Looking to lease a new copier or replace your existing machines? There are several considerations to keep in mind as you navigate your options. Just as not all copiers or printing machines are the same, not all copier companies are the same. It’s important to know what sets them apart and what to look for when choosing a dealership for your printer rentals.
In this ‘quick-read’ blog, we have summed up some of the most important things to consider when looking to rent an office copier.
Advantages of Printer/Copier Leasing:
Whether it comes down to being able to keep up to date with the latest technology, the need for large capital outlays being eliminated or the peace of mind of maintenance, as many as 80% of companies are choosing to lease, rather than buy their printers.
Let’s have a look at some of the advantages of choosing to lease an office copier system:
1. Tax Efficiency
Copier rentals are fully tax deductible. VAT is also paid monthly with each installment instead of being capitalized for upfront.
2. Budgeting & Money Saving
Rental agreements ensure that each month a fixed monthly value is budgeted and paid for by the business. Leasing alleviates the risk and pressure of large capital expenses.
3. Maintenance
When leasing a printer, you do not have to worry about any maintenance. This is taken care of by your service providers.
4. Flexibility
Copier rentals allow for early upgrades, easy budgeting and the addition of new technology as and when it emerges. You are able to scale your printer systems according to the growth of your business.
5. Life Cycle Management
Like any IT hardware, photocopiers and printers depreciate and become outdated over time. A well implemented rental agreement ensures that your business enjoys maximum value from your printer while ensuring that it is upgraded at the correct time in its lifecycle.
Choosing The Right Dealer For Your Printer Lease/Rentals:
Now for the big question… How do you choose the right company to lease your printer from?
The dealership you choose will essentially be your service provider. It’s vital to choose a company that is reputable, transparent and willing to work with your company's unique requirements. Your copier dealer should value a long-term business partnership with you rather than a one-time transaction.
Questions To Ask Dealers When Looking To Lease Your Printer:
There are many questions you will need to ask your prospective dealers, from typical response times and billing processes to what is or is not included in their service agreements. Let’s summarise them to make things clearer...
What is Included in the Lease Agreement?
- Pricing
- While low cost proposals may be attractive, all too often, the low cost providers are not investing in their service and supply departments.
- Leasing Terms
- What are the length of the rental agreement terms?
- Flexible Leasing Options
- Aim to lease equipment through a dealer that has multiple longstanding finance partnerships with leasing companies. This will increase the options that the dealer can offer you.
What Happens At The End Of The Lease?
When your lease ends, what will your options be? Will you be able to upgrade to new technology, extend the term of the current equipment or purchase the equipment at Fair Market Value?
What Does Their Service and Support Entail?
Where does the dealer rank when it comes to servicing machines? Experience goes a long way with service technicians, so you will want to work with a dealer that employs highly experienced service technicians. If or when an issue arises, you need to know that your organization can be back up and running quickly and timeously.
- Are their technicians and trainers certified experts on the products and services that they offer?
- What are the average service response times?
- Can they provide you with their customer satisfaction statistics?
- Do they charge for additional training?
- Do they offer free loan units if needed?
- Do they offer unlimited site visits?
Do They Offer Any Guarantees?
Premium copier companies provide guarantees beyond the manufacturer, ensuring you have peace of mind that your investment is protected and protecting your business from unforeseen downtime.
Do They Offer MPS (Managed Print Services) Agreements?
Under MPS, your service provider’s (SP’s) team will work to ensure your office printing practices run as smoothly and efficiently. The use of MPS can reduce your operation cost by up to 30% as the SP should troubleshoot issues, offer preventative maintenance and reduce any costly and unplanned downtime on your printing equipment.
At X Corp, we provide MPS Solutions as part of our office automation support services. We are here to optimise, oversea and maintain your printing environment in order to reduce your print-related costs and allow your business to focus more resources on other priorities. For more info on our MPS Solutions, feel free to contact us.
What Brands Do They Work With?
You want to trust that the brand you are choosing will continue to offer support and parts for your copier well into the future. Choosing a company that offers reputable brands is a way to ensure quality performance of your equipment.
Do Your Own Research:
Reputation and References
Always remember to do ‘background research” on any company you wish to draw up a lease agreement with. Are they reputable? Contact references and speak directly to clients that have made use of their services.
Transparency and Assistance
Is the company that you are looking at leasing a printer from transparent? Are they willing and eager to assist you? As leasing office equipment requires a long term commitment and relationship with your chosen dealer, we recommend that you make sure the company you choose will support you throughout your leasing process and beyond.
Rental/Leasing: Choosing The Right Copier
Once you have established a trustworthy dealer, you will need to decide on the right TYPE of printer/copier system.
Not all printer/copier machines are the same and with so many types of these machines on the market, it can be difficult to choose a system that suits your office printing needs.
Below we have listed some aspects to consider when choosing your printer.
The format and size of the printer you will need:
Will you need prints in A4 only or both A4 and A3 paper?
Demand:
How much printing do you do in a given month?
The performance of the copier:
How fast do you need your printer to run in order to meet your daily copy needs?
Whether you will need prints in black and white (mono) only or both colour and mono.
The type of finishing options or extras you want or need.
The functions you will need:
What tasks will you be using your copiers to complete?
Your Budget:
Your leasing budget will play a large part in the types of printers you will need to look at.
(mono A4 printers usually cost considerably less than A3 Colour machines)
Check out our
Smart Quote Tool to spec your copier today.
In Conclusion:
For us at X Corp, office automation is everything. With over a decade in the industry, we understand the crucial value that having a reliable copier/printer machine has on your business. We aim to bring high performance rates into the offices of our customers through our ever advancing machines.
If you are looking for a reliable company that meets all the requirements mentioned in the above article,
contact X Corp today. We are here to guide you through your printer rental/leasing process and see it flows smoothly and efficiently.
