Newsletter October 2019
Recruiters for the Copier Channel® for more than 30 years, Copier Careers® has been the only recruiting firm exclusively dedicated to connecting Copier Channel employers with experienced service technicians, copier sales representatives, sales managers, service & operations managers, controllers, support staff, and MPS/MNS experts. Our Newsletter October 2019 will start your month off right with Copier Channel news and career advice. Search copier jobs now.
Top 5: Ways to Boost Customer Satisfaction
In a copier dealership, nearly every employee deals with clients at some point, which means that we’re all responsible for providing customer service. It’s a role that most employees, from sales and service professionals to upper management and office support staff, take pretty seriously. But you can’t provide top-notch service if you don’t understand what the customer really wants. Here are five of the most common ways to boost customer satisfaction:
- They want you to look your best. When clients interact with service providers, they want to be dealing with clean, professional, well put-together people. For sales professionals and leadership, this means knowing the clients’ own standards and dressing to meet or exceed those standards. For service techs, the expectation is a little different. Clients don’t expect you to fix their machines in a suit, but they do expect clean, well-fitting work clothes and attention to shoes, haircuts, and general grooming. If a dress code needs to be put in place, it’s management’s responsibility to define and enforce it.
- They want you to want them. If you have to ask a prospect to tell you about their business, you’ve already lost it: they know you haven’t bothered to do your homework, and they’ll give their business to someone else who has gone through the trouble to learn the basics ahead of time. Mike Michalowicz, CEO of the Provendus Group, advises salespeople to “Go in with all the research under your belt before you start talking. Then tell them what you know about them, and ask them to correct you where you may be wrong.”
- They want you to make it simple for them. As you explain what you can do for a client, remember to keep it simple. You may get really excited about the nitty-gritty details of feeds, speeds, and network capabilities, but they just want to know how your solutions can help improve their business processes and save them time or money. Don’t bog them down with unnecessary details.
- They want to be appreciated. Small thank-you gifts or handwritten notes go a long way toward showing clients you appreciate their business. Clients don’t necessarily expect these things, but they love receiving them. Even small gestures can go a long way in promoting customer loyalty.
- They want to be impressed. It’s common for clients to claim they are on a tight budget, but the truth for most is that they do have money to spend — they’d just prefer to spend it elsewhere. Show them the value you provide, and give them a reason to spend it on you instead.
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Marco Hires Former Sharp President & CEO
In a morning press release, Marco has confirmed the rumors that Doug Albregts is the new president of Marco. The former Sharp president and CEO will be joining the executive team, led by CEO Jeff Gau, to help lead Marco’s national growth strategy.
“I’m extremely excited to join the talented Marco team that has been on a tremendous growth trajectory over the past decade,” said Albregts. “I’ve admired how the company has built a best-in-class culture, stayed true to it’s core values and continues to lead by example. I’m fortunate to be able to get back to my Midwestern roots and be part of an incredible opportunity.”
Albregts is returning to the Copier Channel after serving as the Group CEO at Scientific Games in Las Vegas. Albregts is best known in the industry as the former president, CEO and chairman of Sharp Electronics America. Prior to joining Sharp, Albregts held several executive positions, including Samsung Electronics of America; Canvys, a division of Richardson Electronics; NEC; American Express and Golden Books Publishing.
This experience will lend itself well to Marco as they continue to expand. “Doug augments our leadership team with his extensive background in national and international expansion of both privately-held and publicly traded companies,” Gau said. “I’ve known Doug for many years and he is an excellent fit for our organization. He not only has the expertise we need, but he also has a character and set of values that match our culture. We have a track record of working together, and we look forward to collaborating to expand Marco’s market presence.”
Gordon Flesch Acquires Advanced Systems
Gordon Flesh Company, Inc. announced its acquisition of Advanced Systems, Inc. in late September. The merger will form the largest office equipment dealership in the Midwest. The newly merged company will serve businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakota under the Gordon Flesch name.
“This strategic partnership presents a unique opportunity for both organizations, and after several months of discussions, we’re really excited to see this come to fruition,” says Patrick Flesch, president of the Gordon Flesch Company. “The similarities between our two companies are amazing, which is why we are convinced this will be a great strategic and cultural fit, offering a unique and exciting opportunity for both organizations to grow.”
“ASI has been proud to serve customers across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota for more than sixty years,” says Troy Love, president and CEO of ASI. “GFC will deliver additional size, depth of experience and technology solutions for our customers, while retaining the Midwestern values and commitment to customer service our business clients are accustomed to receiving.”
Clover Acquiring Business Assets of LMI
Mid-September, Clover Imaging Group announced the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase LMI Solutions’ business assets. The agreement to purchase all of LMI’s inventory, intellectual property rights and manufacturing equipment is still subject to court approval.
Jim Cerkleski, Chairman, Clover Imaging Group, said, “The purchase of LMI’s business assets enhances our capabilities, customer reach, and demonstrates our confidence in the strength of the imaging supplies market. Clover offers the only true alternative to OEMs with significantly higher margins for our reseller partners. In addition, with the focus on environmental sustainability at an all-time high, we are seeing businesses and consumers alike abandoning single-use cartridges for our lower cost, environmentally conscious printing solutions. We are excited for the future.”
Read more news from around the industry on our News & Resources page.
Sound Off
Our readers respond to last month’s poll question
Last month we discussed five easy job search prep steps so we were curious to hear about your preferred first job search step. We had a solid turnout of 10,948 votes this month!
Most respondents said they start their job search by browsing job boards (45%). The second most popular first step was reaching out to your professional contacts, taking 27% of the votes. Close behind with 26% was contacting a recruiter for professional job search assistance. Only 2% of you started your search on social media while a grand total of 8 people prefer the tried-and-true message in a bottle method.
POLL QUESTION:
- Browse job boards (45%, 4,935 Votes)
- Ask your professional contacts (27%, 2,969 Votes)
- Contact a recruiter (26%, 2,840 Votes)
- Search social media (2%, 196 Votes)
- Message in a bottle (0%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 10,948 (September 1, 2019 @ 9:02 pm - October 1, 2019 @ 5:27 am)

Some comments from y’all:
- “I check job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn and Copier Careers.”
- “Never burn bridges – you never know who might hook you up with a new job!”
- “Can’t think of much social media I use… except if you count LinkedIn?”
- “I’ve worked with Copier Careers recruiters a few times over my career.”
- “Every job I’ve had started with a recommendation from a friend, family member or professional contact.”
Looking for top Copier Channel professionals? Copier Careers helps industry employers find the qualified staff they need to grow their businesses. Learn more.
Copier Careers Newsletter October 2019 Poll Question
- Excellent – they appreciate the value I bring them (80%, 6,387 Votes)
- Good – we’ve had some hiccups but I’ve seen them through it (17%, 1,350 Votes)
- Crickets – the less I hear from them the better (2%, 129 Votes)
- Could be better – I need to up my game (1%, 94 Votes)
- Bad – I’m just phoning it in (0%, 4 Votes)
- I’m sure it’s not me but I just lost them to my competition (0%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 7,968 (October 1, 2019 @ 6:25 am - November 4, 2019 @ 8:03 pm)
