MFP Copier Blog

Today's MSP must deliver "Stellar Customer Experiences." Especially in this fast-approaching commoditization of the market. Master Service Providers strive to build a commonality they intend to scale. This commonality is destroying the originality of the MSP's they service. In enhance making them a commodity.

"Commonality is the road to commodity."

My experience in outsourcing the help desk with two different Master Service Providers I conclude the better option for the MSP's is to build and operate their own. Especially those MSP's who strive to stand out from the crowd. This article explains my reasons.

All MSP's need supporting vendors. However, MSP's must also differentiate themselves from a crowded field.   

Vendors who support MSP's are tools to help that MSP deliver better experiences to their end-users. MSP's must search and explore all that can improve on what they do, making them unique. MSP’s have to become more unique and build a model which allows them to increase their added value. However, an MSP's uniqueness conflicts with the Master Service Providers who aspire to scale commonality.

"Dependency on others always causes unawareness to possibilities and leads to complacency."

Master Service Providers live in the world which works for them, and the MSP is forced to live in that world with them. Unfortunately, the MSP's end-user customer lives in a separate world. The bottom line, outsourcing your SLA's first line of contact (the help desk) to a master service provider is a significant risk in controlling your customer's experience. All the noise which a customer presents the help desk goes unheard by you, the local MSP the customer contracted.

This silence of awareness prevents the MSP from learning things through the customers' conversations. The MSP is then limited to generic reports of the number of calls, the number of tickets cleared, or the number of calls still on hold. Everyone in the industry understands these generic reports and sharing them with your customer executives is a complete waste of their time. Soon they can contract with Amazon, or another enterprise provider and get a report online live.

The more generic in reporting an MSP is, the more commoditized their deliverable becomes. MSP's must add more value to the conversations with their customers.

Those who call the help desk you outsourced to are the internal customers of the decision-maker who sign and renew your contracts. Think about the information which is readily available from a caller to the help desk. Your customer's internal customers are a wealth of information for those willing to listen and when appropriate, have the time to be inquisitive.

No outsourced help desk can understand the peculiarities of all your clients better than you and an outsourced help desk will not take the time to be inquisitive.

Outsourced help desks are built to close calls quickly, and they cannot engage the caller in a way the local MSP can. The Master Service Providers will not hire staff based on the MSP's Culture, and those Master Service Providers who believe they can commoditize their culture are sadly mistaken. 

Those successful MSP's who have internal help desk. Built them to service their customers based on their own culture. The internal help desk will always be closer to the customer than an outsourced one could ever be. The MSP's with complicated customers will clear through the complexity much more efficient than the Master Service Provider.

"The commoditization of deliverables happens when the deliverable or service is common." 

Remember, Master Service Providers can only scale commonality. This commonality approach is deadly to the uniqueness an MSP must have to differentiate themselves from a crowded field.

Master Service Providers can not scale without being common to those they serve. So, delivering services to customers' with peculiarities outside the majority of the customers they serve is impossible, or extremely challenging at best. The more a Master Service Provider influences commonality, the bigger the threat to an MSP's uniqueness. MSP's must become unique to outpace the commoditization of the deliverable. Customers won't pay more for what they deem to be the same as the many others who deliver cheaper.

What can an internal help desk do an outsourced one can't?

The noise of the customer is critical to the awareness of opportunities, and potential pitfalls, which may affect customer experience. Your help desk is your uniqueness don't let it be a commodity.

Imagine this, of course those MSP's who outsource to Master Service Providers probably experienced it firsthand

Your customer calls your outsourced help desk. This customer has an issue with a third-party software they use, or the customer is using a thin client. Both of these things are everyday occurrences with your customers. However, these things are a minority experience of the outsourced help desk who services thousands of customers. The help desk tech answering the call who has limited understanding of thin clients and they struggle in understanding a proprietary software or your customers application. The conversation that proceeds will be a fact-finding odyssey which will challenge the patients of most seeking immediate help.

Requests outside the normal scope are challenging for the Master Service Provider's help desk. The technician will simply do what they can, but rarely will they have the ability or the desire to act outside the Master Service Provider's Box.

