COPIER COSTS | 5 MIN READ
Imagine all the time and money you could save if you could fix some basic copier issues yourself without having to hire a technician. The cost for service appointments and negative consequences associated with interruptions to business operations can quickly add up, which is why learning how to fix a few basic problems yourself is key. Keep reading to learn a few basic problems you can solve in-house to reduce the amount of requests for copier service.
Not enough time? Jump to:
Error Messages After Troubleshooting
Reduce Costs with a Copier Service Contract
Why Do My Copier Service Costs Go Up?
What to Look for in a Copier Contract to Terminate Your Lease
Black Lines on Your Copies
Each time an original passes over a dirty glass, that speck of dust, pen mark, or white mark creates a black line on your copy. Cleaning your copier’s scan glass is the easiest way to resolve the issue of lines forming on your copy pages.
You can easily clean your copier glass with a lint-free towel and some cleaner solution. You can purchase cleaning solution at your local office supply store, but if you are in a pinch, alcohol can work as a cleaning solution. Make sure not to use ammonia-based cleaning solutions, as this can damage the film on the glass over time.
RELATED: Why Is My Copier Printing Black Lines?
Paper Jams
The most common source of frustration with a copier is a paper jam. There are typically two reasons that a paper jam occurs.
Reason #1: The paper tray was overloaded.
Today’s copiers and reams of paper are a standard size/amount. As a result, jams can happen when someone who needs more copies than a single pack of paper holds tries to save time by fitting more paper in the paper tray than it allows.
Unfortunately, this results in less efficiency because instead of saving time, you end up having to follow the step-by-step process on how to remove the jam. When you stop overfilling a paper tray, you can prevent future paper jams.
Reason #2: The wrong size or incorrect paper weight was used.
Jams can happen when a user puts the wrong type of paper in a paper tray or tries to print on paper that their machine is not equipped to handle. Over time, putting the wrong kind of paper in a paper tray can alter the rollers in a way that do not allow them to properly send paper through the machine, which can result in paper jams.
Jams most often occurs after a user utilizes a heavy stock paper in a copier that can't handle it. While some copiers can certainly handle thicker paper, you should always check to see what paper your copier can and cannot handle.
Error Messages After Troubleshooting
If you've already tried troubleshooting your copier and are still receiving error messages, you can take a few simple steps to reboot it.
While today’s copiers are so much more advanced than they were a decade ago, which may make one think that fixing error messages is a complex task, the answer can sometimes be extremely simple.
Just like a computer, a copier requires occasional reboots too. Rebooting your copier can often fix an error message.
To reboot, simply turn off your copier using the power button and then unplug it from the wall. Keep in mind that newer and more complex copiers may have more than one power switch.
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Reduce Service Costs with a Copier Maintenance Agreement
Copier maintenance agreements (also known as a Service Level Agreement or SLA) are flat monthly rates built into your copier lease that pay for any service calls that your company may ever need.
Instead of calling and paying an outside technician to come fix a one-off job for hundreds of dollars, you can pay a flat monthly rate to have all service calls covered. Think of a copier maintenance agreement like health insurance. People acquire health insurance so they can be financially protected when they’re sick.
The same is true for a copier maintenance agreement. As your machine ages, it will need more maintenance, similar to a car. If you don't have a service agreement, the charges for each of these service requests will, over time, end up being much more expensive than if you simply paid for a built-in service agreement.
Companies who print more than 2,000 pages a month may benefit from a maintenance agreement, as their frequent printing output means that their machines will deteriorate quicker and therefore be in need of service more frequently.
These agreements also minimize the amount of disruptions to business operations. With copier maintenance agreements, your vendor will regularly service your machine to make sure everything is functioning properly (like a physical at the doctor’s office). This can prevent future machine breakdowns that would have led to extensive downtime.
Copier maintenance agreements also allow your business to simplify budgeting. This is because instead of having to randomly pay hundreds or thousands of dollars when a machine breaks, you can pay the same flat rate for a service agreement every month.
RELATED: How Do I Get Out of My Copier Lease?
What are the risks of not having a copier
maintenance agreement?
While it may seem cheaper to not pay a monthly rate for a copier maintenance agreement at all and simply pay for service when you need it, this scenario is the equivalent of being uninsured and paying for medical treatment.
When you don't have health insurance and try to pay for medical treatment, your payments are much higher than if your insurer helped shoulder some of that financial burden.
When you don't have a copier maintenance agreement, you'll have to pay out of pocket for every service appointment, which can quickly add up and can be hard to budget for.
RELATED: How Much Does a Copier Cost?
Why Do My Copier Service Costs Go Up?
As the machine gets used, the parts inside begin to wear down and need to be replaced. Simply put – as machines get older, machines need more attention. It’s like the difference between the medical bills of an 80-year-old and a 14-year-old.
As machine parts wear, copier service technicians will begin using Preventative Maintenance (PM) kits to keep the machines in top working condition.
If the company you have a service agreement with didn’t raise the price over time, they would be working for free. If you are in a contract with a stagnant price, one of two things is likely happening:
- They aren’t servicing your machines regularly, which will result in extended downtime.
- They are taking a loss on the service of your equipment.
What to Look for in a Copier Contract to Terminate Your Lease
Are you unsatisfied with your current copier provider and want to terminate your lease? Keep reading to see some terminology you should look out for in your contract.
Automatic Renewals
A clause regarding automatic renewals will most likely be written into your agreement. This protects the service provider from losing someone’s business at the drop of a hat. Traditionally, you (the customer) are required to provide a Letter of Intent to terminate service 30-90 days prior to the end of your agreement.
If you fail to provide this Letter of Intent, the contract can auto-renew, and most contracts renew for an additional 12 months. Make sure you understand the cancellation procedure even if your agreement is about to expire.
Breach of Contract
It is possible to break a service contract, but like most contracts, it is difficult. Contracts protect the customer and the provider. The only way you can get out of a service contract is with gross negligence on the part of the provider. This doesn’t mean their service is slow or that the machine breaks down too often.
Gross negligence would have to be more extreme, like the provider not maintaining the equipment at all and never coming out to fix your machine. Make sure you understand how often your copier should be serviced and know if your agreement is appropriate for your equipment; otherwise, you may expose yourself to extended downtime, without any recourse.
Keep in mind that a quality service provider will do what they can to keep your business and build brand trust, even if that ultimately means objectively admitting their faults and allowing you out of your service agreement.
Early Termination Fee
Many copier dealers and manufacturers will place penalties in their contracts for terminating early or breaching their policies regarding the termination process. Some only administer penalties if you breach their Letter of Intent policies, and others will hold you to finishing your entire agreement, even if you switch providers.
Before getting into a long contract with a copier company, make sure you know if they have early-cancellation penalties built into their contract.
Copier Lease Buyouts
Often, there are scenarios where a competing dealer will agree to “buyout” your lease in an effort to earn your business. In this situation, the competing dealer will roll the cost of your remaining lease into their new lease. This allows them to recoup the money spent in paying-off your old equipment.
So, are you really getting a buyout? Not really. This is more like refinancing your existing equipment by spreading your remaining lease payments over the next 36-60 months while affording yourself the freedom to upgrade your existing copiers, today.
Copiers can be expensive enough on their own, let alone the subsequent costs for maintenance. Thankfully, there's a few simple tips you can follow to reduce your service costs.
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