The Datamax Thinking Blog

Educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters.


You, Your Copier Service Provider, and Peanut Butter and Chocolate

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While there are many factors that contribute to successful relationships, there are two common to any successful relationship that I’d like to focus on here: trust and consistency.

Reliable copier service providers and a solid relationship go together like chocolate and peanut butter. If you’re going to consume the calories, you want it to be worth it. Like a peanut butter cup. Its not much different with a service provider and a relationship – if you’re going to find one, you want it to be the right one. Life is too short to suffer through poisonous relationships (or a high calorie, unsatisfying treat) – either in your personal or professional life.

When I typed “relationship” into Google search, this quote above was the first result:


A good relationship is more than something we want—it’s something we need to be our happiest, healthiest, most productive selves. But at home or work, supportive, fulfilling relationships don’t come automatically. They take an investment in time and energy as well as social skills that can be learned.

The definition touches on two elements that are important in a professional service relationship:

  1. A good relationship makes us more productive
  2. Good relationships take work

When you’re looking for a copier service provider (or whatever kind of service provider) to help you run your business, you need a partner – not just someone who’s only interested in selling you something. You can’t have a partner, not a true partner anyway, without a solid relationship.

While there are many factors that contribute to successful relationships, there are two common to any successful relationship that I’d like to focus on here: trust and consistency.

Trust and consistency are intertwined, but I’ll tackle them separately below. Keep in mind that inconsistency undermines trust (unless you enjoy relationships in which you can “trust” that you never know exactly if your partner is going to do what they say they’re going to do).

But, This Is Business.

Yes, we are talking about business, but relationships are equally as appropriate in our business lives as our personal lives. Your company logo doesn’t buy from my company logo. A person from your company purchases a service from a person at my company. All business is personal, and we too often forget that.

On the other hand, let’s be blunt, we’re all in business to make money to keep the companies’ we work for doors’ open. However, just because that’s true doesn’t mean a mutually rewarding professional relationship based on trust is impossible. It just takes effort and – as with any relationship – finding the right partner.

Trust

Companies don’t trust other companies. The people in those companies develop relationships and trust each other. I would suggest that creating trust means keeping that thought in mind – and to step outside of your “business persona” and be a little bit more yourself.

Our approach to developing trust starts with understanding what your business needs are. Because we can offer a range of services and products, from copier sales and repair to copier and printer management to managed IT services, we don’t ever fit your business needs into a cookie cutter approach. We work with you to establish what you need – not selling what’s best, easiest, or quickest for us.

Consistency

Unless consistent actions to support the relationship happen, there’s no chance for a successful partnership with your copier service and needs. We focus on consistently meeting the most important needs of our customers by focusing on fast service and first call resolution.

Why does any of this matter?

I believe, and our philosophy at Datamax encourages, the development of real partnerships with our customers. We succeed when you succeed. We don’t just pay lip service to this either – we spend the time, money, and effort to measure how well we consistently deliver excellent service by contracting with a company that researches and determines our Net Promoter Score, which is a customer loyalty metric.

Through effort and dedication to service, we are extremely proud of the Datamax conducted Net Promoter Score of 91.1 as of June 23, 2015 (for context, 30 is considered good, 50 great, and over 70 is considered world-class).

If you’re ready for a real partner to meet your copier service provider needs, we’re ready to help. I’m sure we could throw in a satisfying peanut butter treat too.

Quotation taken from: http://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/relationships.htm

Topics: Productivity Tips and Tools