Even if you buy a top-of-the-line UV printer, you may still experience costly problems if the manufacturer doesn’t provide you with vital production support. A reputable vendor will provide you with excellent customer service both before and after the purchase, and help ensure you are able to produce your desired printing output with precision and repeatability.
Following are four vital aspects of production support that you should research before purchasing a UV printer.
1) How Good is Their Customer Service?
Every UV printer vendor will claim to have excellent customer service and support — so how can you find out the truth? One of the best ways to check on this is to read online reviews, or speak with people at companies that use the products and vendors you are considering. In fact, a reputable manufacturer will be happy to provide you with references from their current or past customers. When contacting these references, you should ask about the company’s responsiveness (Are they easy to contact? Do they return messages promptly?), the effectiveness of their support services, and the overall performance of their printers/products.
2) Is Support Available for Setup and Retooling?
Having a vendor that will be available to consult with you to assist with manual setups and retooling between jobs is paramount to your success. Being able to perform these functions quickly and efficiently will substantially affect your company’s productivity and profitability. Choose a vendor who is willing and able to guide you through setup, and help to create a production workflow that best fits your products and work environment. A reputable vendor will be able to evaluate the installation process and provide you with helpful feedback on issues such as overall productivity, ink consumption, and a variety of other factors that will impact your profitability.
3) Are Parts Readily Available?
Make sure the vendor you choose has a reliable supply chain, and is able to provide you with all critical printer parts and components quickly and easily. This is vital because when a problem occurs it will result in downtime — which can cause significant loss of revenue for your business. Remember that breakdowns can occur at any time due to operator mistakes and various other factors. Because problems are inevitable (especially when your printer is used extensively), having quick access to replacement parts is extremely important.
4) Do They Offer Resources and Self-Service Options?
As mentioned previously, breakdowns (and the resultant downtime) are inevitable with any and every type of printing system. Unfortunately, problems often happen at the most inconvenient times — such as after business hours, or on weekends when live support is often unavailable. That’s why it’s important to choose a vendor that offers you a wide array of resources as well as self-service tools that can help you fix a variety of problems yourself. Educational and training resources are also great ways to learn new printing techniques, production methods, and other procedures or skills that can help you increase profitability and grow your business.