Why Does My Service Escalate? - The Honest Answer

iWe all want to save as much money as possible — and conversely, we all want to make as much money as possible. So when we hear the words “service” and “escalate” in the same sentence, our brains automatically go to the same thought: this is a money grab.

And honestly, in some ways, it is — businesses need to make money somehow. We pay more than the value of pretty much any good or service we purchase regardless of what industry or sector it originates from. That cup of coffee definitely didn’t cost Starbucks seven dollars to produce. The wi-fi that sends data back and forth between your phone and router didn’t cost your ISP $100 per month to install.

You or I probably wish Starbucks was less of a drain on our wallet — but the baristas that work there sure are happy about it. It’s another paradox of capitalism; if we want everyone to be paid a fair and livable wage (which most of us probably do) we have to pay for it. The money needs to come from somewhere.

WARRANTIES, WAGES, AND WEAR

Why does your service for your MSP, production printer, or any other piece of office equipment escalate? For the three reasons listed above — manufacturer warranties, employee wages, and wear on parts.

Well, that’s the reason our service escalates — we can’t speak for the manufacturers. What we can speak to, however, is that not only do we pay our service techs a good wage, we also provide them with continuous training, and hire the best, most experienced techs. And experience equates to higher wages.

While every manufacturer doesn’t offer the same warranty, they all end eventually. In this industry, a manufacturer’s warranty can last anywhere between 90 days to a couple of years. And after this warranty ends, the cost of replacement parts for your device increases.

Eventually, just like a car, or any other complex machine, the parts that are in your MFP or production printer will come to yield — and this issue is compounded with age. A printer will see a lot more service in its fourth year of operation in comparison to its first year.

It might sound like a cliche, but it’s the service escalation that protects you. You pay a little more to avoid huge, unexpected costs. A critical part in a five-year-old MFP might not be available for purchase from the manufacturer when it comes to yield — but your independent dealer will find you a replacement part at no extra cost.

Even the cost of supplies — such as the toner in your MFP or production printer — goes up as the years go by. Inflation… no matter how hard you try, you can’t get away from it.

THAT’S THE LONG ANSWER — HERE’S THE SHORT ANSWER

Your service escalates because the cost of everything goes up year by year. And in order to continue receiving the same quality of service, your service must escalate in order to keep up.