Today's commoditization of IT Services MSP's must look to differentiate themselves and strive to then delivery above and beyond customer expectations. They do this by becoming intimate with their customers. 

"It is through customer intimacy that value is determined."

Remember, Master Service Providers did not sell your customers, they did not walk through their facilities, they did not witness their workflows, they never sat face to face with the people they will serve, and they will never be as intimate with your customers as you.

"Status quo is the killer of all that will be invented."

Ray Stasieczko

Please send invite if you wish to connect here on LinkedIn also I welcome all to subscribe to my YouTube Channel here's the link https://www.youtube.com/channe...A?view_as=subscriber

Love it or hate it, paper is still one of the main go to sources for communication and archiving.

Living and selling copiers so close to the ocean all of these years has made me almost and expert with copier paper.

• Image quality issues, maybe your copy paper is damp. Yup, copier paper soaks up the moisture  in the air. When paper is damp the image quality will suffer. In most cases you'll see white splotches where toner should be. If you need to confirm that the paper is damp,  then take that same piece of copied or printed paper, flip it over and put it in the by-pass tray. Print another image on the back side and if the splotches are missing then your paper is damp.  The trick is that you dried out the paper with the first print when it went through the fuser section.

• Spend the extra buck for better paper and here's the reason why: better grades of paper means that each ream is wax wrapped. Not the outside of the wrapper but the inside. Go tear open a ream of paper,  and you'll see what I mean. Feel the inside wrapper and it's smooth. That's because of the wax coating.  Now what does the wax coating do?  It prevents moisture from seeping into the paper. Can't tell you how many times a client is mentioned bad print quality and it's because they took the outside wrapper off the paper.

• Copy or Print this side up! You won't see this label on the wrapper for inexpensive copier paper;  however, with better grades, the "Copy of Print this side up" will tell you what side of the paper to load in the paper tray. The reason for this is that reams of paper have a tendency to bow (curve) under great weight. Forty cartons of paper per skid creates a lot weight. Using the "Copy or Print this side up" will also reduce paper jams and who wants those!

• How much does that sheet of paper cost me? A recent check with Walmart showed a cost of $49.97 for a carton of paper. Each carton of letter size paper has ten reams that has 500 sheets of paper.  At this price each sheet of paper costs .009994. Okay. let's call a penny (.01).  Of course that price doesn't included shipping which could add a few more dollars. At some point in the near future I suspect that a letter size sheet of paper will be a penny per sheet.

• Letter size or A4 paper accounts for the largest market share in the global copier market.  Makes you wonder why Ray is always pushing A4 MFP's!

• Great way to solve the damp paper issue when the paper in your paper trays is damp. Go and purchase some 10 gram silica gel desiccant bags. Place one in each paper tray wait a few hours and the problem should be solved.

• Loss of paper, where the frak is all my paper going or better yet, where did my checks go? I'm guilty of this!  Every now and then we'll run out of notepads, where's the next place I go? Yup, it's over to the copier, open the draw and help myself to all the paper I need.  Believe it or not this minor theft of copier paper happens frequently at large educational institutions.  Take the University that has 500 plus copiers and uses more than a million prints a month. A five percent loss will mean losing 50K sheets of paper each month.  Depending on their cost for paper this can result in a loss of $125-$250 per month. Adding paper tray locks can deter those paper and check thieves. Cool paper tray locks here

• All copier paper is not alike! Ever wonder why you got such a good deal on copier paper?  Truth be told there are many shades of white copier paper.  There's even some white copier that looks gray when you compare to copier paper that 95 brightness rating. Brightness of the paper is rated on scale of 0-100 with 100 being the brightest. It's all about the reflecting more light. The higher the number the more light it reflects. Thus, if you want excellent color prints or copies you'll always want 95 brightness. You can read more about brightness of paper here

-=Good Selling=-

In a 2017 speech at the RT Media Summit in Zhuhai China, I warned the group of cartridge remanufacturers and those who manufacture non-infringing new compatibles. There is a more significant threat to both their business models than the threats from each other. That threat would be from the OEM’s as they would naturally attempt to get back their annuity business in a declining market. I suggested the OEM’s would compete like never before.

