Unlike the Christmas gift scenario – no batteries included – investing in capital equipment shouldn’t be fraught with problems. Most retail electronic goods come with a one-year manufacturer’s guarantee, which covers all product failures.
When buying a digital-print machine, you should expect the same – a digital printer that functions from day one and is warranted against failure. Additionally, insist on an effective service contract, and swift and efficient manufacturer/supplier response, should the printer stall.
This, of course, is in a perfect world.
What should you realistically expect from a digital-print machine’s guarantee and service programs? A fair, but conservative response, usually. Bear in mind that print-machine sales profits are low; thus, manufacturers and suppliers depend on monetary returns from consumables and service contracts. Above-line warranty and service costs negatively affect these returns.
Also, in a conflict, you’ll quickly learn that different words mean different things to different people, so clarify any contract ambiguities at the start. Does the warranty cover travel time? Do replacement parts come at cost? Who pays for labor?
For buyers, the warranty and service contract’s small print is essential reading. Also, ensure the service contract’s level satisfies your particular needs because each buyer has a different level of mechanical expertise.
I often hear complaints about service, time delays and repair costs. Some complaints are justified; others may have been avoidable had the machine operator simply cared. Inkjet can be finicky in the best of times and, yes, inexperienced users can exacerbate break downs, but no one expects to cope with poor engineering or parts. Oppositely, it’s not the manufacturer’s fault if a print machine reacts to cheap, after-market inks.
Still, the downed user, the person who can’t produce the job he bought a machine for merits sympathy. However, also consider the manufacturers’ and suppliers’ service personnel. Gauging the required number of service engineers, or determining who to put on the road, becomes even thornier when dealing with inexpert or negligent operators.
A manufacturer’s reputation can be built or destroyed on service issues, because it primarily explains why printmakers change brands. Further, service specialists never know when or where a printer might stop working; thus, the proverbial sword of Damocles always hangs over their heads.
In summary, no magic pill ensures proper machine service, although strong contracts and operator care must top the prescription list, along with common sense and technological empathy.
U.K.-based writer, photographer, editor and consultant, Sophie Matthews-Paul is an acknowledged authority on digital printing worldwide. You may contact her at sophie@rockstro.net