only to get a phone call 10 minutes later and the girl asked me: "I thought labor was covered"?

It's frustrating and I need to come up with a plan to fix this situation.

Just make a copy of the contract with it enlarged where it says networking isn't covered, copied in RED. That should do it.

[mloudy]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

If you have a way to put it on every MA invoice too that will give you a second place to tell them find it.

Fax line issues are another pain in the butt that customers think we should diagnose for free.

[blackcat4866]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

That'll be an ongoing thing. It doesn't matter if you specify in the service agreement or not. Customers will assume that IT is free. I've had customers that KNEW it was an IT issue, and called us "cause it's free."

At one of the places I worked I had a paragraph put in: "If printing and scanning work crossovered to a laptop, then those functions are working. Additional IT services beyond that are billable." And it didn't make a bit of difference.

I had one customer call the owner of our company and complained that I REFUSED to fix their fax line (No dial tone). I don't even know how to respond to that. =^..^=

[bsm2]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

Wow charging a Church for 5 second service call guess that's how you roll in Mississippi.

I wonder how many new customers you just lost?

[davel]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

Wow charging a Church for 5 second service call guess that's how you roll in Mississippi.

I wonder how many new customers you just lost?

Not needed, this is not Rants and Raves, please keep your personal/political opinions out of other forums. I am sure your company would charge for not machine related issues.

[Gift]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

We do a lot of "good will" stuff for good customers so the line we draw isn't really static.

Example:

Imagine a customer with a service contract in higher price range that didn't call us for - lets say 2 years.
After 2 years of silence he called in a problem with printing and an site it turns out it's just something
on his computer what was solved by the tech.

Usually that's not included by our contracts but on the other hand I don't like
to bill a customer that has been quiet for a long period of time.

Other customers might have contracts with no margin for good will actions and of
course some push it too far and call in way too often for every single little spot they find on a print or scan user they need to add.

[mloudy]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

We do the same as Gift also.

I look a it this way. I call someone to fix my furnance, I have no heat. Guy is there 5 minutes and when he leaves my funrace is running and I have heat again. I get a bill for $200.00 and pay it. I paid him to get my heat back and not to be there for any set period of time. 5 minutes or 2 hours, doesn't matter to me because I paid him for his ability to fix the problem.

I get the "he was only here 5 minutes" phone calls. Add in drive time and my tech was occupied for well over an hour. I simply ask if he fixed what they called in about. If they want to go deeper I can lay out all the costs of operating a business. IT calls are much different than copier break/fix calls. A copier Tech can spend a good hour going through a copier if he wants to. You have to feel out the customer though becuase sometimes they just want to start using the copier again. An IT Tech can sometimes come in and knock out the problem in a few minutes. Then what? Clean out the ports in the router, dust off the network switches or run packet captures? Often if people will simply follow a few instructions things can be fixed over the phone but sometimes they want just want someone there and are unwilling to assist.

[Gift]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

@mrloudy

I think that comparison lags a little because you probably have no service contract for the furnance guy. In case you have one and didn't call him in ages while spending some hundred bucks what would you think if he show up the first time in ages and there's a 5 minute fix but not on the furnance but the periphal components (like the electricity) and they bill you for that? I'd probably consider to cancel that agreement.

But I agree that the time needed for fixing a problem on site isn't really the most important variable to consider that "bill / not bill" decision. And If I decide not to bill something I (or my tech) usually make shure and explain to the customer that this work is usually not included in their contract.

I think all of us already save a lot of money thanks to disabled PM messages / life stops / reset procedures and on the other hand that's the same reason why some customers don't or rarely generates calls.

[KenB]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

I've had a few calls like that. I think we all have.

What I will normally do is fix the problem, but then spend some time with the customer to see if they are having any other issues with printing or scanning, and ask if they have any operational questions in general.

If time allows, even get into address book management if they aren't familiar with it. Maybe they need a driver installed on a workstation or two; something useful to fill the time. In the right situations, you can even explain that to the customer.

If the customer sees that you are there for a full hour, and being of value, they will feel they have gotten their money's worth.

That normally eliminates the "He was only here for five minutes" call.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Service Agreement Question??

I didn't get into the full history with this customer. I have bent over backwards to keep from charging them for a service call. I must have done 5 service calls for networking issues @ no charge and each time I would kindly and gently explain to them that the next one was gonna be chargeable. I would also pull out the service contract and go over it with them and explain the financial drain on our company.

On one of the last calls they reported no connectivity to the printer. I asked them to check if it was plugged into the router/switch and they assured me that it was and nothing had changed.

This is about a 45 minute drive so when I arrived I immediately find that the network cable is unplugged. I showed them and I charged them.

PS - Some of the biggest crooks I've ever met in my life have been at churches.

PSS - The other problem I've had is that they print wirelessly and they only have the cable modem and no access points throughout this HUGE church. I've walked around with them to measure signal strength and they still won't fix it. And they wonder why they can't print in certain parts of the building.