The market is consolidating and most definitely there is a reduction in customer demand. The remanufacturing and the new build compatible industry has never been a majority of the overall cartridge business. Some experts say they have around 20-25% of the market and much less with color cartridges.

Over the last couple of decades, Clover has bought most of the significant independent remanufacturers and along the way cornered the market on the collection of empty cores. Clover will soon, if not already, be collecting more empty cartridges than they reuse. When this happens, their business model is broken. I believe it has already happened. Clover’s broken model and their debt troubles will be significant benefits to the OEM’s. HP has already been putting pressure on Clover by applying substantial price reductions to shut them out of key accounts.

The good news for HP is that Clover is only one competitor, and the fight will be much easier than fighting individually the hundreds of independent remanufactures, Clover gathered up. Now the OEM’s will strike with a vengeance. It does seem that a failing Clover will turn out to be a win for the OEM’s. HP with the world’s largest base of customers will see the quickest gains if Clover fails.

HP’s recent news of their agreement with Xerox will cost the remanufacturing industry tens if not hundreds of millions. Xerox was likely the largest buyer of NON-OEM HP toner in the world. This new agreement will now mean Xerox will use HP OEM supplies in the millions of HP printers that Xerox has on Managed Print Service Contracts. It is safe to say that the day of that announcement was not a happy day for our friends at Clover.

The OEMs will focus on beating down the largest remanufacturer then they will focus on the nonpatient infringement new build manufactures. I think that some of the OEM’s will, in fact, partner with or acquire these new build manufactures allowing them to lower their supply cost. The OEM’s are not going to lay low in a declining market and will fight viciously for their aftermarket business.

Clover is still hundreds of millions in debt, and if they continue to lose considerable accounts to HP, they will struggle under a model which collects more cartridge cores than it fills or, remanufactures.

The silver lining in this competitive landscape. Is that the smaller regional remanufactures might have a play and will not concern the OEM’s as they will focus on finishing off Clover and watching for those new build manufactures who violate patents.

The alternative cartridge business will reduce in percentage, and those who survive can provide alternatives to end-users. One thing for sure you wouldn’t want to be the largest and find yourself collecting more empties than you remanufacture.

Read a related article about HP and Xerox by Ray Stasieczko at https://www.rtmworld.com/featu...e-the-check-to-carl/

Editor: Ray Stasieczko will be a speaker at this year’s Summit in Zhuhai on October 16 predicting what will happen next in the world’s largest printer and consumables market.

Note from Art:  Ray gave permission to use this and we wanted to let you know that you view this article here on RTM World

"When we make progress and get better at something, it is inherently motivating. In order for people to make progress, they have to get feedback and information on how they're doing."

Daniel H. Pink

Your clients... their needs are constantly evolving. Are you keeping up with what they need? They hold the keys to your success. They're no longer at the mercy of you or your company. In fact, they're more interested in the experience than your products or fancy wares.

I bet what they really crave from you is clarity, transparency, realness and caring; not vagueness, insincerity or fakeness.

Client experience goes beyond service.

In a few short words, how would your clients describe their service experience with you?

Come on, I'm waiting for the words. What would they be?

• Are you personalizing your level of service to your clients?
• Are you in continual contact with your clients?
• Are you listening to your clients?

How well are you creating experiences and memories for your clients? In this highly competitive business world where many have pigeon-holed you into a commodity, how the heck are you standing out with your most precious asset; your clients?

Whose fault is it that you're being pigeon-holed as a commodity?

When's the last time you've asked one of your clients what they thought of you?

CLIENT RELATIONS

How well do you really understand what your largest clients want? Do you understand what they really desire? Are you even relevant in their eyes? Do you even know?

How many of you can honestly answer these questions?

Gut check time, isn't it?

I would like for you to think about your largest client, got it? Think about how much they mean to you and your company.

