Proactive Service Versus Reactive Service

In the service business, the greatest goal is to provide proactive service versus reactive service. In the simplest terms, this means that you call the customer before they call you or prevent a problem before it occures. Obviously this is one of the most difficult goals to achieve...unless you have an impressive group, clairvoyant dispatchers and technicians.

The obvious and easiest steps to take are to perform preventative maintenance as the manufacturer specifies and, as a technician, make sure you do an inspection of all key components at every service call. This may seem obvious but some dealers choose to ignore these basics in an effort to reduce their costs. Although they may see savings, your company pays the price with increased service calls and frustration with the equipment. For our company the old adage, "short term pain, long term gain", dictates the service process.

Although our service expenditures may be slightly higher, we use OEM parts (Original Equipment Manufacturer), install the full maintenance kits as recommended by the manufacturer and put forth best efforts to prevent problems. Recently we've taken another step toward that proactive goal...it's called Print Audit.

Once installed at your location, Print Audit will send alerts to us when your machine (printers, copiers & faxes) calls for service or is exhibiting the signs of a potential problem such as frequent paper jams. In addition, it will send an alert to our supplies desk when your machine is low on toner. Although there is a cost associated with this service, we feel the long term benefit to our customers is invaluble and worth the expense.

When considering an equipment vendor, it is important to look at what you get for your service dollar. If lower cost results in poor performance, saving a few dollars a month is not worth the potential headache. Although we can't prevent every service call, we are constantly looking for ways to improve. The ultimate goal is always keeping you a satisfied repeat customer.

Written by Tod Guthrie, Service Manager Allied Business Solutions of Boise, Idaho USA in conjunction with Brent Johns of Indian Creek Web Design.