Identification is a critical need for any school system; you need to know who is in your buildings. Having an ID system is no longer something that’s on the wishlist—it’s now a requirement.
However, just because you buy an ID system with great printers and badges doesn’t mean it’s going to seamlessly integrate with how you do things now. There are hidden costs associated with repairs, supplies, and other issues that can drive up the total cost of ownership.
By purchasing an ID system online or from a vendor who does not provide the best technical and customer service, you run the risk of increasing your TCO. If you make the wrong choice, you’ll spend more money than you should and possibly waste months getting the system back online and working correctly.
There are several issues that will result in downtime and increase your TCO. You may need troubleshooting help, have a warranty issue, need additional supplies, have to wait for a response from your vendor, or, perhaps, were not appropriately trained on the devices and software you use.
Your vendor is your lifeline in any of these situations. Often, if you purchase online, you’ll find no one on your staff has the technical support you need. Other vendors may not be as responsive and lack customer support, especially when it comes to ID industry expertise.
Any time you spend with printer or software issues leads to an increased TCO for your school system. If you find you are not getting fast turnaround time on orders or asked to pay for expensive service calls or support plans, this drives up the cost of your ID system and leaves you paying more over its lifetime.
The Importance of Reliable Technical Support
Many of our customers at Newbart make the switch to us because they’ve felt the pain of downtime with a prior system. It’s common for new customers already using an ID badge system to tell us they’ve been left without service for 1-2 months by other vendors in the past. Some schools have seen downtime of 3-4 weeks when a printer goes down, for example. When you add it up, it costs the school more money in upkeep than it would to just run the machine.
A school ID system is not just a printer and some material for badges. You must maintain software and printers, plus get access to extra supplies when needed on a fast turnaround. And even when you have all the right parts, problems can happen: Printers have paper jams. The software has bugs.
When you have a problem, the question becomes, “Who are you going to call?”
Newbart’s Comprehensive Services
When you work with us, we don’t treat you like you are buying just a printer or a badge. Our customers get as much technical service as they need when they need it. You’ll find we are responsive on the first call and will do everything we can to get you back up and running ASAP.
Our “Newbart Club” is the service agreement we have with our customers. We are committed to improving the customer experience through convenience, order accuracy, and timely delivery. We also provide free service and support for customers who purchase their machine from us and purchase all their supplies with us.
Here are just a few of the perks of being in the Newbart Club:
- 24-hour turnaround time on all support
- Free local and long-distance support via phone, email, and remote login
- No cost for services or support (after initial installation fee)
- Extended service after factory warranty (as long as the customer continues to purchase all supplies through Newbart)
- Free loaner program
- Free support on software purchased through Newbart
- Free support on printer and driver
Newbart Products, Inc., has worked exclusively in the ID industry for the last 35 years and understands how downtime can increase your total TCO. Our niche and reason for continued growth over the years is our unmatched service in the ID industry. We work with great product partners like Zebra Technologies to produce the best ID systems for your school.
Call 800-777-2003 or email sales@newbart.com today to see how Newbart can help you set up and maintain a proper ID system that will keep your buildings safe.
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