COPIER DEALERS | 5 MIN READ
This is a follow-up post to Standard Office Systems' popular top copier dealer list of 2018. We received such a positive response from our audience that we decided to write another for 2019!
If you're in the market for a new copier, you're most likely trying to do some research to discover which copier is the best and who delivers the best service for copiers in your area.
You do an online search only to discover that there are so many options to choose from, and it seems like many have pretty good reviews and ratings. So, you reach out to the first few that are listed in Google and ask for a quote. Maybe you even reached out to the company that your friend recommended.
But do you think this is a quality strategy for finding a copier vendor?
My guess is no, but what do you do? Fortunately, SOS has been in the office technology industry for over 50 years, and as a result, we get asked the question from time to time -- "Other than yourselves, what companies would you recommend?"
Admittedly, it felt counter-intuitive to put a list of our competitors on the internet as the "Top Copier Dealers in Atlanta," but when we think about our #1 goal being to help customers, it only makes sense for us to make this list.
So, we've omitted our company from the list, but have created a very comprehensive evaluation of each company, including adding to the criteria from 2018.
RELATED: Top Copier Dealers in Atlanta 2021
RELATED: Top Copier Dealers in the US 2021
Not a lot of time? Skip to what you need:
What Makes a Great Copier Dealer? The 2019 List Criteria
2019 Top Copier Dealer Winners
What About the Manufacturers?
Let's face it, there are an overwhelming amount of options in metro-Atlanta. To make our list, each company was examined carefully for the following traits:
Qualities of a Great Copier Company
Years in Operation: If a company has been around for more than a decade, they're most likely doing something correctly and can be trusted. The number of years a business has been in operation can give us some insight into the trust and customer loyalty they've built through their existence. In order to make our list, a company must be in business for 10 years or more.
Google Reviews: Just looking up the top three companies on Google isn't the most thorough strategy for deciding who to contact, but looking at their Google reviews can be part of a good strategy.
Every review should be taken with a grain of salt, but the great thing about Google reviews is that they aren't controlled by their marketing department (as opposed to testimonies on their website). These reviews offer insight into what customers really think about their products and service.
Competitive Pricing: This is often a company's #1 concern when selecting a dealer, but that's often because there hasn't been enough differentiation created to make their decision about anything else.
Competitive pricing simply means if a company is willing to negotiate to earn your business and if their price is reasonable for the services provided. Just keep in mind -- like most industries, you often get what you pay for.
High Levels of Support: There is often a direct correlation between higher priced service and quality. Not always, but it usually exists. You may have gotten a great deal on your equipment, but if it's malfunction more than it's operational, did you really get a great deal?
High service levels are extremely important because they help you get the most efficiency from your machines with the least amount of stress.
Additional Products Offered: We'll talk about manufacturers in a second, but one major drawback of a manufacturer is that they only have one brand of machine. Copier dealers are able to carry as many brands as they'd like.
So if you like a Kyocera ECOSYS printer to go along with your Canon copier, that isn't a problem if you team up with a dealer who sells and services both. Variety gives you the flexibility of keeping the service you love without forcing you to use the same brand (in most situations).
Glassdoor Reviews: New for 2019 -- Happy employees often make happy customers. Think about the person at the quick-serve counter who hates their job or the personality of the person who's always complaining about their paper pushing rituals.
If employees are decidedly unhappy to work for a company, there are reasons for this. Perhaps management is unreasonable or unapproachable. Perhaps they don't pay well compared to the rest of their industry. Either way, these factors don't usually result in high levels of service.
*Listed alphabetically
Founded: 1987
Heaquarters: Convington, GA
Google Review Rating: 5/5 (4 reviews)
Glassdoor Rating: 5/5 (2 reviews)
"...proud to be locally owned and operated in the Atlanta/metro area, providing thousands of businesses with office solutions..."
Founded: 1969
Heaquarters: Duluth, GA
Google Review Rating: 5/5 (3 reviews)
Glassdoor Rating: Not available
"...we strive to be the most trusted vendor for all office technology solutions."
Founded: 1977
Heaquarters: Duluth, GA
Google Review Rating: Not available
Glassdoor Rating: 3.1/5 (14 reviews)
"...offering an innovative mix of products and services that have affected the way that organizations manage their document assets."
Founded: 1987
Heaquarters: Norcross, GA
Google Review Rating: 5/5 (29 reviews)
Glassdoor Rating: 3.2/5 (23 reviews)
"...we have committed to providing our customers with a trusted suite of office technology solutions, innovative software, and expert advice to improve the way businesses operate."
Founded: 1982
Heaquarters: Duluth, GA
Google Review Rating: 4.1/5 (7 reviews)
Glassdoor Rating: Not available
"We develop customer solutions for your business and handle your project from start to finish."
You may have noticed that we didn't include manufacturers on our list. Let me explain our justification.
There are some advantages to receiving your copier service through a manufacturer, but the goals of a copier manufacturer are very different from that of a dealer.
We dive into these differences in our article about copier dealers and manufacturers, but the short version comes down to goals.
Copier manufacturers make their money by selling machines. Their goal is to sell more and more copiers because they are publicly traded companies. If they can show retail growth, they receive more money from shareholders.
This allows manufacturers to virtually give away their services to customers, which sounds great -- until it's not.
Cheap service typically doesn't correlate with great service.
At the end of the day, you have to make a decision based on your company's needs. Staying within your budget is one of them, but typically, the cost savings of going with the lowest priced option is not worth the headache of poor service.
Licensed office copier dealers are able to get the same pricing as their manufacturer counterparts, so the real decision comes down to trust and reliability.
We've enjoyed building trust with our customers for half a century and that foundation continues to make us a successful company.
Hopefully, this list serves as a great starting point in your search and you find yourself able to select a copier company that isn't just about being the lowest price, but is about providing the best possible service to its customers.
Want to Learn More?
Copier Costs: How Much?
What Printers Really Cost
The Differences Between Copier Dealers and Manufacturers