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  1. #11
    Former KM Senior Tech 500+ Posts srvctec's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    Initially, out of high school, I planned to be a PHAC tech. Went to Vo-Tech school right out of high school for Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, becoming the top in the class at sheet metal work. This all came about mostly because my grandad was a plumber all his life and I knew I wanted to fix stuff, but wasn't sure exactly what but liked working with my hands on mechanical and electrical stuff. Going into PHAC, I had several options to branch out into and since I was best at sheet metal (making all the duct-work), I figured I'd go in that direction since I wasn't crazy about the plumbing option. Looked for a job for a year in sheet metal locally (didn't want to relocate) without any luck. While doing job searching, I worked on the farm and also for another farmer all that summer.

    Decided since I liked fixing stuff that I would take Electronics I & II at Vo-Tech in the town I now live in (different town from where the PHAC course was taken) and hoped that would lead to some kind of maintenance or repair type position somewhere. After graduating the 2 year course of Electronics in the spring of 1988, I started at my current job in fall of 1988 and have been here ever since. I don't think there is any other job I could have where I could faithfully say that I learn something new every week, even being at it for over 32 years. That's what I like about it so much and figuring out the problems.

    Edit to add:
    The whole PHAC thing wasn't a waste of time and money for me because I do all my own work relating to this in my house.
    Last edited by srvctec; 02-24-2021 at 10:19 PM.
    Started in the copier service business in the fall of 1988 and worked at the same company for 33.5 years, becoming the senior tech in 2004 but left to pursue another career on 4/29/22.

  2. #12
    Senior Tech 250+ Posts progoffice's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    In high school, I worked for a copier company during summer breaks that also sold office supplies. My job was mainly sorting and delivering office supplies and toner, but I was also interested in the copiers that were getting worked on in the office. I went off to college at Texas A&M, still working there some summers to make tuition money. I wanted to do graphic design/advertising, so a lot of my classes involved computers and printing. I didn't know until later that these skills were going to help me in this career. After graduating, the post 911 job market wasn't the best so when the owner of the copier company offered me a full-time job I took it. Copiers were becoming more than just copiers at the time, and he wanted some young blood that had some computer knowledge that could figure out the networking side of things. Long story short and 17 years later, I'm still here and I've been able to become a hybrid technician that's not afraid to turn the screwdriver or network an entire office full of equipment. We're a small business, so I also get to sell and not just pick up the pieces of broken promises that salesman leave behind. I still enjoy what I do, but if I didn't work for a really good company I may have veered off entirely to the IT side of things somewhere else - who knows? So no, copier tech would not have been my answer to the "what do you want to do when you grow up" question, but I'm happy to be one now.

  3. #13
    Trusted Tech 50+ Posts
    What got you into the copier game?


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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    Electronics at Vo Tech 2 years half a day, then work study to a TV company. Then applies in late 70s to a Business Machine Company that sold Calculators and Friden Weighing and Mailing
    Systems. Rocky Marciano was the Celebrity for Friden and I got to meet him at one training school. While repairing a mailing system my boss/owner came over to give me advice and his tie got stuck in the gears and he was pulled down. I must have wanted a paycheck so I let the interlock I was holding in the test go before it got ugly. It always was funny. Then off to Minolta from 80-85,
    trained on a word processor also it was a Sony but we never sold any. Did dictation and recorders also here, well rounded job. They had Apeco rollomatics and Minolta 101 thermal tanks.
    After 5 years to another Minolta dealer to become Service Manager, we had copiers at Langley being deployed also we sold Harris Lanier which was Toshiba. After 3 years here went to a big Canon dealer who wanted to pay a lot. Learned CLC1,CLC2, all Fax units, all other business Canons, Also I had to fix the new consumer machines, Canon PC-20 and PC-25 for a local wholesale club through this dealer. Got so good i was replacing gears on turrets that changed scanner speed for enlarge or reduce. 5 Years then began my own business for a full 15 years ran a Republican Congressmans successful copying campaign and supplied Vice President Chenys advance placement team with Copiers and computers, and was very profitable. a divorce took some wind away so went to work for others again. Sharp dealer for short time, then finally my job I like, as Service Manager, since hired we have place over 30 Konica Minoltas in a year. Several Printers and have a list of those waiting for a copier. Many repairs everyday. Cannot barley remember everything but that answers that !

