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Looking input, Cost of having printer hardware configured

Posted by The Repairatrooper
Printers, Copiers, Scanners & Faxes

I am looking for some feedback and I well realize that many here may perform their own configuration on printers. This question is directed to those who don't. For configuration and setup of Multifunction devices, what sort of charges are normally associated with this. I am referring to not only basic, IP Address and get it on the network, but also to a full rollout that requires configuring Scan to Email, Scan to Folder, color control, address books, user access codes, etc. Do some vendors provide these types of advance setup for free and if not, what sort of charges have you encountered. I am embroiled in a discussion with our sales department who feel that we should be providing this 2 or 3 hours of service for free because no one else charges for it. While I am sure that some dealers may do this for free, I have a hard time believing that they would be the majority. 

Looking input, Cost of having printer hardware configured

10 votes by 10 users
closed

  • The service is free

    4 votes (40%)

  • We do our own configuration

    3 votes (30%)

  • Configuration is chargeable

    2 votes (20%)

  • I don't know someone else buys the printers, I just deal with the mess

    1 vote (10%)

Spice (5) Reply (10)
The Repairatrooper

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10 Replies

  • It depends on how your obtained your network printer, i.e. is it leased or purchased?  If you leased it, it may have come with a support contract from the vendor and that contract would most likely include setup and configuration.  If you purchased it, the setup and config would be on you or your IT department. We have one leased copier and one purchased copier.  However, I handle the network/user side of things while the vendor deals with the hardware and service.

    Spice (1) flagReport
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  • VFS wrote:

    It depends on how your obtained your network printer, i.e. is it leased or purchased?  If you leased it, it may have come with a support contract from the vendor and that contract would most likely include setup and configuration.  If you purchased it, the setup and config would be on you or your IT department. We have one leased copier and one purchased copier.  However, I handle the network/user side of things while the vendor deals with the hardware and service.

    Same here.  I had our vendor do some initial configuration on our leased copier (which I think is part of our contract), but I maintain the day-to-day stuff like updating user info for address books, scan-to-wherever settings,etc.

    Spice (1) flagReport
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  • Sometime the vendors have configured, sometimes not.

    if the vendor does configure, especially for scan to desktop or scan to email, it’s been generally only for current users and computers. Any new additions are up to me (with no documentation to reference)

    Thus, my vote of cleaning up the mess

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  • Our copiers are leased. The vendor who brings them is responsible for set - from hauling it up the stairs to entering IP to setting up scan to SMB and scan to email and fax numbers. We expect this as part of the lease deal.

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  • Robert5205 wrote:

    Our copiers are leased. The vendor who brings them is responsible for set - from hauling it up the stairs to entering IP to setting up scan to SMB and scan to email and fax numbers. We expect this as part of the lease deal.

    Sure, but do they have a line item on the lease for services? That is what I am trying to determine.

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  • We have outside contractors who work on our campuses and if we provide the MFP the default setup and configuration is included. Anything beyond the basic configuration is a chargeable item.  Other contractors who opt for outside MFP services have said this matches what their service providers charge. Examples of what i would consider a chargeable item is: installing a phone line for fax, fax or email forwarding to a mailbox or network storage. 

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  • Our leased machines are set up with somebody from the leasing vendor, as well as myself.  At this point, generally it's a machine getting upgraded, so I've got address book, config files, etc that I can pull, and they can somewhat use as a template to set up the new one.

    Anything we buy on our own outright is set up by me.  Any of the big stuff like copy machines we lease.  Printers - some we own, and a few are on leases, but generally the leased ones are a small all-in-one type setup.

    We've never paid anything extra for any setup/config, they've just always included that.

    In the past, new machines would come with some new features we hadn't used before, and they helped me get it all set up, such as network scanning, color control, etc.

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  • Our providers do the initail setup for free, but if they have to come back to setup new users they charge.

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  • We setup our leased machines as well as the one we buy.
    I think the vendor doesn't even open the box.
     
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  • Leased machines the setup process should be in the contract.  Follow the contract stipulations.  Provide the client the users manual if they purchased the machine outright.  If there are issues then charge your hourly rate.  Keep in mind the value of the machine when you charge.  It is a business you are there to make money.  Yes it is a hard position but if no lease/contract is attached to the machine your time is money.

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