"HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TECHNICIAN" Published by GraphicsPro The center of your business world is your computerized engraver. It is the unit that produces the items that feed your family. You would not trust a janitor with screwdriver to fix the brakes on the car your family rides in. Why would you trust the future of your company to a fix-it man. Well, the answer is you would not knowingly do that. Here are some thoughts on how to spot a good Tech and most importantly, how to get your moneys worth. Your engraving machine has gone down hard. Your baby is broken and all you know, is that there is a bunch of work to do, and your best client has called twice to ensure their job will be completed on time. What's the first thing you do? Well, after your employee's talk you into unloading your gun. You calm down; most of us would ask forgiveness to the great Engraver in the sky. If she'll just get you though this one, you'll never swear at another machine again. So, now you muster up your courage and track down a technician to get the thing up, and you making money again. As a rule, if your not hooked into a good repair shop, you'll call your manufacturer or your salesman. This is the best thing to do, as they will usually have contacts that they trust. If you use who is recommend or another technician, be sure to ask if they have been factory trained. Factory trained is more important than factory authorized, but as a rule of thumb, the two should go together. Follow this question up with how long they've been in the field. Rookies make will make rookie mistakes, so this is important. The next thing to do after you've got a name and number is to call the Tech. This is a critical step, because it establishes whether or not your even going to even let them in the door. Here is a quick list of things to check for: Lastly does he/she give you a preliminary estimate. Now you got him or her there. Your white knight that's going to bail you out. First thing you should do is to evaluate the Tech. Remember for the next couple of hours he/she works for you. Does he/she have the tools and parts to do the job. Do they handle the machine like a pro?. Even the most non-technical of souls can get a feeling whether or not the Tech., owns the skills it takes to fix their machine. At the same time give them room to work, and any help they require. The shorter the time it takes to fix it, the smaller your bill. Watch for the first thing they do, and that is to evaluate the problem, and give you an estimate. If it is more than they estimated on phone they should explain why. It is not uncommon that the estimate is different, but it should be in the ball park. Here are some questions you might ask; are they using new or used parts and what are the parts and labor warranties? Second question should be does the estimate include a tune-up? Many times the Tech can not tell if the equipment is really bad until they perform a tune-up. Additionally tune-up's are usually a flat price and are based on skill and knowledge, not just time. So you OK'd the estimate and he/she is fixing the unit and suddenly you hear the beautiful sound of you livelihood lighting up. You notice you Head engraver is biting at the bit to get at the machine. Slow them down and look for the next check point, which should be, does the Tech have a Quality Assurance test? Do they explain what they are testing for? You don't need the thing breaking down as the Tech leaves your parking lot. Now the Tech has got it fixed. He/she should tell you what they did to the unit to fix it and what you should do to try to prevent it from happening again. Now ask for the invoice for your accounts, no invoice-no check. The big things to check for with the invoice are, did he/she total invoice right? Is the there a date for the next tune-up? Most of these check points are suggested to cover your businesses backside, as machines out of tune are the one's that usually go down at the wrong time and cost the most to repair. So note when the next tune-up is & post it on the machine, then call next year when it is due. Remember the repair costs may be high, especially with older gear, but it's the downtime that cost's your business the most money. Here are some things a PRO should do for you at no charge. They should check the environment, isolated lines, and surge protectors. Does the Tech give you some preventative maintenance tips for the engraver. This shows he/she is looking out for you. Remember preventative measures prevent you from writing big checks for service. One last thought, your technician is as important to your business as your accountant or suppliers. Find one that is trained, that knows your shop and that you can trust. It will help you sleep better at night. Joe Brága, along with his wife , Cher run a SERVICE and Sales OPERATION for the West coast. Located in Southern California. Joe is Factory Trained on most makes and models. Offering sales and service of computerized engravers, ROUTERS, printers, IBM's. Joe has 19 yrs of technical. experience, Joe & Cher have been the Industry since 1990 and have three locations. They own Engraving Honors which also does wholesale production work in most area's of our industry. |