We all know there will come a time when something will go offline, quit working optimally, or break down altogether.
While this kind of downtime can “stop the presses” (in some cases literally) and create serious delays in business production, it doesn’t have to. Not if you’ve got the right people in place and know exactly who to call on.
Sometimes you’re lucky enough that your go-to person is already internal, readily available, and obviously knowledgeable about your business.
But, if not, it’s important that you’ve have a trusted, certified, and familiar service provider ready to assist when downtime occurs. Don’t wait for the worse-case scenario to happen. Determine that service provider now if you haven’t already done so. Avoid lengthy downtime before something breaks.
SELECTING YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER
As the person who is supposed to ensure everything runs smoothly, it’s really on you to know the best person to call when the situation demands it. The best time to vet your service provider is not during downtime when you’ve got your superiors looking down their nose at you wondering when things will be back up and running.
If you don’t already have a service provider you’re working with, start shopping. Do not just select someone randomly from the Google results. Check their reputability by finding what others have said about their services; looking at their website; and scheduling a time to talk with them. You’re looking for someone reliable and dependable – not someone you have to handhold. Your service provider is likely coming on call at a critical time, so the last thing you need is to babysit. Check that they have factory certifications for the equipment you’ll be needing their expertise in when it’s time for them to come on down to the shop and save the day.
THINK ABOUT MORE THAN JUST REPAIR OR REPLACE
Certainly, you want your service provider to be able to repair or replace the piece that is down, offline, or unfixable. But the best service providers should go beyond just being able to slap a band-aid on the problem or give you a brand-new (and expensive) piece before considering anything else. They should be about long-term and sustainable business solutions (and quality customer service) not just getting in and out as fast as possible.
Look for a service provider who understands the big picture and doesn’t just know the parts and pieces. They bring more value to your emergency team if they understand your whole system and can account for the overall environment of the machine that’s down and its impact on business operations. In a perfect world, your service provider has working knowledge of networks and the relationship between the ribbon and the label. They are going to be able to go beyond basic printing settings and data stream issues.
BENEFITS OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH A QUALITY SERVICE PROVIDER
When downtime happens, you won’t be sorry that you went the extra lengths during normal business operations to establish that relationship with your service provider. In knowing them and trusting them in advance, they’re likely to be faster to respond to your call. And in knowing you, your business, your equipment and environment, they’ll likely be faster to resolve the issue, too. Additionally, in being familiar with all these business elements, they may be able to predict your need before they arrive and therefore coming prepared with part and pieces to offer an immediate resolution or relief. And, in knowing the machinery you’re already employing as a part of your operations, they can already tell you what they’ve got in their inventory if you need a temporary or permanent replacement.
Here’s the main thing: don’t call the first available responder because you have no other options. Know ahead of time exactly who you’ll call when downtime occurs.
If you already have a team in place to assist when these things occur, consider your service provider an extension of that team but they work remotely. You only “fly them in” when their onsite presence is necessary. Don’t wait for there to be an emergency to get acquainted. Start looking for your service provider(s) now and establish that relationship early. Need a jumpstart? Start with us. Contact us here. 
