Why purchase your printer from a local dealership instead of a seemingly convenient retail store?

Looking for a printer copier for your small to medium sized business? You may have considered turning to a major retail store for the simple convenience of being able to just walk in and buy or even order online off of their website.

Though this may seem like the easiest and most efficient way of purchasing your office copier system, if you are planning on consistently printing fairly large quantities, you might want to think again.

Cons of Purchasing a Printer/Copier Through a Retail Store:

Higher Costs - In the Long Run:

Many businesses choose to buy their office copiers through familiar retail stores in order to save money - only to end up paying more in toners and ink cartridges in the long run.

While printers from major retailers can seem cheaper, the prices they charge for cartridges are generally far more expensive than what local dealers charge (as much as five times more). 

The costs of any downtimes are also a major factor to consider when looking at retail-bought printers. Buying a copier through a retailer will also mean that you may end up having to pay for replacements when your printer systems require any servicing. 

Downtime & Servicing

Printers and copiers, like any office equipment, can break down. And if you have purchased your office printer from a retail store, these ‘breakdowns’ can be disastrous.

Either you will sit with your employees (who aren’t printer-specialists) wasting their valuable time trying to find and repair the problem or you will need to send your machine back to the store (who don’t actually specialise in repairs). The retail store will have you ship your printer off to technicians for servicing. This process can take weeks or even months and end up costing quite a lot as you pay for a ‘one-time job’. 

Even if you have dedicated in-house IT staff, you would rather have them focus on system improvements and upgrades instead of wasting their valuable time and energy on getting your printers working properly. 

You May End Up Sitting with Outdated Equipment:

Printers and copiers, like any IT hardware, depreciate in value and become outdated over time. 

Choosing to purchase your MFP through a retail store may seem like the most convenient thing to do at the time. As they generally don’t come with any upgrade agreements - you’re going to be sitting with your copier, even after it has reached the end of its lifecycle. 

Reliability, Workflow and Collaboration

‘Reliability’ is a pretty big deal when it comes to printers. For your operations to run smoothly, you will need printers that can print in multiple formats, from multiple sources. Your PDFs, reports, presentations and statistics should all be accessible through a reliable print system. 

The same can be said for collaboration. With a reliable printer system, you should be able to scan, copy, email and share any physical document - in a few steps. Unfortunately, and all too often, retail printers require you to tediously switch from scanner to computer - to printer, and back again. And if your scanned document isn’t good enough... then you’ve wasted time and valuable resources.

Why Purchase Your MFP System through A Local Dealership?

Cost Efficiency:

Retailers know that a customer may only need a cartridge every couple of months.. And so they charge exorbitant prices.

Local dealers try to maintain these margins through their service contracts. In an effort to consistently have business with you as a customer, they will keep their cartridge prices low and make them much more affordable.

Customer Service: 

The level of customer service you experience with a local dealer cannot be compared to that of a major retailer. These small local businesses consist of lean teams that are dedicated to personalizing your experience. They’re able to consistently follow up, ensuring your needs are addressed and that you’re getting the full usage of your printer system.

Local dealerships generally handle all the ‘nitty-gritty’ things for you. From training your employees on using the systems correctly to servicing them when any issues arise. This allows you to focus your time and energy on the more important aspects of running your business.

Servicing & Repairs

When it comes to printer repairs and maintenance, purchasing through a local dealership is the obvious choice.

Local dealers generally include service pricing in their contracts and so, any repairs will already be budgeted for. Many dealerships also offer optional SLA’s that provide loan units to reduce downtimes. 

As these dealerships are in close proximity, they’re able to send technicians to fix your machine that same day (without having to ship it off to another location). This will mean for minimal downtimes and less unplanned repair costs.

Upgrade at Ease:

When purchasing your office printer system through a local dealership, you can rest assured knowing that you won’t end up sitting with any outdated equipment. A well implemented rental agreement lets your business enjoy the maximum value of your printers while ensuring they are upgraded at the correct time in their life cycles.

In conclusion: Though it may seem like the quickest way to equip your office with a copier, opting for a retail store-bought system will end up costing your business in the long-run. 

Looking for an office copier system through a trusted local dealership? Contact us at X Corp or try our “Quick Quote Wizard” to get your own custom copier pricing. With over a decade in the industry, for us - office automation is everything and we understand the crucial value that having a reliable copier/printer machine has on your business.