Photocopier maintenance is fundamental to keeping your office running smoothly. Just one copier breakdown can turn a good day into bad for your office staff, costing time and money in terms of lost productivity and repair costs.

The best time to find copier support is, of course, before you make your copier purchase. Knowing your photocopier support options up front will help you purchase the copier that makes sense for your business. You can find a copier support list in your area through the manufacturer.

When evaluating copier service agreements, make sure you fully understand what they're offering. Find out the specifics of the contract covers, such as regularly planned maintenance, guaranteed response time and whether they give loaner copiers if your copier needs off-site repair. The number of copies you maker per month affects your contract, so be sure you figure a realistic estimate of your needs. Consider these additional points when evaluating copier support:

1. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples when considering copier support agreements.

2. Check out copier support from major office suppliers.

3. Contact manufacturers directly to find a technician qualified to service your brand.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate copier support in your area

Most copier repair companies service a region, and often handle several brands. Few, if any, operate nationwide. It's important to carefully evaluate the service you're receiving and compare to other companies.

I recommend: American Servco Imaging Systems of California provides service for 16 manufacturers of copiers including Toshiba, Canon, Konica, Minolta, Panasonic, Ricoh and Sharp. Advantage Business Equipment, serving the Chicago area, can offer service within five hours in most cases. Americomp Imaging Solutions is an authorized copier support provider for Canon, Sharp, HP and Xerox copy machines.

Get copier support at office supply stores

If you purchase your copier from an office supply store, you may want to consider also purchasing their 24-hour technical support that can extend the warranty for up to three years on a copier, including normal wear and tear and product replacement if the copier cannot be repaired.

I recommend: Staples offers a technical support and protection plan for copier maintenance. Rely on Total Office Protection from Office Depot to give you peace of mind about your copier purchase.

Locate copier support information from the manufacturers

One of the best ways to find authorized, trained service for your copiers is straight from the major copier manufacturers. The manufacturers can refer you to a service company in your area.

I recommend: Contact a qualified Canon service technician at the Canon website or at 1-800-OK-CANON. Look up a Sharp copier support list at the Sharp website or call 1-800-822-2979 for support. For Xerox, call 1-800-ASK-XEROX or check out the Xerox website. Look up the Toshiba website or call 1-800-GO-TOSHIBA.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider buying a copier support contract that does not include the toner or ink for your machines. While it may seem easier to purchase the whole package from the service representative, you can most likely find better deals on supplies yourself.