What would it mean to you and your company if you lost your largest client?

Your clients are arguably one of THEE most important factors in your long term success. This is why the more successful you're at understanding and forming meaningful relationships with your clients, the more successful you'll become.

In a sales world where trust is sorely lacking, no wonder many (yes some of your clients) are skeptical about what you say, how you say it and why you say it.

How well do you know your clients?

What words would your clients use at this very moment to describe the support or the experiences you provide to them?

CLIENT PERCEPTION

Everyone in sales needs a periodic reality gut check when it comes to client perceptions.

Cold doses of raw feedback is necessary in order to grow.

Humble pie tastes better with a nice cup of coffee.

I encourage all of you to be on the lookout. There might just be an interesting gap between your ideas of what your clients think of you versus what they actually think.

How your clients perceive you just might be the key to your sales growth. How many of you right now, at this very moment, truly understand the impact this has to you?

How many of your clients see you as being available and helpful to them?

How many of your clients think of you as heartfelt, caring and trustworthy or unreliable, arrogant and pompous?

So much opportunity sits within your current client base. How well are you connecting with your clients?

I'm deeply concerned that many in sales have taken their clients for granted. They've failed at building, nurturing and growing their relationships. Building relationships with your clients is not a light switch you turn on then off. It's the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection you make with each and every one of them.

Trust me on this one... fail to do this and I promise you at some point I know what will happen.

CONVERSATIONS DO MATTER

If you truly want to get to know your clients then take off the sales hat, roll up your sleeves and engage in healthy conversation.

What prevents you from getting to know your clients?

I'm concerned! I believe very few salespeople are having meaningful conversations with their clients outside of the selling process. How many new relationships are you developing inside your current client base?

How well are you making your clients feel before, during and after doing business with them?

• What words would your clients use to describe how you make them feel?
• What words would your clients use to describe how you care about them?
• What words would your clients use to describe how much they trust you?

Focus on developing conversations, not sales campaigns. It's not about your agenda, it is about opening up human to human conversation. It is not about you it is about helping your client. Develop a sincere desire and demonstrate you're interested in your client's world and what motivates them.

What words would your clients use to describe you?

Meaningful and credible relationships do matter! Discover the power of relational selling at Selling From the Heart. Be on the lookout for upcoming webinars, training workshops and coaching programs around how to prevent all of this from happening.

I understand and I get it. I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I'm fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects through the eyes of a practitioner into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.

Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.

I encourage you to find out more about Selling From The Heart.

In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. 

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

Fifteen years ago, hmmm, I was 47 years old and was with Century for 5 years. That time was something special since it was what I call the digital age of copiers. There were still analog copiers to be upgraded and the we attacked new business was to educate the client on how much that fax and printer cost per page was.  Faxing was still big and most fax machines had a cost of 3 cents per page or higher.  For companies that were receiving a couple of thousand pages a month the cost justification was easy. How I loved those days!

Fast forward and we can still sell ROI, fax usage is down, however color volume is up and there are more color A4 printers out there that are still ripe for replacing.  You just need to find them!

Enjoy these threads from 15 years ago this week!

It was ten years ago this week for the Ricoh "cleansing". These times were the months after Ricoh had acquired Ikon.  Many great long time Ricoh peeps lost their jobs and were replaced by many Ikon peeps.  GMAN paints an accurate picture of the "cleansing" in the thread titled "Cleansing".  That is below or you can read it here.

It's still my belief that when Ricoh cut the deal for Ikon, one of the covenants of the deal was that many Ikon Execs had to stay on for x amount of time.

Enjoy these threads from ten years ago this week!

We had an interesting debate in the office today that was centered around Ricoh and the purchase of DocuWare.  What document management company would be acquired next? Ricoh is giving DocuWare full autonomy to keep doing what they do best.  You can find that survey here.

Enjoy these threads from 5 years ago this week?

Usually I'll post one of Ray's blogs first and then the comments can come in the reply section. However, this time I'll start off with my reply to an excellent blog post from @Ray Stasiezcko that's also on Linkedin

My response