Whether you are looking for a copier company near you that can provide you with a brand new machine, or just a copier repair company, you want to make sure you choose the best company.
Choosing the best copier company is an open-ended answer because your printing and copying needs are specific to your company along with your budget and preferences as well.
Have you tried looking for the best copier companies near you? Have you given up because your online search gave you too many options and you didn’t know which to choose from? Or maybe you are finding not enough or companies located in other cities that are trying to reach your area?
It’s important you ask yourself some questions as to what brought you to the decision of finding the best copier company. Do you need a new copier or printer due to increase in business growth? Do you need more functionality? Is your current machine on its last leg? How important is it to you to do business with a local copier company?
These questions are what brought you to this decision, but now you need to decide where you’re going to purchase a new copier or printer from. If you want to get the lowest price, you’re going to need to know who the different copier companies near you are, as you will be requesting quotes, and comparing the bids they present you.
Finding the Best Copier Company: Doing Your Research
Wherever you are located, you will most likely be around two different types of companies where you can go to buy a new copier from.
Copier Manufacturers
Most copy machine manufacturers have a sales office including installation and support personnel. Our mission at AIS is to provide our customers with options, even if that means it’s another company. We want to make sure you choose the machine that best suits YOUR business. It’s in our best interest to provide our clients and potential customers with honest and unbiased information to make them a more informed buyer.
We’ve compiled a list for you of some of the best copier manufacturers that are probably located in an area near you.
Canon: A Japanese company with headquarters in the U.S. as Canon, USA. Canon was an early maker of copiers. They specialize in optical, imaging and camera products. They are one of the most popular brands in photocopying.
Xerox: A USA brand and company, with headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut. They are a household brand synonymous with the name “copier.” They have one of the widest range color copier models.
Ricoh: A Tokyo, Japan based company with regional headquarters in the US as Ricoh USA, Inc. for the last 50 years. They introduced the fastest digital color printer (15 pages per minute) in 1990.
Konica Minolta: Another Japanese company that began, and is well known, in the photo or camera imaging business. All of their photocopiers use a single platform called “Bizhub.”
Local Authorized Copy Machine Dealers
Local Authorized Copy Machine Dealers may represent one or more different copier or multi-function printer brands of equipment and have built their business on servicing local businesses providing exceptional price and service.
This option really is a personal preference, but again, it’s crucial to do your research. Reading reviews and speaking with people who have used certain authorized dealers is the best way to ensure you are getting the best product for what you are spending.
Since we cannot compile a list of local authorized dealers for every customer, we wanted to make sure to give you a little more information on this option in order for you to be as educated as possible.
A recent study of hundreds of businesses detailing purchasing decisions for a new copier or multi-function printer found the perception was they could receive a better price from a manufacturer than their local dealer, and that just isn’t true.
Authorized local dealers and manufacturers all receive the same wholesale price, and in most cases you can achieve more competitive pricing from a dealer since they have lower overhead.
And when it comes to service, depending on the size of your business, you may find their overall service is better since you may be considered a small fish to the larger businesses in the city of Las Vegas.
If you are still considering purchasing your copier from a local dealer but want to learn a little more about it, read our article, Your Local Copier Dealer - 5 Reasons It’s Good for Your Business.
We’ve also come up with even more questions we think are beneficial for you to ask when looking for the best copier companies near you.
- How can you make sure you get the best price?
- Do you have a list of all the features you are expecting your new copier to do?
- If multiple companies bid for your business (which is a great idea to get the best price), make sure you have them all bidding with the same features (speed, cost per copy, stapling, folding, etc.).
It wouldn’t do you any good to compare machines with different features because you wouldn't be getting a fair read on the specific features you need.
Other questions that are important to consider when thinking about the price of your machine include:
- Do they offer both a lease or purchase price?
- What’s the total lease price or the total purchase price?
- What can your business afford?
- What’s the length and the interest rate on the lease?
- Is there a buyout at the end of your lease, or do you just keep the copier or printer?
Functionality and a Maintenance Contract
To be blunt, no matter what copy machine you end up with, they all do the same three things: copy, mis-feed, and jam. And because of this, you’re going to need a maintenance contract which is another extra expense.
Want to learn more? Check out this article that Business News Daily published, How to Choose a Copy Machine For Your Business.
With every purchase or lease of a copier, you are going to need to pay someone to maintain the hardware. So how do you decide on the best copier service company? We have prepared some questions for you regarding this topic too. Take a look!
- What’s the cost of the maintenance contract? How long does it last? And what does it cover?
- What’s the cost per copy? Also referred to as the “CPC.”
- Are there monthly volume limits? For copies (black & white and color).
- How are your monthly volumes reconciled by the company? How often?
- Is there a charge for scanning? There usually is, since there are moving parts in the scanning mechanism of a copier and it’s going to need maintenance over the lifetime of the copier.
- Is there a warranty? What does it cover?
- How long does it take for the company to respond to their current service calls?
- What’s the fastest way to contact them when I need service? By phone, email, text message or fax?
- Do they have a chat feature on their website? How about after hours service?
- Does the company have service metrics on the quality of the service they provide to their current customers and they are willing to share?
- How many service technicians do they have to support Las Vegas and how are they trained?
- How large is their inventory of parts and equipment?
- What other services can a Local Authorized Dealer Provide Your Business?
Another important reason for a maintenance contract for your copier is to ensure your machine is properly maintained to minimize downtime while it’s under warranty. Are you interested in learning more about warranties for your copier or printer? Check out the article we wrote on, Copier Warranty: Are all copier warranties equal?
You Deserve Answers
Finding the best copier company near you, that best suits your desired features checklist requires time, as it’s important to the success of your business. Have you considered asking these questions?
- What’s the average time it took to respond to their customers last year? How accessible is their technical support staff? More specifically, how many different ways can you reach their support team when you have a problem?
- How many technicians do they have to service your market and how skilled are they (how many certifications do each of them hold?)
- How much inventory each of their service technicians carry on their vehicle at any given time—this is very important to provide you with a quick resolution, to minimize any down time.
- Do they support other customers in your same industry? If so, how have they helped them and ask for some references (your competitors may not want you to know how good their copier company really is).
- What other technology do they use to ensure they are providing you the highest levels of customer service? And what are they reinvesting in their business to support your business over the next 5 years (the normal length of a copier contract)?
At AIS, we continually look for ways to better service new, existing and potential customers. If you want to learn more about how to find the best copier companies near you, reach out to us! Our number one goal is to give you peace of mind and help you win more business.
