FIVE MINUTES WITH UNIVERSITY COPY CENTER: COPIER LEASING PROGRAM
Since
1988 University Copy Center (UCC)
has proudly served the faculty,
staff and students of the University
of Houston as the official supplier
of document management services. To
keep you better informed of the new
and exciting services they offer, we
will periodically be speaking to UCC
staff to showcase items that may be
of interest to you or your
department.
Today, we talk to Drew Helmey,
Director of Marketing and Campus
Development about their copier
leasing program.
How long has the University Copy
Center been offering the copier
leasing program?
University Copy Center (UCC) has
been providing departmental copier
leasing and management for the past
three years at the University of
Houston, Rice University and two HCC
campus locations. The program was
developed after we received many
requests from university
administrators and staff to help
them choose the right device for
their needs. Choosing a copier can
be a very complex activity, and
after 15 years experience leasing
our own machines, we determined that
we were in a unique position to help
our university customers choose an
optimal device for a price that fits
their needs.
Why should departments lease a
copier from UCC? What are the
benefits?
The key benefit of University Copy
Center�s leasing program are
competitive lease rates on both new
and refurbished equipment that is
supported by our on-campus locations
at the Welcome Center and Bauer
College of Business.
Being on campus allows us to monitor
networked devices and ensure that
they are always stocked with paper
and toner. Remote monitoring
software is placed on each networked
UCC leased device that alerts us to
everything from paper jams, to
necessary maintenance, to low toner.
Sometimes, using this system, we can
service the machine before the
department even knows there is an
issue! Additionally, we are always
just a phone call and quick walk
away to help with any issues that
might arise. Customers also have the
copy center as a backup if any
maintenance is required. All
in-process work or jobs that need to
be completed while the machine is
being serviced will be completed at
the copy center and delivered on
time.
We also offer annualized volume
programs. We understand that in the
academic environment there are many
months, like at semester start-up,
where lots of prints and copies are
made and others, like the summer
time, where very few are done. Other
dealers make customers choose a
monthly copy volume and then charge
for overages when more are done in a
specific month. Departments also
don�t get their money�s worth when
they don�t use their chosen number
in the months that are slow. By
helping departments choose an annual
volume number, we ensure that
overages are minimized and purchased
prints are not wasted.
Another key benefit of leasing with
UCC is that when a lease is signed,
it commits the customer to a lease
with UCC and not the chosen device.
This means if the customer is
unhappy with their machine or their
situation changes, we will replace
it with no questions asked and place
a different device.
How does the leasing program work?
What must a department do to get
started?
To get started or solicit a quote from University Copy Center, faculty and staff need only to contact our Campus Manager, Roddy Chambless. He will arrange a time to come over and discuss your needs, timing, and situation. After that initial contact, he will develop and present a proposal of different types of devices that he feels would be a match for their situation. Customers can then determine if they want to move forward. If a decision is made to lease a copier through the UCC, the department will send a Purchase Requisition for the copier lease to Purchasing in accordance with MAPP 04.01.01. Once the PO is issued, UCC will manage the installation, training and begin monitoring and servicing the machine. It�s that easy!
What type of equipment is available
through the copier leasing program?
Through our contracted relationships
with vendors in the Houston area, we
are happy to provide both lightly
used and refurbished Ricoh machines
as well as new equipment. University
Copy Center is equipped to offer the
UH Community any speed, function,
capability device that they need.
Our value is helping customers
determine what device best fits
their needs given their budget,
usage, etc.
Refurbished Machines: University
Copy Center offers its own line of
one to two year old refurbished
Ricoh machines. These devices offer
the same service and performance
guarantees as new equipment, but are
generally much less expensive with
excellent quality and utility.
Refurbished equipment is a fit if
basic copier functions and moderate
volume is expected, and if cost is a
key decision driver.
A tremendous benefit of the
refurbished option is yearly
equipment & volume �right-sizing.�
After a year of service, if a larger
or smaller machine is needed, we are
happy to trade your machine for one
that better suits your needs. If
necessary, we will change your
estimated volume to reflect the
actual volume on your maintenance
contract for the coming year,.
New Machines: To provide our clients
with multiple options, the
University Copy Center partners with ImageNet Houston to provide cutting
edge Canon and HP equipment. New
Equipment is a fit when customers
desire cutting edge technology
and/or expect heavy volume.
If new equipment is chosen, you will
lease directly from ImageNet under
the state DIR contract, but this
lease also includes the University
Copy Center on-campus service
program.
Does UCC offer copier service on
copiers that are not part of their
leasing program?
University Copy Center does offer
service on copiers under contact
with another dealer. Our program
offers high-level, on-campus service
from on-campus copy center where we
monitor the devices on-line and
physically check ink and toner
levels weekly. We can tell when the
machine malfunctions and respond
immediately to minor repairs and
jams and then call for service if
necessary. This program does not
involve leasing, renting or
procurement of devices and would be
offered at low fee per device of $20
per month.
Any other information you would like
to include about the copier leasing
program?
Over the past several years, we have
done copier assessments for our
clients on all of the campuses we
service. Over and over again, we
find that copier programs are over
purchased and that users may not
really understand how these programs
work. This program was developed
with our customers in mind, and we
are able to use our on-campus
position to provide you better
service and support. Our program is
satisfaction guaranteed and we�ll
work with you to determine what
works best for your situation.
