What Type of Supplies are Included in Your MFP Service Contract?

As a business owner, office manager or IT professional who is in charge of your company’s printing environment, you are probably all too familiar with the various types of cost per copy maintenance agreements you are typically required to sign. Before signing any new equipment agreement, however, you should look at it carefully to be sure it covers both the servicing of your printers or MFPs as well as the supplies that will be provided.

Your agreement will vary on the type of multifunction printer you acquire. For example, a black-and-white cost per copy agreement comes a monochrome printer, a color cost per copy agreement comes with a color printer, and both a black-and-white and color agreement comes with a multifunction printer that does both.

With any service agreement it is wise to ensure that OEM supplies are included. With OEM supplies you can be sure of the quality since they come directly from the manufacturer. While there are usually more affordable “knock off” supplies for any multifunction printer, they can actually harm the device and affect its print performance.

Do you know what’s in your machine? OEM supplies are the smartest choice 

While many may think that it should be standard practice in the printer industry to include OEM supplies in the service agreement, you should still be sure its mentioned before you sign the deal. Knock-off or aftermarket supplies can be available at a significant discount to the service provider (up to 40% less) but can potentially end up costing you more in the long run.

By using manufacturer’s supplies, you can avoid the potential risks that supplies of lesser quality might inflict on your print environment, which include:

• Voiding your warranty. With most manufacturer warranty’s, you are not allowed to use anything other than genuine OEM supplies. The warranty will void the second an aftermarket supply item is placed in the machine.
• Increased downtime and increased amount of service calls.  These knock off supplies can potentially harm your machine, which mean more downtime and more maintenance (and less work getting done.)
• Poor quality. Many printers who run with non OEM supplies produce dirtier copies and prints along with decreased output quality.
• Frustration. All of the above can contribute to a general sense of frustration with your print environment when OEM supplies aren’t exclusively used.

Be in the know up front

In closing, it’s better to know all the specifics in your service contract which includes the type of supplies you will receive. And ensuring it includes stipulations around OEM supplies will lead to a more productive environment, a happier workplace and a better bottom line for your business.

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