  4. #14
    Senior Tech 250+ Posts
    What got you into the copier game?

    Vincent128's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    After H.S. I went into a 3 year program to get my AAS in Electronics.
    Always loved to take crap apart and fix/learn/understand how it worked.
    My first word was battery and my second was screwdriver - mom can't remember how many more first words there were before "mom" or "dad"...LOL

    After getting my AAS, it took a few years of pizza place job before I found one as a copier tech in 1994- been one ever since and have added many many more office equipment machines to the list of crap I work on.

    Currently 10+years at a company (now service manager/lead tech) that does copiers/ postage machine / folder-inserter and anything else the sales people can sell (shredders, cutters, softwares...etc)

  5. #15
    Service Manager 2,500+ Posts rthonpm's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    Worked in a print shop for several years then got laid off. One of my managers who had left several years before went to work for Lanier and referred me to one of his hiring people. They needed an onsite person for one of their Professional Services accounts that would be embedded in with the company's IT. I had PC skills and knew how to clear paper jams, so it was a good fit. The techs for the area showed me how to keep forty machines running through basic PM parts, which they could then drop off to me and then hit other calls. When the contract term was up I went over to the service team as a connectivity guy.

    Worked for a dealer or a few years later on, after moving out of state but by then I was doing more IT related things on the side so I branched out and started my own company. IT support with printer and copier service as a way to get through the door.

    Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

  6. #16
    Senior Tech 100+ Posts
    What got you into the copier game?


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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    I was 20 and needed money, now I'm 25 and need money

  7. #17
    Retired 10,000+ Posts
    What got you into the copier game?

    slimslob's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    Quote Originally Posted by tmmdmmm View Post
    I was 20 and needed money, now I'm 25 and need money
    Stay out of the casinos in Stateline.

  8. #18
    Technician
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    I was a software engineer at a company called Digital Equipment actually building photolithography equipment to make read-write heads for disk drives, and I got loaned out for a project to build a new driver for a 50 page per minute printer. I was fascinated but the paper path and speed. At the time, I had to build every new parameter that could be added to the print command line. Then I had to test that function or parameter. So I learned a lot about them. Later, I was developing another project for a company in Washington that had a contract to print Microsoft manuals and switched to digital print. Some 30 years later I bought a small printing business and began to switch from outsourcing to inhouse with digital printers.

  9. #19
    Senior Tech 100+ Posts
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    1980 Unemployed aircraft mechanic, Jimmy Carter years... There was an ad in the paper for a Electro Mechanical Field Engineer (Savin) Ann Arbor Mich.,,, I thought Hell I can fix a jet engine I can fix this POS... Started my own business in 84, sold it and moved to Fl in 88 and started again,,,, still at it..

  10. #20
    Service Manager 5,000+ Posts tsbservice's Avatar
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    Re: What got you into the copier game?

    Quote Originally Posted by rthonpm View Post
    Worked in a print shop for several years then got laid off. One of my managers who had left several years before went to work for Lanier and referred me to one of his hiring people. They needed an onsite person for one of their Professional Services accounts that would be embedded in with the company's IT. I had PC skills and knew how to clear paper jams, so it was a good fit. The techs for the area showed me how to keep forty machines running through basic PM parts, which they could then drop off to me and then hit other calls. When the contract term was up I went over to the service team as a connectivity guy.

    Worked for a dealer or a few years later on, after moving out of state but by then I was doing more IT related things on the side so I branched out and started my own company. IT support with printer and copier service as a way to get through the door.

    Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk
    I'm interested are you using copiers and printers as a way to enter client and then take on their IT side. As we seem to do opposite right now. I wonder if your approach is better in general and what are pros and cons from your point of view. Thanks.
    A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost, he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

    Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.

    I don't reply to private messages from end users.

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