As a business reliant on office copiers and multifunction printers (MFPs) for business processes, you are prone to assuming that dealing with a national or international partner would ensure that you get the highest quality services.
What's more, dealing with a manufacturer would ensure some cost savings. Specifically, the manufacturer might sell out their units at a lower price because, oftentimes, they are most interested in the total number of units sold, and as such, might price them the same.
Besides, these companies might end up absorbing their service costs, thus resulting in lower copy costs on the business end.
At best, this is a fallacy. Local copier dealers can help national manufacturers by providing consistently slow service. While the local dealer may not have the reach that the manufacturer does, they have a greater stake in ensuring that businesses within their local area survive and even thrive.
Industry experts point out that while national companies are keen on reducing expenses by cutting staffing costs in the customer service area, local copier dealers seem to be doubling their staffing.
Why It's Smart to Partner with Local Copier Dealers
In the past, cutting out the middleman was considered good business practice. However, in today’s economy, middlemen are part of what makes product and service delivery possible.
Why, then, would a national company bring local copier dealers on board?
Custom Solutions
A large conglomerate with multiple storefronts and even more branches in different states lacks the time. In most instances, they are willing to develop or maintain printers and copiers based on the specific requests of their multitude of customers.
As discussed, manufacturers rely on high sales volumes to stay afloat. This translates to a lack of care for the customers’ specific needs. For a business looking to include a copier or MFP from the company, this represents a loophole, as it means that your particular needs are not considered by the brand you chose to partner with.
It is the complete opposite for the copier dealer. The business model adopted by these market players is one in which they are committed to ensuring that customers find value in their offerings. Specifically, the customer seems to be at the center of everything these local dealers do.
It can be theorized that this insistence on having the customer at the core of their business practice is because these businesses rely on repeat business from customers to thrive.
As the customer takes the copier from the national manufacturer to the local dealer, they get the very best service and parts. That then translates to greater customer satisfaction, which leads to more sales of copiers or MFPs from the national brand.
Top-Notch, Quality Service
In the past, it was theorized that working with a national manufacturer would likely result in the best quality service. The industry thought that if they needed prompt troubleshooting or service assistance, the national company had the expertise to quickly get the copiers up and running, thereby avoiding any further downtime.
That is not the case.
For starters, the local dealer is indeed local. This translates to fast dispatch of the technician you need. These local technicians can also address any problems that arise, ensuring no interruptions to business processes.
Besides, you don't have to pay the trip fee that might be part of your original service agreement.
Also, most local vendors will take their technicians to train at the same facility where technicians from the manufacturers go.
This means that the quality of service a business receives from local technicians is the same as that from a national company. Besides, they get ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting at a snap.
Experienced Account Managers
With local businesses, the enterprise can almost expect to retain long-lasting employees. These employees can build strong working relationships with local clients who purchase their copiers from national companies. This translates to more significant insights into the client's unique business goals.
For the national companies, their customers get an experienced account manager who can provide them with the best solutions for their clients. Besides, this combination of experience and a strong relationship would mean cost-saving and overall better customer service.
Local Billing Support
As discussed, national companies are more likely to increase the number of units sold, which in turn increases the price of the shares. This is mainly because these companies are answerable to their shareholders.
In chasing this revenue goal, there will likely be some disparities in billing. Unfortunately, these companies are also too keen on reducing running and staffing costs, which may mean that local businesses don't get the support they need with billing.
The local dealers step in, as it would be easy for the business to call and speak to a local billing professional. This translates to faster fixes of any errors in the bills that have been sent out. For the national company, its customers enjoy better customer service.
Concisely, local copier dealers offer best-fit solutions to the local customer as they are much closer to the end-user. What's more, the local businesses benefit from the business relationships formed with the employees within the local dealership.
Additionally, local dealers can dispatch technicians more quickly, resulting in less downtime. Besides, these vendors can address any custom issues that the customer might have, which cannot be said for technicians from the manufacturers.
The Final Say: Partnering With A Local Copier Dealer
For local customers, having a local copier dealer partner means they receive better customer service, including greater responsiveness, service quality, billing support, and account management. For the national company, they can effectively sell more units as their customer base becomes more satisfied with the products and services they receive.
Understanding the partnership between local dealers and national companies provides a unique opportunity for businesses to reap benefits. If you’re searching for the best tips and tricks to yield from these partnerships, make sure to reach out to us today
