We recently sold 20 Kyocera FS2100 printers to an insurance company to replace HP2300 printers. The customer has been printing Redi-Seal envelopes without a problem on the HPs and on MP401 printers without a problem. On the Kyocera it wrinkles the trail edge. Now we are in a situation where we have to see if they can change the type of envelope they use or take back 20 printers and let them buy HP printers.
It seems like every year I end up posting something here about envelopes. Why can't Ricoh, Kyocera or any other manufacturer develop a printer that rivals the HP when printing envelopes? My service department believes the HP does a better job because they use a fusing sleeve instead of a fusing roller which displaces the pressure more evenly with more surface area allowing the air to escape better. We are constantly striving to displace competitors' printers and spearhead print management. However, printers are very personal and most of the time if someone has a printer they print to every day they like it. All of the cost savings by switching to another device and other benefits don't make a bit of difference if at the end of the day they don't like what you have to offer.
The hardest printer to displace bar none is HP. They just work and they do what the customer wants. Whether it is the fact that the bypass is priority (which most products can be changed to) or the fact that they seem to run every envelope known to man without problems or that they seem to have less paper type mismatch problems it is hard to have to explain why your replacement printer requires the end user to jump through so many hurdles when the one they had worked fine.
On a typical printer sale the sales rep probably makes less than $100. That's not bad if you sell 20. But how much of a needs analysis can you do for a $100 commission?
I'm interested to hear what experiences others are having. Is anyone selling HP for this reason and how do you capture the after market.
