Print.IT Reseller - issue 54

PRINT.IT RESELLER : SPECIAL REPORT SR Building trust is a product of the entire journey a reseller may take with a customer, from an initial audit of a buyer’s print environment, through to post- system-implementation support. But, the supply of consumables during this journey can often be the chink in the channel’s armour that puts relationships at risk. New independent research by Buyers Lab on genuine vs non- genuine supplies, commissioned by Brother, has reinforced evidence that shows third-party inks and toners can lead to unexpected costs, yield less return on investment, and damage print hardware. This results in higher spend from customers and a loss of productivity from their workforce, with more time spent resolving printer faults. Frustration caused by these issues will often be directed towards the relationship manager at the reseller. Ultimately, this could lead to a loss of repeat business or missed margin opportunities from a loss of trust that a procurer has in its supplier. But there’s also a secondary It’s never been more important for Resellers to be seen as trusted partners, especially as end-customers increasingly turn to them for ongoing support and advice with their print systems. Of course, the two key ways to realising trust is to always keep customers happy, and to deliver on your promises. Consumables: the unsuspected route to building trust with customers risk of supplying non-genuine supplies, by unintentionally selling counterfeit goods instead. The issue of counterfeiting cannot be understated, with up to £2.25 billion worth of fake imaging supplies, including toners, ink cartridges and ribbons, infiltrating the global supply chain each year. Not only do the counterfeit supplies cause hardware damage, but cartridges are often poorly made in dangerous conditions. This could expose resellers and their customers to toxic chemicals that would be difficult to identify in an emergency. By working together, vendors and resellers can help to reduce the volume of counterfeit goods being sold and protect the integrity of the supplies market. This ultimately helps to safeguard customer relationships. Whether selling third party supplies, or unintentionally supplying counterfeit goods, the key take-away is that they can have a negative impact on hardware performance, customer productivity and costs. Supplying genuine inks and toners is a key way in which the channel can ensure customers stay happy, and that promises surrounding reliability and performance can be upheld. In this report, Louise Unsworth, Supplies Business Unit Manager at Brother UK, explores the hidden costs of ‘bargain’ inks and toners, and we outline the five key ways that genuine supplies can bolster healthy customer relationships. Not only do the counterfeit supplies cause hardware damage, but cartridges are often poorly made in dangerous conditions PRINT IT RESELLER.UK